Anderson@Large

Happy Birthday to the Drum Major for Justice

Today is the actual birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.

All Hands on Deck

Election Day is 70 days away.

Tuesday is the 49th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

From Texas to Florida, there is an organized effort to suppress the vote. We must organize to protect the vote. As a Facebook friend commented:

A little bit done and accomplished is better than a whole lot planned.

Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, is doing more than a little bit. To commemorate the March on Washington and the 7th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, she is co-hosting the NCBCP Unity ’12 Campaign organizing meeting.

Melanie has issued a call to action:

We need all hands on deck! Black history has taught us that when we work together in UNITY, we have the collective power to win our fights against injustice and ignite new movements for economic, political and social justice for all people.

Stand your ground. Join the Unity ’12 Campaign.

Back to the Future

Three months ago, I transitioned back to natural hair.

The assault on voting rights is an organized effort to turn back the clock and impose new barriers to the ballot box. We must stand our ground and fight back.

Then as now, ain’t nothing wrong in keeping your mind stayed on freedom.

Countdown to Election Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2012

This is the first Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend since the dedication of the National Memorial.

On Monday, I will be in DC but I will stay clear of the crowds on the National Mall. Instead, I will attend the National Action Network MLK Day Prayer Breakfast and check out the “Black List” at the National Portrait Gallery.

The Struggle Continues

Last night, Attorney General Eric Holder delivered his highly anticipated speech on voting rights at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum in Austin, Texas. The venue is of particular significance given that President Johnson signed into law the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The new photo ID requirements in South Carolina and Texas are under review by the Justice Department so Holder was judicious in his remarks.

I was heartened by Holder's call for citizens to get in the arena:

Only we, the people, can bring about meaningful change.

So speak out. Raise awareness about what's at stake. Call on our political parties to resist the temptation to suppress certain votes in the hope of attaining electoral success and, instead, encourage and work with the parties to achieve this success by appealing to more voters. And urge policymakers at every level to reevaluate our election systems – and to reform them in ways that encourage, not limit, participation.

Today, we cannot – and must not – take the right to vote for granted. Nor can we shirk the sacred responsibility that falls upon our shoulders.

Holder concluded:

And, in the spirit of Lyndon Baines Johnson, let us continue.

Indeed, this image from the website of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security unwittingly shows the barrier between voters and the ballot box. Sadly, the struggle continues.

The citizen-powered Cost of Freedom Project is answering Holder's call to action. Join us at Facebook.com/CostofFreedom.