In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda Applauds the Reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

In response to the re-introduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the U.S. House of Representatives today, Regina Davis Moss, President and CEO of In Our Own Voice, released the following statement:

“Voting is a fundamental right essential for securing Reproductive Justice and protecting all the rights and liberties which make our nation a functioning democracy. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is a crucial step toward addressing racial injustice in the electoral process, restoring the heart of the Voting Rights Act, and ensuring that every American can be represented at the ballot box. Our country’s shameful track record of putting up barriers to the Black community’s right to make our voice heard through our collective vote continues today. For decades, the Voting Rights Act has been a powerful tool for removing these barriers, particularly in states with a history of discriminatory voting laws. But over the past ten years the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act re-opened the door for racial discrimination in state election laws and severely undermined the right to vote.

“The politicians who are intent on restricting our right to vote are the same politicians who are obstructing access to abortion and other reproductive health care at the state and national levels, placing our health and well-being in the balance. Black women are the largest voting constituency in the American electorate. At In Our Own Voice, we are committed to increasing Black women’s voter turnout in local and state elections, and educating a voting constituency that understands the role state and local policymakers play in their everyday lives. Access to the voting booth and more political representation in our democracy is vital for the ability of Black women, girls and gender-expansive people to control our futures and shape the policies that directly impact us. For Black families and communities to thrive, we must elect policymakers who have our best interests at heart. To make Reproductive Justice an integral part of our public policies with leaders who both care about us and represent us, we need full rights to the ballot box.”

In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure Reproductive Justice for all women, femmes, and girls. Our eight strategic partners are Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc. SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.