For more information:
Steffen Gillom, president
Windham County NAACP
president@naacpwindhamcounty.org
Mia Schultz, president
Rutland Area NAACP
president@naacprutland.org
Honoring Dr. King with Voting Rights Action
On August 6, 1965, the Voting Rights Act became law.
Dr. Martin Luther King participated in a historic march from Selma to Mongomery, which was pivotal to the passing of this legislation into law. The marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge were brutal and riddled with violence with participation from law enforcement. Leaders such as Dr. King and John Lewis were at the forefront of these peaceful protests.
Fast forward to 2021 and 19 states have enacted voting restrictions, a clear sign of disrespect to the legacy that Dr. King fought for and the blood that was shed for us all to have a voice in democracy without restriction.
Unlike other years that have taken a more celebratory emphasis, the family of Dr. Martin Luther King has requested that people honor the legacy of their ancestors by NOT celebrating, and instead come together in ACTION to protect democracy.
The Windham and Rutland Branches of the NAACP stand in alliance and support with the words of the King family and are choosing to not have formal celebrations, especially in this context.
Instead the branches are encouraging members of both NAACP Vermont branches and the citizens of Vermont to join the fight where it counts most, by demanding that our elected officials pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, and to ensure that there is continued mobilization against the application of the jim-crow era filibuster that threatens to derail progress.
Steffen Gillom Mia Schultz
President, Windham County NAACP President, Rutland Area NAACP
Resources on Dr. King and voting have been sent to area schools
Rutland Area Branch of the NAACP 