Governor Abigail Spanberger of Virginia stood at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, marking the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, and announced a significant move to restore voting rights for 100,000 state residents. Spanberger, speaking about the ongoing fight for civil rights and voting rights, emphasized the importance of every citizen's voice in the democratic process.
In her speech, Spanberger highlighted the progress Virginia has made in ensuring voting accessibility, urging residents to participate in the electoral process. "The right to vote is about more than a ballot—it is about whether we believe every person should have a voice in our democracy," she stated, underscoring the significance of her administration's decision.
Spanberger's administration has restored the voting rights of 100,000 individuals who were previously incarcerated, a move that has been met with both praise and criticism. Virginia is one of only three states with a constitution that permanently strips voting rights from citizens with felony convictions, a system that Spanberger called a "shameful relic of Virginia's Jim Crow past."
The Governor's announcement came on the heels of her earlier action to restore the voting rights of 66,000 Virginians. Spanberger spoke of the pride she felt in helping individuals like Sam Harris, a Virginian who had his rights restored. Harris expressed his gratitude for the restored right to vote, viewing it as "something my ancestors died for."
Spanberger's remarks were steeped in the rich history of the civil rights movement in Virginia. She recounted the story of the Freedom Riders, who made their first stop in Fredericksburg, and the birth of civil rights leader Dorothy Height in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy. She also celebrated the election of record numbers of Black legislators and women in Virginia, noting that all these milestones were achieved through the power of the vote.
Despite the progress, Spanberger acknowledged that the struggle for voting rights is far from over. She criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for dismantling protections provided by the Voting Rights Act and pointed to efforts by states to make voting more difficult. "And we have a President who continues to lie—repeatedly, verifiably, shamelessly—about the results of an election he lost," she said, referencing the ongoing controversy surrounding the 2020 presidential election.
Spanberger's commitment to voting rights is personal, as she has faced her own challenges as a candidate. In her 2021 gubernatorial campaign, she faced attacks on her eligibility to run, prompting her to address the issue of noncitizen voting in Virginia. "And we have a President—and a complicit Congress—who have used those lies to justify his efforts to undermine the basic machinery of American democracy and keep Americans from voting," she stated, linking the current political climate to the struggle for voting rights.
Spanberger's actions and words at the Lincoln Memorial serve as a powerful reminder of the ongoing battle for civil rights and voting rights in the United States. Her administration's decision to restore voting rights to 100,000 individuals is a significant step forward, but she made clear that the fight for equality and justice is far from finished. "Despite all the wonderful progress we've made, this struggle is not over. The work is not done," she concluded, leaving her audience with a call to continue the fight for a more inclusive and democratic society.
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