City Council celebrates 55th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act

On August 6, 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, removing all restrictions to voting for Black people, and thus giving Black people full citizenship. The Voting Rights Act is considered the singular greatest achievement of the movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr.



In the 55 years since the passage of the Voting Rights Act, tens of thousands of Blacks across America have been elected to public office, including six United States Senators and our nation’s first Black President.



The resolution made mention of martyrs who died, so Black people could vote such as Herbert Lee, Medgar Evans, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Henry Schwerner, Rev. James Reeb, Jonathan Daniels, Vernon Dehmer, and Viola Liuzzo.



The Council joins with citizens across America and the world in remembering this great achievement in social justice in the 20th century by declaring August 6 Voting Rights Act Remembrance Day in the City of Boston.



That Council also joins with civil rights icon Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Rob Reiner, Tony Shalhoub, our local and state political leadership, and Blackballotpower.com in calling upon all citizens of voting age to register to vote and vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.