By Robert Sulzer
August 26, 2013
Fifty years ago on August 28, 1963 was the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, organized by civil rights, labor and religious leaders for the purpose of achieving the dream of a more perfect America with freedom, social justice and economic justice for all. There were many speakers at this march, highlighted by the Reverend Martin Luther King`s “I HAVE A DREAM” speech. This march led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (outlawing major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, nationality, and religious minorities, and women—and ended unequal voting registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and at general public facilities). This march also led a year later to the important Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits states and local governments from imposing any voting qualifications and prerequisites to voting, or procedure to deny or abridge the right of any U.S. citizen to vote based on account of race or color.
Yesterday, August 24 2013, was a 50th Anniversary March in Washington,featuring speakers such as Attorney General Eric Holder, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Dr. King`s daughter – the Reverend Bernice King, Treyvon Martin`s mother – Sybrina Fulton, and other notable people. Rosa Parks was also at the event. On Wednesday, August 28, the actual 50th anniversary, President Obama is scheduled to speak. The events this week in Washington D.C. are very moving and meaningful, but where do we go from here?
Since 1963, our country has made great strides in civil rights and social and economic justice, with an African-American President and an African-American Attorney General are just two indicators of the change that has taken place. However, one need not look far to see the efforts underway right now to undermine and roll back the advances in civil rights and voting rights achieved 50 years ago. America still has a long way to go to achieve the dream of a more perfect union. We need to force Congress to pass legislation that counters the Supreme Court`s recent weakening of the Voting Rights Act. We also need meaningful court actions against states practicing voter repression such as we have seen most recently in Texas and North Carolina and we must be on guard against voter repression in Florida. We also need legislation that provides for a fair minimum “living” wage, for strengthening workers` rights and policies to help working families. We also need stronger laws against gun violence (including universal background checks) and to repeal the “STAND YOUR GROUND” law. For the American dream to truly be achieved we need to improve public education for all Americans, stop the oppression of women with laws that impact their rights to make health decisions, grant the GLBT community equal rights in all of these United States, and pass meaningful immigration reform. We must not tolerate those who advocate going back to the bad old days.
We can achieve all of these things that are necessary to further the dream of a more perfect union—but it requires registering all eligible Americans to VOTE and then organizing people to get out the vote. Democracy works best when everyone exercises their right to vote! These goals can only be achieved when everyone is engaged and everyone participates to implement the grassroots organizing tools practiced diligently by your Seminole County Democratic Party.