Location
Important Columbia Voting Rights Rally
Senate, finish the job: pass the For the People Act! Join the action on September 17.
We are forwarding this important event notice from Carolina for All.
On September 17, Columbia will be joining hundreds of other communities nationwide for a day of action demanding that the Senate “Finish the Job For the People” and pass the For the People Act (H.R.1, the voting rights expansion bill) --even if that means overcoming the filibuster.
The press event will be held at the monument of Sen. Strom Thurmond. Thurmond used the filibuster in 1957 in an attempt to stop the Civil Rights Act which protected voting rights for African Americans. For that reason, Thurmond’s action is today considered racist, an expression of Jim Crow politics. To this day it remains the longest filibuster by a single US Senator (24 hours), even though the bill passed shortly after that. We as South Carolinians want to be in the forefront of disabling the practice of filibustering, as we continue our fight for democracy.
Activists and State Leaders around the country have been working tirelessly to protect our freedom to vote in the face of a flurry of blatant anti-voter bills designed to make it harder to vote, especially for communities of color.
And while many communities have had success holding off these attacks, we can’t hold these anti-voter bills off forever. That’s why it’s so urgent that our Senate acts now to pass the For the People Act. NOW is the time for a show of force in South Carolina of organizations and individuals who have been working on protecting our voting rights at the State and Federal levels.
Can you join this local event on Friday to demand the Senate pass the For the People Act?
What:
Where:
When:
Friday, September 17, 11:00 AM
Sponsored by:
RSVP:
To attend, RVSP to carolinaforall [at] gmail.com
A message from Carolina for All:
Before the Senate left for August Recess, Senate Republicans blocked starting debate on the For the People Act, despite overwhelming support for the bill among the public across party lines. But the good news is, the Senate is returning on Sept. 13th and Majority Leader Schumer has declared that voting rights will be the first legislative priority.
We’re at a make-it-or-break-it moment in the fight to protect our freedom to vote, and with the For the People Act, we have the opportunity to realize the promise of our democracy for all.
If passed, the For the People Act would get big money out of politics, ensure our freedom to vote, and guarantee that congressional districts are drawn to give fair representation for all.
Now is the time to show up, loudly and relentlessly, to fight for our democracy. Can you join us on Friday, September 17th at 11:00 AM to rally in support?
Every single fight for the advancement of civil rights in our nation’s history has been met with resistance and required Americans to rise up to demand change. Together we can and will win this fight.
In Solidarity,
