Milwaukee — On Wednesday, August 6, a coalition of 11 Milwaukee organizations, facilitated by the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County (LWVMC), will gather between 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. at Ezekiel Gillespie Park, located at 2478 N. 14th St., to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) with its theme entitled, “We Are the Voting Rights Act”. This landmark legislation, passed in 1965, was designed to eliminate discriminatory practices that historically denied African Americans and other marginalized groups their right to vote.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson will read a proclamation recognizing the historic significance of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Clayborn Benson, of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum, will share remarks about Ezekiel Gillespie, the first African American to fight for voting rights in Wisconsin in 1866. The event will also acknowledge the 50th Anniversary of Section 203 of the VRA amendments, enacted in 1975 to ensure language-minority citizens could fully participate in the electoral process.
“We need to heighten awareness of the tremendous efforts it took to create the Voting Rights Act,” stated Angela Lang, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC) and program MC. “We also need to address the ongoing efforts to restrict people’s access to the franchise. The past and present reality calls for ongoing forums that highlight the importance of voting.”
Eloisa Gómez, a committee member of Comité por el voto latino’s LWVMC, added, “Milwaukee’s offering of bilingual ballots is a direct result of Section 203 of the VRA.”
In addition to honoring the 60th anniversary of the VRA, the coalition has been engaged in a number of nonpartisan educational efforts. A bilingual information handout on Ezekiel Gillespie’s historic role was created and shared with community organizations and Milwaukee County libraries.
A series of video interviews with Milwaukee residents, sharing why voting matters to them, will go live on July 23 and continue through August 6. Thanks to the involvement of BLOC, the video series will also feature special messages from Kerry Washington and Eric Holder, which will air on social media platforms starting July 23.
“We aim to keep the conversation going beyond August 6. Our goal is to raise public awareness about the historic struggles for voting rights and empower people to become stronger advocates for voter access in our communities,” said Lang.
The public is encouraged to visit the League’s website for more information on the Voting Rights Act: https://lwvmilwaukee.org/ and to visit the Mitchell Street Library, currently showcasing an array of books on voting rights for patrons of all ages. The display will be up through July 31.
