WASHINGTON, D.C. – In commemoration of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, All Voting is Local Co-founder and CEO Hannah Fried released the following statement:
“Today we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—an inspirational and fearless leader who demanded civil rights and freedoms for Black people in America. Dr. King knew that the only way America could fulfill the promise of equality was by ensuring all of our voices could be heard on issues like safe communities, affordable housing, good-paying jobs, and quality health care. With this knowledge, he worked tirelessly in support of the Voting Rights Act, which granted Black, Brown, Native, and other historically excluded communities full and equal access to the ballot.
“Today, more than sixty years after the passage of that landmark legislation, we are on the precipice of losing its final protections. We face multipronged attacks on our freedom to vote, and one thing is clear: Even decades after Dr. King’s call for strong, moral, and courageous leaders, the grave threats to our freedom to vote persist—from Washington to court houses to state houses. The fight must go on.
“All Voting is Local will continue honoring Dr. King’s legacy by pushing for a democracy that invites people in instead of keeping people out. As Dr. King said, ‘the hour is late. The clock of destiny is ticking out. We must act now, before it is too late.’”