“Now More Than Ever, Congress Needs To Pass The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement “
Melanie L. Campbell
President & CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and National Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR)
On August 6, 2025 we paused to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), the landmark law that granted and protected long-denied voting rights for Black Americans. Unfortunately, since 2010 over 25 states have enacted restrictive voter suppression laws to create barriers to minority, low-income and young voters. Also, the 2013 U. S. Supreme Court voting rights decision, Shelby v. Holder, further weakened the enforcement powers of the VRA that has left voters vulnerable to more barriers.
As an example, less than 24-hours after the Shelby v. Holder decision, Texas wasted no time in announcing that it would put into place a strict voter ID law. The Supreme Court decision also led to an increase in voters being purged from voting rolls. Many of those voters where Black.
As a result of, and in response to, this outbreak of widespread voter suppression by the states, the John R. Lewis Voting Right Advancement Act was introduced and passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in August of 2021. The bill was designed to restore and strengthen parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, most notably its requirement for states and jurisdictions with a history of voting rights violations to seek federal approval before enacting certain changes to their voting laws.
Sadly, by a narrow margin, the bill was not passed by the U.S. Senate. However, realizing the need to address that voter suppression is even greater now more than ever, and with our very democracy at stake, House Democrats reintroduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 in March and the U. S. Senate Democrats re-introduced the bill on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
This situation begs the question of “what changed, how did we get here and what is driving this critical point the nation is enduring in what has become a modern-day “Civil War” for political power and domination by one political party and fight to save our democracy from peril that must benefit ALL Americans and not just a handful of billionaires, if it is to survive.
Did the “change” begin when America chose a Black man to become President of the United States in 2008 who led America out of an economic crisis, was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2012?
Did things “change” in 2010 when the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of big business and large money interests in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case, allowing unlimited amounts of money to influence elections? The
ruling removed restrictions on independent expenditures, allowing big corporations to independently support political candidates with financial resources.
Did things “change” in 2013 with the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision that opened the floodgates for voter suppression in the states?
Did things “change” in 2019 when President Obama’s ability to appoint his own Federal judges for the next two years was blocked?
Did things “change” when George Floyd, a Black man, was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, shocking America and the world to the fact that a dangerous brand of racism was still alive and thriving in this nation?
Did things “change” in 2024 when a highly qualified Black woman, who had already occupied the office of Vice President of the United States, ran for the office of President?
Or did things “change” in 2025 when a billionaire and DOGE decided to indiscriminately gut the federal government of its valuable services and employees.
Clearly, there is an apparent “pattern” with regard to the lengths that some groups are willing to go in order to gain and remain “in power,” at ALL costs. Now, that cost is our cherished democracy. Even now, this thirst for power is growing more insatiable. Texas, the very state that could not wait a mere day to implement strict voter suppression laws after the Shelby County v. Holder decision, is shamefully trying to redistrict the state in such a way as to severely dilute the voting power of Blacks and Hispanics, and give white Republicans five more seats in Congress. This is all about power and control.
The United States of America is moving swiftly towards an authoritarian regime of historic proportions that has absolutely NO interest in democracy. Those in power want the majority of Americans, especially people of color, to be less healthy, less educated and less financially secure, in no uncertain terms. We, the people, must use the power of our vote and collective power of dissent—to fight back these attacks to protect our right to vote, freedoms, democracy and freedoms. Not just for us, but for our nieces, nephews, children and grandchildren.
Whatever “changed” in over a decade, now is the time to take a stand. This is now America’s new “Civil War” and we must fight back!!! We must continue to get in “good trouble” like Congressman John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, A. Philip Randolph, Dr. Dorothy Height and all the unsung heroes and sheroes who fought and died for our rights and freedoms. We must demand and push the leadership in Congress to do the “right thing” for all Americans, no matter their party and our democracy and pass the reintroduced John R. Lewis Voting Right Advancement Act and pass it now!
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The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation is a dedicated advocate for the rights and empowerment of Black and underserved communities. Through various initiatives and programs, NCBCP works to ensure equal representation, civic engagement, economic empowerment and the protection of voting rights for all. For more information on the NCBCP visit www.ncbcp.org.
Source: The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Featured image: Melanie L. Campbell, President & CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and National Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR)
