By Globe Staff

   The recent 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act prompted Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee to speak out. She urged blacks to work harder to protect their voting rights.

   “The last two (presidential) elections made it painfully clear that we cannot stop until we reclaim our democracy,” said Lee. “The stakes are too high to be complacent.” Lee added, “The nation has come a long way since the days of Jim Crow laws and poll taxes, but there’s still much work to do.”
    Lee also said, “Most Americans are unaware that the right to vote is not explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution but is a state right subject to differing laws and regulations.”
    President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act into law after pressure from civil rights leaders and his desire to create a “great society.” It provides protections against actions taken by states to limit voting which have often been used to hold down voter turnout among Blacks, Latinos and low-income communities, said Lee.
    There are now 81 members of Congress who are African American, Latino, Asian and American Indian and many are progressives who would have never been elected had it not been for the Voting Rights Act.
    “Let us demand that the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act are re-authorized and extended permanently,” said Lee.
    “We must recommit ourselves today to guaranteeing voting rights for all Americans; we must affirm our nation and the world that every vote counts; we must take it upon ourselves to ensure that every vote will be counted; and we must reclaim our democracy.”