In an election year with presidential candidates vying for the ultimate prize in 2009, it may seem natural for DC Vote to take some time to re-group until a new administration settles in. But, District residents have waited more than two centuries for equal representation in Congress, and the fight is not yet over during this legislative session. Our goal is ambitious – to end the Senate’s filibuster and bring the DC Voting Rights Act (S. 1257) back to the floor for a vote in summer 2008.

DC Vote is doing a number of things to make this goal a reality. We continue to travel to states and meet with advocacy groups, state leaders and college students to educate them about DC voting rights and garner support for the issue. On a recent trip to Mississippi, DC Vote staff met with Owen Brooks who, in 1950, hitchhiked from Boston to the Capitol steps to protest DC’s denial of representation in Congress. Another supporter, Rev. Hosea Hines, offered to organize a protest march through the streets of Jackson, MS, in support of DC voting rights. And last month, more than a dozen supporters in Montana took the initiative to stage a protest outside an event in Missoula where Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) was speaking.

If the enthusiasm of the people we’ve met with in New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Mississippi is any indication, we’ve got a great shot of getting this bill back up for a vote in this Congress. Our supporters understand the urgency of this issue and of ending this filibuster. The message from our supporters in the states is clear – Americans everywhere believe in democracy for their fellow citizens living in Washington, DC.

Of course, half the battle is spreading the word to potential supporters out in the states that the tax-paying residents of DC are denied a vote in Congress. Most people just don’t know. Thankfully, once they are educated about the issue, our polling shows that they overwhelmingly support equal representation. To that end, DC Vote is always looking for creative ways to spread the word. Our latest offering is an educational animation aimed at poking a little fun at the current President (hey, he did threaten a veto of the DC Voting Rights Act). It’s our little reminder that we’re not backing down from this historic fight.  DC residents have waited for more than 200 years, and Owen Brooks, a veteran of the civil rights movement, has been waiting nearly six decades – they shouldn’t have to wait for another session of Congress.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 9th, 2008 at 4:02 pm and is filed under Politics, Civil Rights .