60 Years Ago, Outside Of Selma, Alabama - Protecting The Right To Vote Is Not A Partisan Issue, It Is A Fundamental Jewish And American Value

jewishpublicaffairs.org

Mar 21, 2025

Sixty Years Ago This Past March, Hundreds Of Peaceful Protesters Crossed The Edmund Pettus Bridge Outside Of Selma, Alabama – Risking Their Lives To Secure The Right To Vote. These Activists, Including The Late Congressman John Lewis, Were Met By Alabama Highway Troopers And A Gang Of Deputized Vigilantes Who Viciously Attacked Them With Batons And Tear Gas.

In the aftermath of that Bloody Sunday, Jewish leaders from around the country, including from JCPA (then called the National Community Relations Advisory Council) joined Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders in Selma to complete the march, united in understanding that our rights and safety are intertwined.

But that history is not finished. Our Jewish values demand that we continue to fight for our inclusive, pluralistic democracy and for civil rights and justice for all – especially right now, as they face new and dire threats.

As we commemorate this defining moment in the civil rights movement, please add your name to urge Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act – reintroduced just to restore and strengthen the critical federal voting rights protections that our forebears fought so hard for.

At a moment of constant assaults on our democracy, voter suppression is among the most powerful tools the extremists have at their disposal. That’s why safeguarding this right in the face of flagrantly discriminatory laws is so crucial – and we in the Jewish community know that our safety is inextricably linked with the rights and safety of all communities and with the health of our democracy.

Yet since the Supreme Court gutted the central components of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, we have watched states enact hundreds of restrictive laws that make it harder for Americans to vote. These voter suppression efforts fundamentally undercut our democracy – disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, Latino, disabled, transgender, low-income, young and elderly voters.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore critical protections against discriminatory voting laws – helping to ensure that every American has access to the ballot box.

Protecting the right to vote is not a partisan issue – it is a fundamental Jewish and American value. Thank you for honoring the legacy of Selma and taking action.

Urge Members of Congress to Support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This critical bill would restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and ensure every American has access to the ballot box.

Write to your representatives below and urge them to support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act today, visit: https://jewishpublicaffairs.org/article/60-years-ago-today-outside-of-selma-alabama/ and click the link to sign up to show your support

Take action today!