What’s Next for Voting? Still Marching Toward the Mountaintop
One of the 10 Demands from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was comprehensive civil rights legislation guaranteeing the right to vote for all Americans. August 2023 marked the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, and July 2, 2024 marked the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act, which provided many protections for voting rights.
Throughout the event, panelists and attendees reflected on advancements in voting rights since the March on Washington, explored efforts in Minnesota and elsewhere to expand voting rights and access to voting, and discussed barriers to voting such as apathy, misinformation, and voter suppression.
Check out the visual notes taken during the panel discussion and the Working Lunch, share them with individuals within your network and consider implementing some of the action steps that were provided during the Working Lunch.
We also encourage you to engage with and share the What's Next for Voting Resource Guide. Sharing these documents and identifying actions that you can take to help maximize voting in all elections will help to expand the impact of this event beyond those who attended.
Co-Presenter: Minnesota Humanities Center
Moderator:
Kevin Lindsey has been the CEO of the Minnesota Humanities Center since June of 2019. As an attorney, he has successfully litigated and argued numerous cases on appeal in state and federal court. Immediately prior to joining MHC, Lindsey served as the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in Governor Mark Dayton’s cabinet where increased the effectiveness of the Department and helped to secure passage of legislation benefitting historically marginalized communities. Lindsey has been honored with Iowa Law Review Distinguished Alumni Award, the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts Civitas Award, Minnesota Lawyer award, and the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers President Award. He currently serves as the Board Chair of the African American Leadership Forum and Wonderlust Theater. Lindsey is a board member of the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the St. Paul Public Housing Authority. He was recently elected as President of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers in June of 2024.
Panelists:
Michael D. Minta is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He received a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He specializes in congressional politics, interest groups, and race and ethnic politics. Dr. Minta regularly teaches courses in U.S. government pertaining to African American politics, congressional politics, and interest group advocacy.
Steve Simon (JD '96) is Minnesota’s 22nd Secretary of State. He was sworn into office on January 5, 2015, and as Minnesota’s chief elections administrator pledged in his inaugural address to “work with anyone, of any political affiliation, from any part of our state” to protect, defend, and strengthen the right to vote in Minnesota.
As Secretary of State, he partners with township, city, and county officials to organize elections on behalf of Minnesota’s nearly four million eligible voters, and to ensure that the election system is fair.
Michelle Witte (BA '88, psychology) serves as the Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota, founded in 1919 to further empower voters and defend democracy after the passage of the 19th Amendment which expanded votes for women. Michelle has served as ED since 2017, and is deeply passionate about serving voters through our vibrant nonpartisan organization, committed to civic engagement through the work of 35 community-based chapters with more than 2,300 members here in Minnesota, and more than 800 chapters throughout the United States. Michelle is a CLA graduate of the University of Minnesota, has a Public Affairs Fellowship from the Coro Foundation, and has followed the proud League tradition of women serving in government, having served as an elected school board member for South Washington County Schools. When not working on our democracy, Michelle enjoys being active in her Woodbury community with her husband Eric and rescue dog Kiwi, and spending time with her 2 adult daughters.
What's Next? Roundtable Series
The College of Liberal Arts is hosting a series of roundtable discussions with community leaders and advocates that ask "What's Next for the Dream?" These discussions will explore where we are nationally and locally with regard to some of the demands put forward at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his historic "I Have A Dream" speech.