Faith Leaders Work with Civil Rights Advocates to Secure Reauthorization of Voting Rights Act
What happened?
Faith leaders from around the country came together to work for the reauthorization of legislation ensuring equal and just voting rights for all Americans. These leaders joined the Leadership Council on Civil Rights, a coalition of over two hundred civil rights, faith-based, and community organizations, to advocate for swift passage of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. The reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) guaranteed that certain temporary provisions set to expire in 2007 would be renewed for another twenty-five years.
What methods did faith leaders use?
The success of the campaign to renew the VRA in large part stemmed from a dual approach to advocacy: grassroots education and national advocacy. The LCCR began their campaign to renew the Voting Rights Act in the spring of 2005 with regional conferences that educated local leaders, including leaders of faith communities, on the importance of the Voting Rights Act and on the best ways to advocate for its renewal in their communities. These newly trained leaders then brought that information back to their communities. Faith leaders first educated their congregations by distributing information about the Voting Rights Act, and then organized their communities to write letters to Congress and to circulate petitions on behalf of the VRA.
National-level advocacy was paired with this grassroots education strategy. Large organizations such as the National Council of Churches and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sent out letters and press releases in support of the reauthorization. To further aid national religious leaders in their efforts to communicate and strategize, Faith in Public Life organized a conference call with experts on civil rights and members of the faith community. As a result of the call, over a hundred faith leaders teamed up with Faith in Public Life to send a letter advocating reauthorization to each member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and issue a simultaneous press release. The letter was signed by faith leaders from churches and religious organizations both large and small from all parts of the country, especially areas in which the VRA is most needed.
What was their message?
“No Catholic with a good Christian conscience can fail to recognize the rights of all citizens to vote,” wrote the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a letter urging Congress to act swiftly, adding that "reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act is necessary to preserve and protect the right to vote for all Americans." In a similar fashion, other faith leaders spoke of the reauthorization as a moral issue and stressed the importance of granting all citizens the right to vote. A letter from over a hundred diverse faith leaders highlighted the idea that “our faith traditions teach us that every person is created in God's image and that we are all part of God's family. Therefore we pray and strive for a nation that seeks justice and the common good for all of its citizens.” They also spoke proudly of the legacy of religious leadership in the fight for civil rights: “Just as faith leaders joined together decades ago to speak out in support of civil rights, so now we are united in calling upon our government to continue to support the struggle for freedom and dignity for all Americans.”
What challenges were faced?
Advocates faced twin challenges in this campaign: lack of education on the issue and some legislative maneuvering by opponents. Education was a substantial challenge. Many people believed that the renewal of the Voting Rights Act was unnecessary because the provisions were no longer needed to ensure the right to vote for all. The LCCR, with the help of community and faith leaders, had to work hard to change these misperceptions both among regular citizens and among certain Members of Congress. Particular education was needed on Section 203, which requires polling places to provide assistance to those who are not literate or who cannot speak fluent English. Many ballots include complicated provisions which demand a higher English competency than is required for naturalization. If materials are not provided for these voters in their native language, they may end up not showing up at the polls at all.
On the legislative front, although the reauthorization of the VRA was widely supported by Members of Congress from both political parties and by the president, the bill was delayed by a small group of House Republicans who sought to stall the bill’s passage by playing to the aforementioned misperceptions. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland from Florida led the objection, claiming that the VRA penalizes states for problems that have already been solved and opposing Section 203. Despite these objections, faith leaders maintained that the renewal of the Voting Rights Act without amendment was essential to guarantee the right to vote for all citizens. The LCCR, with the help of many religious leaders, stepped up their efforts in response to these objections, advocating for swift passage of the bill. In the end, the House and the Senate both passed the bill by overwhelming majorities, with the Senate voting 98-0 to send it to the president. On July 27, 2006, President Bush signed the reauthorization, renewing the VRA for another twenty-five years.
How can you use this example?
The work of the LCCR on the renewal of the VRA serves as an excellent example of the power of coalitions that engage the faith community. By having national organizations collaborate with regional leaders who could truly reach their communities, the LCCR was able to empower people from all across the country to fight for the renewal of the VRA. Faith leaders brought another dimension—a moral authority—to the coalition, which the LCCR found to be a powerful and effective force in helping bring about change. Despite the success of these tactics, the fight for equal voting rights is far from over, and minority voters continue to face impediments at the polls. In just the last five years there have been numerous attempts to disenfranchise minorities through redistricting, moving polling places and not providing bilingual materials at the polls. Though many of these attempts were thwarted by enforcement of the VRA, they serve as proof that civil rights leaders and faith leaders must continue to work together to promote this important peace of legislation and to make sure it is properly implemented.
Key Links
http://renewthevra.civilrights.org/index.html (RenewtheVRA.org)
President Bush Signs Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 Press Release
