Black History Month and Voting Rights

February is the month our nation reflects on and celebrates how African Americans have helped make America great. This year Black History Month has added significance because Coretta Scott King passed away recently.  Mrs. King was her husband's partner in fighting to win the freedoms and protections due all Americans.  Despite the tragic loss of her husband, she stepped to the movement's forefront and became a graceful and eloquent advocate for the cause of human rights.  While her journey ended this week, the struggle has not.

These Civil Rights pioneers knew that of all the rights they fought and sacrificed for, none were more important than the right to vote. Making our leaders accountable at the ballot box is a powerful check on the abuse of power.  This is why President Lyndon Baines Johnson pushed so hard for a separate Voting Rights Act a year after the historic Civil Rights bill was signed into law.  The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) cleared away unconstitutional obstacles used to deny the fundamental principle of one vote for every citizen.

In 2007, key provisions of the VRA will expire.  Unless Congress reauthorizes this legislation, the intent of the Voting Rights Act could be undermined here in South Texas and elsewhere.  The Section 5 "preclearance provisions" mandate that the Department of Justice or the United States District Courts evaluate and approve any changes to voting practices or procedures. These protections were made law because of the ways minorities were stopped from voting. If outright intimidation did not work, State legislatures could divide blocs of minority voters into different voting districts, which would reduce or negate the voting power of African Americans or Latinos.

I wish I could say that voting maps designed to dilute the strength of minority voters are a thing of the past.  This spring, the Supreme Court will hear the Texas redistricting case and decide if the 2002 plan violated the spirit of the VRA. That the highest court in the land agreed to hear the case highlights the gravity of this issue.

Also set to expire is Section 203, the provision that mandates bilingual voting assistance in areas with a high concentration of citizens limited in English proficiency.  Under this part of the VRA, the entire state of Texas must have Spanish language ballots and other materials.  The rationale is that so many Americans know Spanish as their first language and do not feel comfortable reading what can be complicated ballot initiatives.  If someone does not understand the ballot, the purpose of voting is defeated.  This part of the VRA is crucial here in Texas and elsewhere and unless reauthorized, many citizens could effectively lose the right to vote.

The right to vote must not be diminished.  Heroes like Coretta Scott King fought too hard so that all Americans could gain this fundamental right.  Protecting this and other rights strikes me as the best way to observe Black History Month.