LULAC Urges The Senate To Honor Martin Luther King Jr’s Legacy By Passing The “Freedom To Vote: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act” Tomorrow
On MLK Day, LULAC participated in the D.C. MLK Holiday Committee for their D.C. Peace Walk and attended a press conference with speakers Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, Speaker Pelosi, Rep. Beatty, and Rep. Sewell, among other leaders, who called on President Biden & Congress to end the filibuster and deliver on voting rights now
Washington, D.C. — On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) participated in various activities to promote voting rights, in conjunction with other nonprofits, civil rights leaders, and elected officials.
“For almost 100 years, LULAC – the nation’s largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization– has been at the forefront of the voting rights movement and continues to advocate to protect Americans’ most sacred right,” said Sindy Benavides, LULAC CEO. “LULAC has fought hard both in state and federal court to ensure equal access to the electoral process, and now we see a historic opportunity for Congress to restore and protect our right to vote by passing the Freedom to Vote Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act,” continued Benavides.
“In his historic speech known as ‘Give Us the Ballot,’ Dr. King challenged our nation to allow democracy to work fully for all and end the strife created by racial inequalities in America,” said LULAC President Domingo Garcia. “It is ironic that 65-years following his remarks made in 1957, our country is still seeing headlines like those in Texas just days ago, where fifty percent of all mail-in vote applications have been rejected due to unfair voting law changes pushed through by the Republican majority. If Congress fails to act now, it will be another 65 years before voting rights are fully protected.”
“My late husband Luis Vera Jr., LULAC's former General Counsel and a longtime civil rights attorney, would be the first to say that voting rights are civil rights. If you cannot fairly cast your vote to pick your elected representative, this directly impacts who makes or enforces policy regarding where and how you live, your education and your employment,” said Rose Vera, widow of Luis Vera Jr. “Luis was inspired by the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and it helped him become a true giant in the fight for the rights of minorities, arguing major cases on issues including voter rights. May Luis rest in peace.”
“For nearly 93-years, LULAC has been leading arm-in-arm with other legacy civil rights organizations in marches for voting rights like Dr. King and other black leaders from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. We have weathered the heat and the cold, and government-sanctioned violence, in order to protect our basic God-given freedoms like voting, and we will continue to do so,” said Rodolfo Rosales Jr., LULAC Texas State Director.
As we look ahead, LULAC stands ready once again to mobilize millions of eligible Latinos to register to vote and turn out to vote. LULAC’s voter education programs, campaigns, and forums have always been a cornerstone of our mission to engage millions of Latinos who can lawfully vote from young adults to seniors. LULAC volunteer members are conducting, as did Dr. King, community-based education workshops, ‘quietly and non-violently, without bitterness or rancor,’ to ensure that one day, all our voices can be heard through our vote. Only then will America see fulfilled Dr. King’s dream of justice for every man, woman, and child.
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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/