Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda Joins Push For Voting Rights Advancement Act

ATLANTA - July 5, 2019 - PRLog -- Last week the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples' Agenda (GCPA) commemorated the sixth anniversary of the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision that gutted the Voting Rights Act by joining in a multi-state action urging voters to support the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) by calling their Congressional Representatives to urge them to vote yes on the bill.

GCPA joined with Lift Our Vote in Columbiana, AL, Transforming Justice in Washington, DC and other organizations to host events to educate voters on the VRAA and provide them with actions they could take to help get the bill passed. Press conferences in Georgia and Alabama were broadcast live on Facebook and on the radio via BarbaraArnwine.com.

"The Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision gutted the Voting Rights Act and ushered in a new era of voter suppression," Helen Butler, executive director, GCPA, told the group gathered at SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. Inc. in Atlanta. "The Voting Rights Advancement Act will restore and bolster the Voting Rights Act and undo the damage done by the 2013 Shelby decision. We need everyone in this room to pull out your cell phone and call your congressional representative right now!"

"We can't stop at this one call," adds Tamieka Atkins, executive director ProGeorgia. "We must keep calling and urging leaders to pass this bill. Tell your family, friends and neighbors to call and post the information on social media. Once congress passes the VRAA, it's time to start calling your Senators."

The Shelby v Holder decision enabled state leaders like former Secretary of State Jack Kemp to take several actions that resulted in the suppression of black and poor voters including: creating strict voter ID laws, using the exact match law, and limiting poll locations and hours. Kemp was reported to have purged voters and removed over a million names from the voter rolls in a neck-and-neck election in which he was running for Governor against Stacey Abrams.

"Many sacrificed their lives for the right to vote," said  Phyllis T. Blake, President of the NAACP, Georgia State Conference.   "We will stay vigilant in pushing for legislators to pass Congresswoman Sewells Voting Rights Advancement Act."

"In addition to supporting the VRAA, Georgia Coalition for the Peoples' Agenda will continue working throughout the state of Georgia to register, educate and prepare voters for the 2019 municipal elections and the 2020 presidential elections. As our founder, Dr. Joseph E. Lowery often says, we can't let anybody turn back the clock on our journey to justice."

With headquarters in Atlanta and offices in Athens, Albany, LaGrange and Savannah, the GCPA was formed to help create an informed and active electorate and to ensure responsive and accountable elected officials. They engage members of their coalition to register, educate and mobilize voters. For more information on the organization or to volunteer in your Georgia city visit www.thepeoplesagenda.org or call (404) 653-1199.