The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Holds a Conference on the Voting Rights Act

In 1965, Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) to ensure that African Americans in the South would have equal access to the vote. Although the Act is a permanent federal statute, several provisions are temporary and came up for reauthorization and/or amendment in 1970, 1975, and 1982. These provisions are due to expire in 2007, unless reauthorized.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) March 8, 2006 -- In 1965, Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) to ensure that African Americans in the South would have equal access to the vote. Although the Act is a permanent federal statute, several provisions are temporary and came up for reauthorization and/or amendment in 1970, 1975, and 1982. These provisions are due to expire in 2007, unless reauthorized.

In anticipation of the VRA reauthorization vote, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) has invited a number of civil rights activists, voting rights proponents, prominent scholars, legislators, public policy analysts and citizens to participate in a one-day conference on the Voting Rights Act entitled “Strengthening Diversity in Democracy.” The conference will be held on Thursday, March 9, 2006, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the House and Senate Office Buildings. The purpose of the Conference is to bring before the public eye many of the debates about the Voting Rights Act that have been occurring in congressional committee rooms, at think tanks, and in the halls of academia.

The conference will consist of three panels. The first panel, “Voices from the Field: Testimonials of Voters and Voting Rights Activists,” will feature voters and community activists who have battled efforts to disfranchise minority voters in the years since 1982 – the last year the Voting Rights Act was reauthorized. This panel will run from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and its location is TBD. The second panel, entitled “Minority Voting Rights: Lessons of the Past, Problems of the Present,” will feature scholars, voting rights activists, and lawyers who will explore trends in VRA violations and enforcement during the past twenty-five years. This panel will be held in the Hart Senate Office Building Rm. 902 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. On the third panel, “Protecting Minority Voting Rights: Future Policy Directions,” scholars, voting rights activists, and lawyers will explore possible policy reforms to address current obstacles to minority voting. This panel will be held in The Dirksen Senate Office Building from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The panels will be followed by a reception in the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“The Voting Rights Act is to African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian Americans perhaps the most important piece of legislation passed in the Twentieth Century,” argued Dr. Don Tharpe, President and CEO of the CBCF. “Without the vote, these groups would not be able to press their policy concerns in the halls of government. Without the Voting Rights Act, large segments of these communities would not have access to the vote. The upcoming Voting Rights Act reauthorization debate is of paramount importance not only to these minority populations but to all Americans interested in the vitality of American democracy.”

“We here at the CBCF believe that we have a responsibility to bring the debates surrounding reauthorization to the wider public,” said Dr. Elsie Scott, CBCF Vice President for Research and Programs, “and we hope that that is exactly what this conference will do. Those of us who witnessed our parents and others risking their lives and their livelihoods to vote understand firsthand the significance of the Voting Rights Act.”

CBCF is sponsoring the conference in conjunction with Representative Danny Davis and Representative Chaka Fattah. Explaining his reasons for participating in the conference, Representative Fattah stated, “The Voting Rights Act is the legislative centerpiece of the civil rights movement. It has given millions of Americans the opportunity to participate fully in the political process. This conference promises to be a significant contribution to the future of the Act and an important analysis of issues confronting American democracy.” Representative Davis agrees, stating, “the Voting Rights Act is just as important to African Americans and other minorities today as it was forty years ago. Widespread voting irregularities in the past several presidential elections, felon disfranchisement, and so-called “voter integrity” programs pose a serious contemporary threat to these groups’ access to the vote. It is my hope that this conference will bring public attention to these problems and stimulate Congress to act aggressively to ensure that all Americans have equal access to the ballot.”

The conference is open to the public. Because space is limited, organizers ask that attendees RSVP by going to www.cbcfinc.org or calling 202-263-2835. For more information, contact Patty Rice, CBCF Communication and PR Manager at 202-263-2829 or Priscilla Clarke at 202-723-2200.

The CBCF, established in 1976, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy, research and educational institute focused on leadership education, public health, economic development, and African globalism.

Participants:

Rep. Kendrick Meek, CBCF Chair

Dr. Don Tharpe, CBCF President and CEO

Rep. Mel Watt, CBC Chair

Sen. Joe Biden

Sen. John Kerry

Sen. Hillary Clinton

Sen. Barak Obama

Sen. Richard J. Durbin

Sen. Barbara Boxer

Sen. Ken Salazar

Rep. Charles Rangel

Rep. John Conyers

Rep. Danny Davis

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

Rep. Diane Watson

Rep. Bobby Scott

Rep. Chaka Fattah

Rep. Artur Davis

Rep. Nancy Pelosi

H. Patrick Swygert, President, Howard University

Representatives from grassroots and Civil Rights organizations

In 1965, Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) to address gross violations of black voting rights in the South. Since that time, black representation in Congress has increased almost fivefold. Several provisions of the VRA are temporary and are due to expire in August 2007 unless they are reauthorized. The VRA Conference will provide a platform for legislators, scholars, activists and members of the community to examine the anticipated expiration of several sections of the VRA, gauge national trends in voting rights violations, and explore possible policy remedies.

Strengthening Diversity in Democracy

The CBCF Conference on the Voting Rights Act

Schedule:

Panel I: Voices from the Field: Testimonials of Voters and Voting Rights Activists

(Thursday, March 9, 2006)

Time:            9:00am to 10:30 am

Location:         Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, Members of Congress Rm.

Food:            Continental breakfast

9:00 – 9:05 am    Introduces Dr. Tharpe, G. Derek Musgrove

9:05 – 9:10    Welcome and open conference, Dr. Don I. Tharpe

9:10 – 9:15    Introduces moderator, G. Derek Musgrove

9:15 – 9:20    Welcome, ground rules, introduce panelists, and charge, Patrice Webb (Moderator), Government Relations Manager, Free Press

9:20 –10:00am    Panelists’ opening statements:     

1. Brian Rowland, former Texas Youth and College Division President, NAACP

2. Ellen Buchman, Field Director, Leadership Council on Civil Rights

3. Helen Butler, Voter Empowerment Coordinator, Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda

4. Jesse Clausen, Oglala Lakota Voting Rights Activist, South Dakota

10:00 – 10:25 am    Questions and Answer, Panel

10:25 – 10:30 am    Closing statement, Patrice Webb

Panel II: Minority Voting Rights: Lessons of the Past, Problems of the Present

(Thursday, March 9, 2006)

Location:         Hart Senate Office Building, Rm. 902

Time:             11:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Food:            Sit-down Lunch

11:00 – 11:05    Welcome, introduce Members who will give charge, Lorenzo Morris (Moderator), Chair, Department of Political Science, Howard University

11:05 – 11:10        Charge to panel, Rep. Danny Davis

11:10 – 11:15        Charge to panel #2, Sen. Hillary Clinton

11:15 – 11:20        Ground rules, introduce panelists, Moderator

11:20 – 12:10        Panelists opening statements:

1. Mary Francis Berry, Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania

2. Terry Ao, Staff Attorney, Asian American Justice Center

3. Marc Mauer, Executive Director, The Sentencing Project

4. Joe Rich, former Chief of the Voting Section, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice

5. Garrine P. Laney, Analyst, Domestic Social Policy Division, Library of Congress

12:10 – 12:55        Question and Answer, Panel

12:55 – 1:00    Closing statement, Lorenzo Morris (Recognizes Bernard Glenn-Moore, CBCF, Rep. Danny Davis, and Ford Foundation for organizing panel – turns the mic over to Don Tharpe of CBCF)

Member’s Remarks

(Thursday, March 9, 2006)

Location:        Hart Senate Office Building, Rm. 902

Time:             1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

1:00 – 2:00 pm    Remarks of Members (microphone controlled by Rep. Danny Davis)        (confirmed)

- Remarks, Rep. Kendrick Meek, Chairman of the Board, CBCF (confirmed)

- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (confirmed)

- Rep. Mel Watt (confirmed)

- Rep. Charles Rangel (confirmed)

- Senator Mary Landrieu (tentative)

- Senator Richard J. Durbin (confirmed)

- Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (confirmed)

- Rep. Artur Davis (confirmed)

- Rep. Diane Watson (confirmed)

- Sen. John Kerry (confirmed)

- Sen. Barbara Boxer (confirmed)

- Sen. Ken Salazar (confirmed)

- Sen. Christopher Dodd (tentative)

Panel III: The Future of the Voting Rights Act: Legislative Challenges and Remedies

(Thursday, March 9, 2006)

Location:         Dirksen Senate office Building, Rm. 226

Time:             2:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Food:            None

2:30 – 2:35    Welcome, introduce Members who will give charge, John Greenbaum (Moderator), Director, Voting Rights Project, LCCR

2:35 – 2:40        Charge to panel, Rep. Bobby Scott (confirmed)

2:40 – 2:45        Charge to panel #2, Rep. John Conyers (confirmed)

2:45 – 2:50        Ground rules, introduce panelists, Moderator

2:50 – 3:50        Panelists opening statements:

1. Brenda Wright, Managing Attorney, National Voting Rights Institute

2. Jim Tucker, Former Senior Trial Attorney, United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division

3. Debo Adegbile, Associate Director of Litigation, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

4. Robert Kengle, former Chief of the Voting Section, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice

5. Nina Perales, Regional Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense Fund

6. Nathaniel Persily, Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School

3:50 – 4:25        Question and Answer, Panel

4:20 – 4:25    Closing statement, Moderator (Recognizes Kahlil Williams, CBCF, and Ford Foundation for organizing panel)

4:25 – 4:30        Closing statement #2, Sen. Joe Biden (confirmed)

4:30 – 4:40    Closing Statement of Conference, Elsie Scott, VP of Research and Programs, CBCF

Reception: Hosted by Howard University

(Thursday, March 9, 2006)

Location:         Foyer, Rayburn House Office Building

Time:             5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

5:00 – 6:00        Reception begins

6:00 – 6:05        Remarks, Rep. Danny Davis (Recognizes organizer Bernard Glenn-Moore) (confirmed)

6:05 – 6:10        Remarks, Rep. Chaka Fattah (Recognizes organizer Kahlil Williams) (confirmed)

6:10 – 6:15    Remarks, H. Patrick Swygert, President, Howard University or Richard English, Provost, Howard University

6:15 – 6:30        Remarks, Sen. Barak Obama (confirmed)

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