Planned Parenthood Action Fund Honors the 51st Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
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For Immediate Release: Aug. 5, 2016
“We stand with those who are working to expand and protect voting rights for all people.”
New York, NY— Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund Action Fund, issued the below statement on the 51st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, taking place on Saturday, August 6. In 2013, the Supreme court decision Shelby County v. Holder gutted the Voting Rights Act, which heavily affected the electoral process for marginalized communities and people of color. We are better off when more people have a voice in our political process — we should be passing laws that make it easier to vote, not harder.
Statement from Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund Action Fund:
“Today we honor the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. A year after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the VRA sought to prohibit racial discrimination in the electoral process. Now, more than 50 years later, marginalized voters are not protected under federal law as a result of the 2013 Supreme Court decision Shelby County v. Holder.
Voting restrictions have tremendously affected voter turnout for Black and Latino voters. It’s important that we prioritize the fight for voting rights to ensure that all communities are able to exercise their fundamental right to vote.
“As a community-based provider and advocate, we understand that reproductive rights are intrinsically linked to voting rights. The states actively working to limit access and funding to reproductive care are the same states actively working to suppress the right to vote. Voter suppression is an attack on reproductive rights. People of color, young people, LGBTQ folks, and poor individuals’ reproductive lives are significantly at stake during this election cycle. Planned Parenthood Action Fund knows that the ability to preserve and expand access to reproductive care for all communities rests on the right to vote. We stand with our partners who are continuing work to protect the voting rights of all.”