This type of organizing is necessary!
The family of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is launching a campaign honoring John Lewis and pushing for voting rights protection, Black Enterprise reports.
The King family recently announced that they have partnered with Resist This Pac to launch the #ForJohn campaign, an initiative honoring the late Congressman and fighting for a comprehensive voting rights protection bill.
The campaign launched Saturday, July 17th, the first anniversary of the passing of civil rights activist and politician John Lewis. The Congressman passed away at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer. In his last love letter to the nation, Lewis made a call to action for this generation to continue its fight for justice and lean into voting power.
“Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it,” Lewis wrote in his letter.
The initiative is spearheaded by Martin Luther King III and his wife, Arndrea King. The #ForJohn campaign intends to honor that call for good trouble, working to support local organizers in critical states fighting back against voter suppression and advocating for senators to pass a voting rights protection bill.
Recently, several Republican-led states have passed several oppressive voting restriction bills. Seventeen states have passed laws limiting drop boxes, mail-in voting, absentee ballots and hours, as well as ID requirements. Other states have even passed outrageous laws restricting food and beverage distribution to voters waiting in line. All of this is in response to the recent progress made at the ballots.
“Our democracy is under attack. Our elected officials need to recognize the urgent moment we’re in and act now to protect voting rights and ensure American democracy is upheld. #ForJohn will support the legacy of our family friend John Lewis and maintain pressure on Congress to pass reforms,” King III said via statement.
The initiative’s mission is to fight voter suppression by investing in local organizers’ efforts for a voting protection bill. The campaign will start by funding the March On Voting Rights, a civil rights effort to mobilize people across the nation on the 58th anniversary of Dr. King’s historic March on Washington. Donors will be able to set a daily donation between $0.50 and $2.00. The campaign will then distribute funds to organizers on the ground to support their efforts.
Resist This is the super PAC working in conjunction with the King family to galvanize this movement. During the 2020 election, the organization helped fundraise millions of dollars for Black and Latino organizers.
Resist This PAC founder Xander Schultz spoke about the significance of the campaign, saying, “Time and time again, community organizing has shown itself to be the most effective political investment one can make. During the 2020 Election and the Georgia runoff, the work of grassroots organizers was the difference in securing President Biden’s win and a Democratic Senate. Now, as many of these organizations pivot to focus on voting rights, #ForJohn will support them as they apply pressure to key Senators to pass critical legislation.”
For more information and to support the #ForJohn campaign, visit www.forjohn.org.
Photo Courtesy of Steve Schapiro/The Atlantic