A solemn anniversary

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
TriceEdneyWire.com Columnist

On Sunday, August 6, our nation celebrated an auspicious anniversary. Unfortunately, it was an anniversary that was largely overlooked and undervalued. One could justify overlooking this anniversary by saying, “Current events are moving so fast that it’s hard to keep up with everything.” That reasoning may be true, but it hardly justifies overlooking, ignoring or failing to recognize such an important date in US and African-American history. For those who haven’t already guessed or who’ve given up altogether, August 6, 2017 marked the 52nd Anniversary of the signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

I believe that every African American should mark this date on our calendar and find a constructive way to celebrate it. And when I suggest a celebration, I speak of engagement in purposeful action to encourage others to understand our responsibility to vote and to make the commitment to vote in every election.

Those who disagree with my enthusiasm for voting and the election process should know that I have heard and understand the thinking behind most arguments against voting. From those short-sighted enough to believe “My one vote won’t count!” to those who ask “Since all politicians are the same, what will my vote change?,” I say you’re wrong! Your vote is the most important gift of citizenship you possess.

I could say that voting is payment of a debt to those who sacrificed themselves, often to their deaths, for our right to vote. I could add that our votes honor the struggles of our forbearers for the recognition of their humanity and full citizenship. Although both statements are valid and remain true, my appeal today is to your self-interest.

Most of us who share similar life-experiences will admit that we have never had someone attempt to take something without value from us. That being true, if our vote were meaningless, we would not see the assault on our voting rights and the wide-spread and recurring effort to reduce our numbers at the polls.

Federal courts in Wisconsin, Texas and North Carolina have determined that recently enacted voter laws in those states were instituted for the sole purpose of lessening the impact of African-American voters. The NC judge called it targeting with “surgical precision.”

#45 is claiming that three million people voted illegally in 2016. Most analysts agree that he’s made that claim to justify laws that will tighten restrictions against voters inclined to vote Democratic or for progressive policies. In an Executive Order, #45 has authorized an Election Integrity Commission. At its helm, #45 has appointed Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State and well-known proponent of voter suppression initiatives. Simply, rather than broadening the base of legal voters, Kobach is charged with restricting the number of opposition voters.

By now, I’m sure that many of my regular readers are saying to themselves, “I’ve heard or read similar thoughts and ideas somewhere else before. For many, I will admit that you’ve probably read these ideas in one of my previous columns. I can only add that if you read me with regularity, you will see these ideas expressed again – over and over again.

Reinstitution of maximum Federal sentencing guidelines, near-repeal of Obamacare, proposed lawsuits against universities whose Affirmative Action initiatives create reverse-discrimination against whites, ignoring DOJ consent decrees that monitor and regulate racially disparate law enforcement among police departments, constant and recurring lies from #45 and his close circle—If these past six months have not caused you to understand that elections have consequences, nothing will. If for no other reason than your own survival, you must reject taking the easy way out. You must resolve to vote so that we can collectively remove the yoke of regressive treatment that’s being forced upon our backs.

Dr. E. Faye Williams, President of the National Congress of Black Women. (202) 678-6788. www.nationalcongressbw.org.

This article originally published in the August 21, 2017 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.