“This month, we honor and celebrate the enormous contributions African Americans have made to our country. While we celebrate these accomplishments, we must also rededicate ourselves to the unfinished work of the civil rights movement. Whether in a classroom or a courtroom, a job interview or a traffic stop, African Americans continue to face systemic discrimination across our society. Nowhere is this more evident or more consequential than at the ballot box. In North Carolina, Ohio, and states across the country, Republicans have done everything in their power to block communities of color from exercising their constitutional rights at the ballot box. There’s no doubt that preventing people from voting is a key part of their playbook — from voter roll purges to discriminatory voter ID laws. Such tactics are clearly discriminatory and have no place in our democracy.
“Democrats believe we should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. We know our democracy is stronger when more people can participate. And we’ve made it our priority to ensure that each and every eligible voter can exercise their right to vote without intimidation or restrictions.
“The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution reads as follows: ‘The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.’ We must be vigilant in protecting that right every day in every community.
“We know that the most important political battles are always hard-fought and that lasting progress is always hard-won. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us recommit ourselves to the fight for equality. And let us not merely commemorate the accomplishments of African Americans, but ensure their voices are heard in our democracy.”