Politics. On Point.

The president commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).   "There are laws across this country designed to make it harder for people to vote."   A candid conversation on the VRA

Days after Attorney General Eric Holder announced that he is resigning his pos t (for reasons many are uncertain of), Holder spoke during the Congressional Black Caucus' panel on voting rights. Holder was the first African American, and longest tenured Attorney General in U.S. history. He has agreed to stay in his post until a successor has been named.  The Department of Justice, which Holder heads, is leading the investigation in Ferguson, Missouri where eighteen year-old Michael Brown was murdered by Darren Wilson of the Ferguson police department. Residents are in awe of Holder's resignation and have become increasingly concerned that justice may not prevail without Holders leadership in ensuring a fair and honest investigation. Holder announced his resignation as the nation celebrates the 50th anniversity of the Civil Rights Act. His remarks during the CBC Voting Rights panel are below. Thank you, Representative [Marcia] Fudge, for those kind words – and than...

It would seem that (unfair) voter ID laws would be the next big thing President Obama tackles after the Affordable Care Act, instead of illegal immigration. What's going on in North Carolina (and most likely other states around the country) compromises American citizens' natural right to vote. Reports have surfaced that voting practices are being put into place to discourage certain voter populations from voting. For example, the right to vote on Sundays is being challenged in some states.  Having students register to vote in the state where they attend college is another tactic, as is requesting an ID or a voter's birth certificate.  We know that young people came out in droves during the 2008 election. Making students register to vote where they attend college may discourage some young voters. Many people vote on Sundays after church, the only day they have free to do so due to working during the week.  Closing polling places on...

WhiteHouseBlog: Securing the Vote for All Americans   By Valerie Jarrett | Whitehouse.gov   Yesterday, President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Secretary of Labor Tom Perez met with civil rights leaders, and state and local elected officials at the White House to discuss how to safeguard every eligible American’s right to vote in light of the recent Supreme Court decision on Shelby County vs. Holder.   President Barack Obama meets with Civil Rights Leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, July 29, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)   The Supreme Court’s decision invalidating one of the Voting Rights Act’s core provisions, upsets decades of well-established practices that help make sure voting is fair, especially in places where voting discrimination has been historically prevalent.   President Obama acknowledged that for nearly 50 years, the Voting Rights Act has helped secure the right to vote for...

With the 2012 election less than a year away, voter suppression efforts are already in high gear across the nation. That’s a direct quote from the web site of Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights , just one of several civil rights organizations bringing awareness to the current unethical voter registration practices taking place. There is a persistent and well-coordinated effort in state legislatures to deter minority, low-income, elderly, disabled and student voters from access to the ballot. In short, the right to vote which is fundamental to our democracy is under attack, the website continues. Several  members of the civil rights community joined Lawyers Committee today for a press conference at the National Press Club to bring awareness to improper voter registration tactics being implemented across the country. Lawyers Committee for Civil and Human Rights join Jesse Jackson, Sr and other civil rights groups at the National Press Club to address the issue of vot...

Another busy day for President Obama as his scheduled included meetings with two prominent D.C. area figures: Mayor-elect Vincent Gray , and General Colin Powell. Gray and President Obama discussed funding for infrastructure for Ward 8, D.C. license plates, the city's high unemployment rate, and voting rights.  The two spoke on the 55th anniversary of Rosa Parks' giving up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus - an act that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and catapulted the Civil Rights movement. 'I'm unequivocally in support of voting rights for the District of Columbia", Obama told Gray. The District faces a $188 million gap in the Fiscal Year 2011 operating budget. Gray expects to have future meetings with the president. On meeting with General Powell the president explained, "Most of the discussion we had was around national security issues.  We talked about some of the challenges across the landscape, from North Korea to Iran to Afgha...