Faith Leaders Available to Discuss Today’s Delay of Voting Rights Act Reauthorization

Southern African-American Ministers Available through Faith in Public Life Media Bureau

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

On the heels of the decision by House Republican leaders to postpone today’s vote to renew the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Southern African-American ministers and civil rights leaders from Faith in Public Life’s Voicing Faith Media Bureau (www.faithinpubliclife.org/press/spokespeople.html) are available for comment from a faith perspective.

A pivotal law in the struggle for civil rights in America, the Voting Rights Act ended poll taxes and literacy tests as requirements to vote, enfranchising millions of black voters. While renewal of the law enjoys support from both sides of the aisle, some lawmakers are proposing unpopular amendments to the original law, including by Rep. Lynn Westmoreland’s (R-GA) amendment that would eliminate an existing provision requiring nine states – those with historically the most egregious voting rights violations– to seek approval through the Justice Department or a federal judge before changing existing voting laws. This and other amendments are largely expected to fail and unnecessarily delay a vote on extending this critically important law.

Ministers and civil rights leaders from Georgia, South Carolina and Texas are available to discuss why the Voting Rights has been a keystone in expanding the inclusiveness of American democracy, and how a delay in its reauthorization is morally unacceptable. Those leaders include (find others here, too (www.faithinpubliclife.org/press/spokespeople.html):

Rev. Joseph A. Darby
Senior Pastor, Morris Brown AME Church - Charleston, SC
A dynamic leader in the faith and civil rights communities in the South, Rev. Darby's congregation is the largest in the Seventh Episcopal District of the AME Church. Winner of numerous civic and professional awards, Darby is also the former first vice president of the S.C. Conference of Branches of the NAACP.

Rev. Timothy McDonald
Pastor, First Iconium Baptist Church - Atlanta, GA
Rev. McDonald is Founder of the African American Ministers Leadership Council, and current President of the African American Ministers In Action. Rev. McDonald previously served as the full-time Assistant Pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church of Atlanta and three times as President of Concerned Black Clergy of Metro Atlanta.