Hoyer: Fight to Ensure Equality for All

In a statement released this month, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer urged Americans to remember all of the people who have fought for justice and equality as we celebrate Black History Month.

Congressman Hoyer said the country is spending this month paying tribute to “those who fought for freedom and equality, broke down barriers, and contributed to the richness of our nation’s culture. We remember those who risked their lives to escape the horrors of slavery and free others, who defied unjust laws and unjust leaders to send their children to school, who demanded equal treatment in the workplace and our economy, and who marched for equality and opportunity in the face of violent opposition.”

Hoyer specifically mentioned his friend, Rep. John Lewis, and former President Barack Obama, as trailblazers who will always be considered among the greatest Americans.

Congressman Hoyer also marked the 60th anniversary of the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom. This large civil rights rally in Washington, DC, included the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to lay out the case against denying people the right to vote based on their race.

“In his speech, Dr. King declared: ‘The denial of this sacred right is a tragic betrayal of the highest mandates of our democratic tradition. And so our most urgent request to the President of the United States and every Member of Congress is to give us the right to vote.’”

Hoyer, however, had a warning in his statement. The right to vote has been put at risk.

“The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been dangerously weakened by the Supreme Court … ,” Congressman Hoyer said. “The result has been the return of discriminatory laws and practices across many of the jurisdictions in which Dr. King, Rep. Lewis, and others worked so hard to achieve equal access to the ballot box – laws and practices that make it harder for African-Americans and other minorities to participate fully in our democracy.”

Congressman Hoyer urged all Americans to rededicate themselves to the work of restoring the right to vote for all, and securing equal access to jobs, justices, and opportunities.

“As Justice Thurgood Marshall, who first took his seat on the Supreme Court 50 years ago, used to say, ‘Sometimes history takes things into its own hands.’ In 2017, the tide of history has lifted us all to this moment and asks us once again to speak out, lock arms, and march together in demand of the basic rights all Americans deserve.”

To view Congressman Hoyer’s video message, click here.

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For more information about House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader Page.