WASHINGTON — Despite the 13-hour journey from St. Louis to Washington, Donnita Patterson-Brown said she was too excited to sleep on the bus ride to the nation’s capital.
“I’ve been to Washington several times but being at the Lincoln Memorial is just going to mean something different for me today,” Patterson-Brown said.
A Missouri group of activists, politicians and concerned voters made their way to Washington to advocate for the protection of voter rights, which they said are under attack. The Missouri Voter Protection Coalition’s goal is to fight against efforts to make voting harder in the state and around the country.
Rallies for voting rights took place across the country Saturday. More than a thousand people turned out for speeches on the National Mall on the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, the Associated Press reported.
“This is a great time to be able to show our support,” Patterson-Brown said.
In Washington, speeches echoed across the National Mall. The heat relegated people to the shade of the trees lining the reflecting pool, where 58 years ago Martin Luther King Jr. looked out as he gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech at the original March on Washington.
Representatives from around the nation came to tell the story of voter suppression in their home states. A group from Florida decried a bill passed in April restricting ballot drop boxes and voting by mail.
Directly across the mall, less than a mile away, another group rallied for voting rights. March On for Voting Rights held a march and rally to advocate for the passage of HR 1 and 4. The two bills, which would expand voter protection, have passed in the House of Representatives and now await action by the Senate.
The themes of the speeches at the march would not have been out of place in 1963: Speakers advocated for the right to vote and equitable employment, and condemned police brutality. Newer issues, like ending the filibuster and Washington statehood, also emerged as major priorities.
Images of John Lewis were ubiquitous around the city Saturday. The activist and congressman who died last year was instrumental in passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Marchers bearing Lewis’ image said they are respecting his legacy by fighting to maintain and restore the right to vote for all. A sign quoted Lewis and read, “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.”
John Bowman, President of the St. Louis County chapter of the NAACP, wore a button with an image of Lewis. The button read “Make Good Trouble, Vote.”
“These barriers that they’re trying to put in place are a direct assault on people of color, and minorities and their ability to vote,” Bowman said. “That is the opposite of what the great John Lewis fought for.”
In 18 states, legislators introduced and passed 30 laws restricting voting access in 2021. In Missouri, legislators are working to pass a bill that includes a provision requiring voter ID. Bowman said these laws are an insult to progress made by people like Lewis.
“We are not going to allow that to happen, we are here standing united,” Bowman said.
Although Missouri has yet to pass legislation requiring a photo ID to vote, Bowman said it’s still important that Missouri is represented in the national fight for voting rights.
“We need to make sure we are at the forefront and getting in the way of anything that’s going to create an obstacle to voting,” Bowman said. “That is our most important fundamental right, constitutionally, and we refuse to allow any political strategies to set us back in time.”
Bowman feels conflicted about the continued need to advocate for voting rights, half a century after the March on Washington.
“It’s rewarding, but at the same time is somewhat sad, that I have to be here taking on this fight still today,” he said.
Patterson-Brown was nine months old when Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists marched on Washington. Today, she is marching with her children and granddaughter in mind.
“It’s something that I can share with them and let them know that this is something that that you can’t be quiet about,” Patterson-Brown said. “Without us continuing to step up and keep what other activists have done going, people will silence us and we can’t let that happen.”
The group hopes they will inspire Missourians back home to engage with local elections and advocate against restrictive voting bills.
“We hope that they will become a part of this effort to make sure we send a clear message together, all of us, that we will not just sit on the sidelines,” Bowman said.
The rallies featured speakers like Reverand Al Sharpton, members of the King family and various state and city politicians. They said they’re continuing the legacy started by civil rights leaders more than 50 years ago.
It’s a legacy Patterson-Brown said she’s proud to be a part of.
“It gives me chills,” she said, “to just continue in their footsteps.”
