Voting Rights Act Turns 40
Labor Desk
August 12, 2005
Teamster History Recalls Fight For Landmark Legislation
August 6 marked the 40th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a comprehensive legislative package that made intentional discrimination against minorities seeking to exercise the right to vote a federal crime.
This was a first in U.S. history, going well beyond the laws passed after the Civil War. It included key secondary provisions that called for federal oversight of voting practices in areas with records of violent civil rights abuses, language assistance provisions and installation of federal observers during elections. It also protected against laws that, while not intentionally discriminatory, have a discriminatory effect.
When the bill passed Congress that day, it was much more than just a new law to many Teamsters. It was a hard-earned victory in a fight in which they had participated for years.
Unlike many unions of the time, the Teamsters had openly supported the civil rights movement gaining national attention by the late 1950s. In fact, Teamsters had supported equal rights and a “no color line” policy since 1906.
Under the leadership of General President James R. Hoffa, the Teamsters donated more than $25,000 to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1961, and sent supplies to marchers and other civil rights workers camped out in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, and other locations along the freedom ride routes.
Teamsters from all across the country marched in Selma, rode buses, and joined Dr. King for the 1963 March on Washington that called for immediate civil rights protections for minorities. Sadly, Teamsters also marched with Dr. King on the journey to his final resting place in 1968, and the wife of a New Jersey member was murdered as she drove marchers to and from protest locations in Alabama in 1965.
Today’s members can be proud of our union’s civil rights legacy, but need to remember that their help and support is still needed to ensure that the legacy continues. Major components of the Voting Rights Act are up for renewal in 2007, with opponents already pushing to curtail the power of the law and remove key protections.
The best way you and your local unions can celebrate the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act is to continue the tradition of involvement in the battle for social justice. Make sure your state and local politicians and community leaders know you will not tolerate the weakening of civil rights for any citizen. Do what Teamsters have always done—lead the way in securing freedom, justice, and a better standard of living for all working families.
Source: Teamsters
August 6 marked the 40th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a comprehensive legislative package that made intentional discrimination against minorities seeking to exercise the right to vote a federal crime.
This was a first in U.S. history, going well beyond the laws passed after the Civil War. It included key secondary provisions that called for federal oversight of voting practices in areas with records of violent civil rights abuses, language assistance provisions and installation of federal observers during elections. It also protected against laws that, while not intentionally discriminatory, have a discriminatory effect.
When the bill passed Congress that day, it was much more than just a new law to many Teamsters. It was a hard-earned victory in a fight in which they had participated for years.
Unlike many unions of the time, the Teamsters had openly supported the civil rights movement gaining national attention by the late 1950s. In fact, Teamsters had supported equal rights and a “no color line” policy since 1906.
Under the leadership of General President James R. Hoffa, the Teamsters donated more than $25,000 to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1961, and sent supplies to marchers and other civil rights workers camped out in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, and other locations along the freedom ride routes.
Teamsters from all across the country marched in Selma, rode buses, and joined Dr. King for the 1963 March on Washington that called for immediate civil rights protections for minorities. Sadly, Teamsters also marched with Dr. King on the journey to his final resting place in 1968, and the wife of a New Jersey member was murdered as she drove marchers to and from protest locations in Alabama in 1965.
Today’s members can be proud of our union’s civil rights legacy, but need to remember that their help and support is still needed to ensure that the legacy continues. Major components of the Voting Rights Act are up for renewal in 2007, with opponents already pushing to curtail the power of the law and remove key protections.
The best way you and your local unions can celebrate the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act is to continue the tradition of involvement in the battle for social justice. Make sure your state and local politicians and community leaders know you will not tolerate the weakening of civil rights for any citizen. Do what Teamsters have always done—lead the way in securing freedom, justice, and a better standard of living for all working families.
Source: Teamsters
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