Congressional Black Caucus
"The Conscience of Congress since 1969"
www.congressionalblackcaucus.net

(Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-Ga.), will deliver the weekly CBC "Message to America" radio address this Saturday, August 6, 2005.  Representative Lewis will discuss the 40th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.

 The CBC "Message to America" is distributed nationwide to the American Urban Radio Network's (AURN) affiliate stations.

            WHO:        U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-Ga.)

            WHEN:      Saturday, August 6, 2005; 12:06 p.m. EST

            WHERE:   American Urban Radio Network Affiliate Stations

Representative Lewis is expected to deliver the following remarks:

“Good afternoon.  I am Congressman John Lewis and I am happy to speak to you today on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus.

“Today, August 6, is the 40th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.  It has been called one of the most influential pieces of legislation passed by Congress in the last 50 years and hailed as the crowning success of the Civil Rights Movement.

“Before the Voting Rights Act, there were only a few hundred black elected officials in the whole United States.  Today, just 40 years later, there are literally thousands of local, state, and federal officials all across the country, including Black mayors, judges, sheriffs, school board members, city council members and members of Congress.  And, many of those officials have been elected in the American South.  The Voting Rights Act has changed America.  It has made this country a better place.

“We must never forget the role that our community played in bringing greater justice to this country.  It is true that Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  And, yes, President Lyndon Johnson signed it into law, but it was the brave and courageous souls of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia—men, women, and children—all across the South who wrote that act. 

“People stood in unmovable lines. People were evicted from their farms and fired from their jobs just for talking about registering to vote.  People were beaten, arrested, taken to jail, and even killed trying to register to vote.  I almost died trying to make sure that my parents, grandparents, you and your children would have the right to vote. 

“We have come a long way in America, but we still have a great distance to go before we achieve equal justice in America.  We have work to do and we have to get busy.  Some of you will be marching with me in Atlanta today, but we must do more than that.  We must remember that the vote is the most powerful, non-violent tool we have in a democracy.  We cannot take it for granted.

“We must get educated about the issues and vote according to our conscience.  And, then, we need to get involved.  Whatever it is you care about, you need to choose your ground and make a difference.  This nation needs you.  It needs your creativity and your ideas to meet its democratic destiny. 

“Thank you for listening.”

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