Rev. Al Sharpton has his feet to the pavement this morning marching in Washington D.C. over the Supreme Court’s hearing over the Shelby vs. Holder case, if the court rules Section V of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional; it will allow for devastating changes to happen to the Voting Rights Act. Find out more about the possible change below.
——————
Tom Joyner: From Washington, D.C. where he is marching at the Supreme Court this morning, Reverend Al Sharpton. Good morning.
Rev. Al Sharpton: Good morning. Good morning. And we are in Washington, D.C. because this morning the Supreme Court will hear the case of Shelby County versus Holder. This is where they will rule on whether or not the Section V of the Voting Rights Act is constitutional. And Section V is the preclearance statute, in layman’s terms that me and Jay would understand, It is where those who have a historic pattern of racism or discrimination in voting would have to get a preclearance from the Justice Department to change any of their voting laws, or voting procedures, which means they couldn’t have done Voter ID or end early voting, or end Sunday to the souls to the polls last year without preclearance, which is why the Justice Department and Attorney General Holder could stop South Carolina and stop Texas last year.
If they vote to make it unconstitutional they can change all of the voting laws everywhere without having to go through the Justice Department. This would be devastating. This would mean, in fact, we have no redress. We’d have to start all over again like we did before 1965 to get the Voting Rights Act. So as the President and others unveil Rosa Parks statue today, on Statutory Hall at the Capitol, they’re trying to undermine everything that Rosa Parks and Doctor King stood for at the Supreme Court. We’re at the point of battle. This is as serious as it gets and we hope people that are in the Washington area come and join us. We’ll be all day. I’m going into the hearing around ten, but the rally starts at nine and we’ll be here until the Justices have heard the argument from the Legal Defense Fund. But it’s Ground Zero on voter rights today in Washington, D.C.
Tom Joyner: Rev, what do you think is going to happen? How is the vote going to go? What do you think?
Rev. Al Sharpton: I think the problem is that you have many important vote of 5 to 4 swing to the conservatives. And Attorney Michael Harding’s General Council National Action Network is with me and will sitting in the arguments, and he’s raised a concern that by them picking it up means that somebody wants to mess with it. That’s not a good sign, which is why we need to be out here in force to let them know you can turn back the clock, but we will not let you turn back time.
