NYC 2020 Women’s March and Felony Disenfranchisement
Dear All,
As we celebrate today the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., let’s be mindful of the work that remains to be done. Felony disenfranchisement – where people with felony conviction are excluded from voting while they are in prison, or on parole or probation, or sometimes for the rest of their lives – is just one area where the fight for racial and economic justice continues on. This weekend, I had the honor of speaking about felony disenfranchisement at the 2020 NYC Women’s March. If you are so inclined, you can read the text of my speech here (video available on my website soon). If you’d like to learn more or get involved, I created a short list of action items about felony disenfranchisement that you can take today.
“So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind — it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact — I can only submit to the edict of others.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. May 17, 1957
Let’s make 2020 a year where every vote counts.
Take care,
Jessica Henry