Yesterday, March On and Future CoalitionĀ participated in a youth-led #NoMoreExcuses Civil Disobedience Action at the White House to demand passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which is likely to come to a vote today in the Senate, and the Freedom to Vote Act. March On is a political organization composed of women-led political activist groups that grew out of the womenās marches of January 21, 2017. They have come together as a united force to take concrete, coordinated actions at the federal, state and local levels to impact elections and move the country in a progressive direction.
Vanessa Wruble, Executive Director of March On, said,Ā “The civil rights leaders of the 1960s showed us that nothing happens unless we fight together for the government to protect our rights. We will not stop demonstrating, protesting and demanding that our governmentāespecially those who ran on a platform of fighting for our rightsāpass legislation that protects the right of every American to cast a ballot. No more excuses, no more filibuster, no more delay.”Ā Founded by youth activists for youth activists, Future Coalition is a network and community for youth-led organizations and Gen Z and young millennial leaders from across the country that came into being as a project of March On in the fall of 2018. Future Coalition works collaboratively to provide young people with the resources, tools, and support they need to create the change they want to see in their communities and in this country.
Yasmine Guedalia, Partnerships Coordinator at Future Coalition said, āYoung people turned out in record numbers in NovemberĀ 2020 to vote for the candidates who pledgedĀ to fight for us. But now, voterĀ suppression bills are preventing our generationāand especially theĀ voices ofĀ Black and Brown Americansāfrom having a voice at the ballot box. Young peopleĀ have theĀ most at stake in every election and are a powerful voting bloc thatĀ refuses to settle. Today we call onĀ our elected leaders to pass the mostĀ important legislation of our lifetimes by doing away with theĀ filibuster andĀ preserving the democracy they represent.ā
Todayās action is theĀ fourth direct action organized by the League of Women Voters, People For theĀ American Way, Declaration for American Democracy, Black Voters Matter andĀ Democracy InitiativeĀ since August, all part of a reinvigorated and growingĀ grassroots coalition pressuring Congress to act.Ā On August 28, March On andĀ Future Coalition, with a coalition of more than 200 partnersāincludingĀ the DrumĀ Major Institute, SEIU and National Action Networkāorganized a nationwide MarchĀ On forĀ Voting Rights, resulting in marches and actions in more than 100 townsĀ and cities around the countryĀ to demand passage of federal voting rightsĀ legislation.