Official Statement
OF THE BOARD OF BISHOPS OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH REGARDING THE IMMEDIATE NECESSITY OF PASSING VOTING RIGHTS LEGISLATION
On Monday January 17th our nation will once again commemorate the life, the legacy, and lingering work to be completed of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Someone has correctly stated that MLK’s Birthday should not just be a “day off, it must be a day on!” The Board of Bishops wholeheartedly agrees with this affirmation.
Our work as a nation to realize true justice is extensive, including education, economic, and police reform; however, there is no singular issue more urgent than protecting and advancing voting reforms. Dr. King said, “Voting is the foundation stone for political action.” And while the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church does not engage in partisan political activities, our members recognize that voting is at the heart of democracy and human rights. For us, it is a moral issue that affirms the divine value of every person and their cherished right to fully participate in the democratic process.
Voting Rights Matter! On this Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2022, there are two pieces of voting rights legislation that have recently been merged into one bill that the House of Representatives passed on Thursday. We, the members of the AME Zion church, strongly believe this legislation must be passed by the US Senate and signed into law by the president of the United States of America, Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
We call upon the Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitchell McConnell, III, and all the members of the United States Senate to pass the combined Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (the “John Lewis Act”). As John Lewis so eloquently stated, “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.” As U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock said, “The Freedom to Vote Act puts the fire out in this 911 state of emergency in our democracy.. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is about building a fire station for future fires.’ (Carl Hussle, The NY Times, November 3, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/NYTimes VotingRights)
The members of the AME Zion Church support key provisions of the Freedom to Vote Act! It “set[s] new voting standards meant to counter efforts around the country to impose voting restrictions that . . . limit voting in minority communities.” (Carl Hussle, The NY Times) The Freedom to Vote Act would provide equal access to voting for all Americans, stop partisan gerrymandering, and limit the influence of dark money, according to the League of Women Voters of the US.
The members of the AME Zion Church support key provisions of the John Lewis Act! This Act is necessary to restore parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that were invalidated in 2013 by the U.S. Supreme Court. The John Lewis Act would restore the require- ment that “jurisdictions with a history of discrimination win prior approval – or preclearance – from the Justice Department or federal courts in Washington before changing their voting rules.” (Carl Hussle, The NY Times)
The members of the AME Zion Church support changes to the filibuster rules in the U.S. Senate! We support changes to the filibuster rules as necessary to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Act! The filibuster rules are relics of the past and cannot be used like a dam to hold back justice from rolling down like mighty waters and righteous like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5:24)
As Dr. King said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
We refuse to be silent,
Bishop Kenneth Monroe
Senior Bishop and President of the Board of Bishops
Bishop Daryl B. Starnes, Sr.
Bishop Dennis V. Proctor
Bishop Mildred B. Hines
Bishop W. Darin Moore
Bishop Seth O. Lartey
Bishop Michael A. Frencher, Sr.
Bishop George D. Crenshaw
Bishop Hilliard Dogbe
Bishop Uduak Effiong
Bishop Brian R. Thompson, Sr.
Bishop Eric Leake
Bishop Joseph Johnson, Retired
Bishop Marshall H. Strickland, Retired
Bishop Nathaniel Jarrett, Jr. Retired
Bishop George W.C. Walker, Sr. Retired
Bishop Samuel Chuka Ekemam, Sr., Retired
Bishop Warren Matthew Brown Retired
Bishop George Edward Battle, Jr. Retired
DONE THIS THE 15TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2022
