Photo: The brutal attack on peaceful civil rights marchers by state troopers during “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965.
Sixty years ago today, hundreds of peaceful protesters crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge outside of Selma, Alabama – risking their lives to secure the right to vote. These activists, including the late Congressman John Lewis, were met by Alabama Highway Troopers and a gang of deputized vigilantes who viciously attacked them with batons and tear gas.
In the aftermath of that Bloody Sunday, Jewish leaders from around the country, including from JCPA (then called the National Community Relations Advisory Council) joined Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders in Selma to complete the march, united in understanding that our rights and safety are intertwined.
Photo: National Community Relations Advisory Council members at the 1965 Selma march.
But that history is not finished. Our Jewish values demand that we continue to fight for our inclusive, pluralistic democracy and for civil rights and justice for all – especially right now, as they face new and dire threats.
At a moment of constant assaults on our democracy, voter suppression is among the most powerful tools the extremists have at their disposal. That’s why safeguarding this right in the face of flagrantly discriminatory laws is so crucial – and we in the Jewish community know that our safety is inextricably linked with the rights and safety of all communities and with the health of our democracy.
Yet since the Supreme Court gutted the central components of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, we have watched states enact hundreds of restrictive laws that make it harder for Americans to vote. These voter suppression efforts fundamentally undercut our democracy – disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, Latino, disabled, transgender, low-income, young, and elderly voters.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore critical protections against discriminatory voting laws – helping to ensure that every American has access to the ballot box.
Protecting the right to vote is not a partisan issue – it is a fundamental Jewish and American value. Thank you for honoring the legacy of Selma and taking action.
