For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON – On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, author of “Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation,” and professor of sociology and African American studies at the University of California at Los Angeles, released the following statement:
“Representing a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 increased voter access and civic engagement, removing racially-motivated systemic barriers to the ballot box.
“As we mark the anniversary of this landmark legislation, we recognize the active attacks on democracy, voter suppression, and the inability to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Bill.
“Sixty years later, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is both bedrock and a target requiring vigilance and renewed commitment to defending and ensuring voting rights for all Americans. We uplift and venerate the legacy of all of the courageous people who marched from Selma to Montgomery and remind ourselves that democracy belongs to every citizen regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, background, or zip code.”
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