Martin Luther King III and his family hosted an event in support of the John Lewis Freedom to Vote Act in Phoenix on Saturday. A similar event will be held in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Martin Luther King Day.
Elected officials, faith and community leaders, and other activists joined the King family in calling for the passage of the legislation.
One of the collaborators on the event was Dr. Jannah Scott of the African American Christian Clergy Coalition. Her goal is to follow the example of the late John Lewis — a former congressman and civil rights leader — and get in “good trouble.”
“They took pains, they bled and they cried, and they were dragged those many years ago so that we could be standing today on those same rights. And so now, we want to continue to get into that good trouble until those voting rights are passed,” said Scott.
Scott says Arizona is “ground zero” for the modern fight for voting rights, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee and its impact on the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Another partner for the event was Arizona House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding.
“It was incredibly humbling, to recognize that we have leaders that have been fighting for justice for so long. And we still have more justice to fight for, especially when it comes to voting rights,” said Bolding.
Bolding says Arizona Democrats will use this upcoming state legislative session to fight for voting rights for Arizonans who have been marginalized in the past, and he hopes that Saturday’s event sent a message to those in Washington, D.C., enacting voting legislation at the federal level.
