Pallone Calls Attention to Importance of Protecting Voting Rights 50 Years After VRA Signed into Law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2015

Discussion of Voting Rights Protection at Church Where First Black Voter was Parishioner and is Buried

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Today at Perth Amboy’s historic St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) held a discussion with New Jersey residents and community leaders on the importance of restoring the Voting Rights Act 50 years after it was signed into law, and protecting the voting rights of all Americans. Congressman Pallone also honored the memory of those who marched in support of voting rights in 1965 and paid tribute to Thomas Mundy Peterson, the first black voter in the U.S., who was a parishioner of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and is buried in its cemetery.

“I am honored to bring voting rights protection to the forefront at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, the resting place of Thomas Mundy Peterson – our country’s first ever black voter, who was a parishioner here,” said Congressman Pallone. “We have come a long way since the Voting Rights Act was signed into law 50 years ago and an even longer way since we amended our constitution 145 years ago, allowing Mr. Peterson to vote, but we can never forget the struggles and sacrifices of the past.”

Pallone is a co-sponsor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would strengthen the law and restore the key enforcement provision of the Voting Rights Act invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. In that decision, Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged the persistence of voter discrimination and challenged Congress to come up with a new coverage formula to protect against it. However, in the two years since then, Republican leaders in Congress have blocked action on legislation that has been introduced to respond to the Supreme Court decision and restore the VRA.

“In its most basic form, the struggle over the right to vote is between those who wish to expand access to the ballot box and those who wish to restrict it,” added Pallone. “In the face of opposition, a renewed commitment to restoring and protecting voting rights is especially necessary. Congress has a responsibility to come together to restore the Voting Rights Act and allow for every American to fully participate in our democracy through the basic right to vote.”

In addition to Congressman Pallone’s remarks, the event featured a welcome and invocation by Reverend Dr. Anne-Marie Jeffery; remarks from Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz; a reading of the Voting Rights Act by Melvinia L. Knight, 1st Vice President, Perth Amboy Area NAACP; a presentation of an essay on getting to vote for the first time next year by Stephanie Rodriguez, a student at Colonia High School; remarks on Thomas Mundy Peterson by Perth Amboy Council President Lisa Nanton; and a discussion by Corrine Spencer, a Perth Amboy resident who lived in Charleston, South Carolina during segregation and voted for the first time when she moved to New Jersey.

August 6, 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of the President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law.