The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy Institute, is offering a FREE virtual event on Tuesday, August 19, at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET with experts, advocates, and legislators on the topic The Past, Present, and Future of the Voting Rights Act. They will explore the history of the Voting Rights Act, its impact on voters today, and what it will take to ensure fair representation for all.

In 1965, a nonviolent voting rights march in Alabama culminated in a televised, brutal attack by state police. The public outrage that followed prompted Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act, a law meant to dismantle racially discriminatory barriers to voting. Since then, this landmark civil rights law has faced continued attacks. The Supreme Court has weakened its protections, most notably in the 2013 case Shelby County v. Holder. And just this summer, a lower court ruling in Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Howe blocked voters in seven states from using the Voting Rights Act to challenge racially discriminatory voting practices.

There’s good news: The Supreme Court put the TurtleMountain decision on hold while it considers whether to take up the case. But the very fact that we’re celebrating a temporary pause on the near destruction of the Voting Rights Act’s last remaining protection illustrates how bad things have gotten in the courts. Thankfully, the courts don’t have the only say. The 15th Amendment gives Congress the power to safeguard the right to vote through new legislation.

The Panelists include: 

• Alexander Keyssar, Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy, Harvard Kennedy School 

• Sean Morales-Doyle, Director, Brennan Center Voting Rights and Elections Program 

• Lenny Powell, Staff Attorney, Native American Rights Fund 

• Nikema Williams, U.S. Representative (D-GA)  

• Moderator: Natalie Tennant, Kanawha County Commissioner; Former West Virginia Secretary of State

To register for this FREE event CLICK HERE

NOTE: Our League of Women Voters (LWV) is promoting this event to help advance the LWV Mission to Empower Voters and Defend Democracy. It also supports the LWV Voting Service Work:  LWV National; LWV PA and our Voting Toolkit Section.