By Bianca Flowers
CHICAGO, July 14 (Chicago) - Civil rights leaders announced plans on Tuesday for a Washington march to defend voting rights, saying recent court decisions have weakened key federal protections against racial discrimination in voting.
The coalition — led by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network and joined by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and labor and civil rights groups — will host the "March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote" march on August 28. That will mark the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.
Organizers said they hope to use the event to pressure lawmakers and rally a response to the erosion of voting protections.
The campaign centers on the Supreme Court's April ruling weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a key provision used to challenge voting laws and electoral maps that discriminate on the basis of race or dilute minority voting power. Organizers said the decision has intensified a long-running fight over Black political representation.
CHICAGO, July 14 (Chicago) - Civil rights leaders announced plans on Tuesday for a Washington march to defend voting rights, saying recent court decisions have weakened key federal protections against racial discrimination in voting.
The coalition — led by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network and joined by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and labor and civil rights groups — will host the "March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote" march on August 28. That will mark the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.
Organizers said they hope to use the event to pressure lawmakers and rally a response to the erosion of voting protections.
The campaign centers on the Supreme Court's April ruling weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a key provision used to challenge voting laws and electoral maps that discriminate on the basis of race or dilute minority voting power. Organizers said the decision has intensified a long-running fight over Black political representation.
3 months ago
