Sixty years to the day after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, the hosts of “Politically Georgia” reflected on the anniversary.
Their guest was U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, the successor in the U.S. House of civil rights legend John Lewis.
“Congressman Lewis reminded us, and it is so fitting today, that ‘the fight for democracy is not one for a day, a month or a year — it’s the struggle and the fight for a lifetime,’ ” Williams said.
“Those were some of his last words to us,” she said. “And so we must keep our eyes on the prize.”
When Johnson signed the bill into law, it followed the work of key Black activists who had led the movement that made it possible: the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., A. Philip Randolph, Dorothy Height, Lewis and others who had fought, protested and prayed for this moment.
“I just realized this, but over my shoulder, you probably can’t see it, but I have ‘Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story,’ a children’s book,” the U.S. representative and mother said on Zoom. “It’s a constant reminder of the work that we have to do not just in Georgia, not just in Atlanta, but in this country to truly move us all to full equality. ”
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
The Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination in public places and in the workplace, and it provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities. At the time, it was the biggest civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.
But its journey to passage was not easy. Opposition in the U.S. House bottled up the bill in committee. Then in the Senate, Southern Democratic opponents attempted to talk the bill to death in a filibuster.
Passage of the legislation helped set the foundation for other critical legislation, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled key parts of the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby County v. Holder decision.
In 2020, Lewis’ death renewed attention to restoring key voting rights.
Credit: USPS
Credit: USPS
The John Lewis Voting Rights Act was introduced for the purpose of reimposing federal oversight on states regarding election law. This time, Senate Republicans successfully filibustered to prevent the bill from passing.
The measure still remains a priority for congressional Democrats.
Just last week, it was reintroduced for a fifth time by Alabama U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell.
“ This is a fight for a lifetime,” Williams said. ”It is our turn to hold up a ton and run our part of the race.”
Wednesday on “Politically Georgia”: Former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux will join the podcast to talk about her column calling for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
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