On 60th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act the People's Agenda Calls on Congress to Pass John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

ATLANTA, Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On the 60th anniversary of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda (People's Agenda), led by executive director Helen Butler, is calling on Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, reintroduced last week by U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. The bill would restore the full protections of the VRA and safeguard voters from discriminatory practices such as improper voter purges, racially biased maps, and other barriers to free and fair elections.

"For six decades, the Voting Rights Act has served as a promise to protect the most sacred pillar of our democracy, the right to vote," said Butler, an internationally recognized leader on voting rights. "But after the Supreme Court's Shelby v. Holder decision gutted key provisions of the VRA, we've witnessed a dangerous backslide. That's why passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is not only necessary—it's urgent."

That urgency is real in Georgia. The Secretary of State is in the process of purging nearly 500,000 registered voters—roughly 6% of the state's electorate—in one of the largest voter roll purges in state history. The effort is expected to disproportionately impact voters in metro Atlanta counties like Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, and DeKalb, areas known for their racial and ethnic diversity. Butler said this purge underscores the critical need to restore federal oversight through the John Lewis Act.

The threat to voting rights goes far beyond Georgia. Just days ago, the U.S. Supreme Court signaled it may be preparing to strike down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the key provision that protects against racial gerrymandering and vote dilution. In Louisiana v. Callais, the Court is questioning whether creating majority-Black districts to comply with Section 2 is unconstitutional, a move that could undo decades of progress.

"If the Supreme Court eliminates or weakens Section 2, it would be devastating," said Butler, who also serves as convener of the Georgia Black Women's Roundtable. "What we see in states like Texas—where lawmakers fled to avoid voting on aggressively gerrymandered maps designed to suppress Black and Brown voices—and the threats in California and New York to counter with their own partisan redistricting strategies, show just how far we've strayed from fair representation. This tit-for-tat approach is eroding trust in our elections and won't stop without real accountability. The John Lewis Act will set a national standard that protects every voter, no matter their race or political party."

Butler, who made history as one of the first Black students to integrate the University of Georgia, never imagined she'd be fighting to stop the unraveling of the very rights her predecessors fought to secure. The People's Agenda's founder, Dr. Joseph E. Lowery—a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and friend and mentor to Congressman John Lewis—dedicated his life to advancing civil and voting rights. For Butler, the People's Agenda is more than an organization—it's on the front lines of the fight to preserve the very progress secured by Dr. Lowery, Dr. King, Congressman Lewis, Dr. Dorothy Height, and so many others 60 years ago. As attacks on voting rights escalate across the country, the organization remains rooted in their legacy, defending what was won through sacrifice, and pushing forward to protect democracy for the next generation.

"Our ancestors marched, were jailed, hosed, and died so we could claim the right to vote enshrined in the original Voting Rights Act," said Butler in her charge to lawmakers. "The John Lewis Act is more than legislation. It's a moral test of whether we will protect the foundation of our democracy. Sixty years after the Voting Rights Act, we stand at a crossroads. Congress must act with courage: protect the vote, pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and finish the work our ancestors began."

The Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda (http://thepeoplesagenda.org) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization engaged in year-round voter registration, education, and mobilization in Black and underserved communities throughout Georgia.

Contact: Edrea Davis
[email protected]
Phone/Text: 818.613.9521

SOURCE Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda