ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke branch of the NAACP is speaking out in support of voter rights and asking everyone to keep fighting.
The group held a news conference Wednesday evening to talk about the U.S. Senate failing to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act last week.
Mayor Sherman Lea and other city council members were in attendance.
Speakers praised the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which removed barriers for minority voters.
The branch president, Brenda Hale, said that although this bill didn’t pass, it’s not time to give up.
“We must continue talking about the John Lewis legislation. We must keep this alive. We have to do our due diligence in that regard,” said Hale.
Members of the NAACP also asked the public to contact their legislative representatives and fight for voting rights and elect leaders who will fight too.