Photo Release: Congressman Veasey Hosts Community Leaders to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act
Fort Worth, TX – Today, Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, hosted local community leaders at Mount Zion Baptist Church to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Local civil rights leaders shared their firsthand accounts from the frontline of the fight for the right to vote.
Opal Lee and Sarah Walker both fought to improve the conditions of African Americans in the DFW Metroplex during the Civil Rights era. Today, they continue to serve as strong advocates for the African American community and work to document the rich history of the black community in the Metroplex through their work as founding members of the Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society. Bob Lydia of Dallas is an Air Force Veteran, serves as Vice-President of the Texas NAACP and is a board member of the national NAACP. Mr. Lydia has been an active participant in the fight for civil rights for decades. Opal Lee, Sarah Walker, and Bob Lydia described their experiences of living and voting in the pre-Voting Rights Act era and the effect the law had on their lives.
Caption: Opal Lee and Sarah Walker both share their stories on living and voting in the pre-Voting Rights Act era and the effect the law had on their lives.
Caption: Sarah Walker shares poll tax receipts that her grandmother and many African-Americans were once required to pay for the right to vote.
Caption: Bob Lydia discusses modern day poll taxes, and other methods to keep away minority voters from exercising their right to vote.
As the country celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the civil rights era's landmark pieces of legislation, Congressman Veasey invites DFW Metroplex residents to learn firsthand from the foot soldiers that fought to gain the right to vote for African-Americans. Following the Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby v. Holder decision, which dismantled key provisions of the original Voting Rights Act, states like Texas have implemented laws that again make it difficult for traditionally disenfranchised communities to exercise their right to vote.