WA Post: Civil Rights Icons Lead March To Urge Renewal of Voting Act

[rumpel]

Did not see this posted yet.

By Hamil R. Harris
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 7, 2005; Page A12

ATLANTA, Aug. 6 -- Thousands of marchers joined icons of the civil rights movement Saturday morning in the streets of Atlanta to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and to build support for extending protections from that bill.

"Keep hope alive: Extend the Voting Rights Act," chanted Jesse L. Jackson, president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and a march leader. He was joined by former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and the Rev. Joseph Lowery, the former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The landmark law, several sections of which are set to expire in 2007, helped transform U.S. politics and led to rising numbers of minorities being elected to govern. But some conservatives have suggested that parts of the law are no longer necessary, especially the section that requires nine states and parts of several others, mainly in the South, to seek federal approval of voting rules changes. That section also mandates that states draw minority-controlled congressional districts if black and Hispanic voters dominate certain residential areas.

Some conservatives have also signaled that they hope to change a provision in the bill that requires election officials to assist immigrant voters who do not speak English by providing them with voting material in their native language. The provision, however, is not widely challenged because it benefits Asian Americans, Latinos, Armenians and others on both sides of the political divide.

more at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/06/AR2005080600971.html

[FogerRox]

1. SAt night -- CBS evening news covered this