Photo: Twitter
WASHINGTON — The leaders of the nation’s top historic civil rights organizations released the following joint readout on their meeting today at the White House with President Biden and Vice President Harris on voting rights:
“In a very constructive meeting, national civil rights leaders met with President Biden, Vice President Harris, and senior White House officials to discuss the freedom to vote and restoring trust in law enforcement through police accountability.
“The civil rights leaders expressed their very serious concern over the dangerous anti-voter efforts by some who are intent on taking the nation backwards through voting barriers for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and new Americans. They made clear that these severely harmful efforts are a historic and existential crisis of democracy that requires urgent attention. The leaders expressed their thanks to the president and vice president for their support so far and asked them to do even more in pushing Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in order to make real the promise of our democracy for all.
“The civil rights leaders also discussed the urgent need to provide meaningful changes to hold police accountable for misconduct and ensure the safety of all community members, including Black and Brown people who disproportionately face violence and abuse at the hands of police. The leaders urged the president and vice president to do everything possible to ensure legislation like the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act is passed into law.
“The civil rights leaders expressed their appreciation to the president and vice president for meeting with them and made clear they are eager to continue working with the White House on these important issues.”
Civil rights leaders in attendance included:
- Damon Hewitt, president and executive director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Melanie Campbell, president/CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and Convener, Black Women’s Roundtable
- Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, national chair and president, National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
- Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
- Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, NAACP
- Marc H. Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League
- Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president, National Action Network
