Georgia voting rights activists to boycott Biden's speech

Atlanta, Georgia – As President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris prepare to speak in Georgia on Tuesday on the importance of securing voting rights, many key advocates for expanding ballot access have said they will skip out on the event.

Black Voters Matter protesters rally in Atlanta to demand increased protections, especially for voters of color.
Black Voters Matter protesters rally in Atlanta to demand increased protections, especially for voters of color.  © IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Many voting rights activists have criticized the Biden administration in recent months for allegedly not doing enough to back voting rights bills stalled in Congress.

Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, joined advocates from the Asian American Advocacy Fund, GALEO Impact Fund Inc., New Georgia Project Action Fund, and more in asking Biden to remain in Washington DC unless he had a concrete plan for getting legislation passed, CNN reported.

"We don't need even more photo ops. We need action, and that action is in the form of the John Lewis Voting Rights (Advancement) Act as well as the Freedom to Vote Act, and we need that immediately," Albright told the press on Monday.

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Phi Nguyen, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, urged Biden and Harris: "We beg you to stay in Washington tomorrow because we don't need you here in Georgia."

"We need legislation that will ensure that our democracy accurately reflects the growing diversity of this state and of this country. Mr. President and Madam Vice President, we beg you to ground that plane the same way that we continue to beg you to ground the planes of so many of our community members who are being deported because we still lack a pathway to citizenship," she continued.

Biden to talk about filibuster exception

Stacey Abrams, who is running to become Georgia's next governor, will not be in attendance at Biden's speech but expressed support for the event.
Stacey Abrams, who is running to become Georgia's next governor, will not be in attendance at Biden's speech but expressed support for the event.  © IMAGO/The Photo Access

Stacey Abrams, prominent voting rights advocate and Georgia gubernatorial candidate, will also not be in attendance.

Abrams said she has a scheduling conflict during the speeches, but expressed support for the event on Twitter.

"The fight for voting rights takes persistence. As MLK exhorted, 'The clock of destiny is ticking out. We must act now before it is too late,'" the Georgia Democrat wrote. "Thank you, @POTUS, for refusing to relent until the work is finished. Welcome back to Georgia where we get good done."

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During his remarks on Tuesday, Biden is expected to provide more reasoning behind his support for bypassing Senate filibuster rules for voting rights and explain possible ways to move stalled legislation forward.

As a key battleground state and historic center of the Civil Rights movement, it's no coincidence that Biden chose Georgia as the place to explain his strategy for voting rights in more depth.

The groups skipping the event have said they plan to issue their own statement following the president's speech.

Cover photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

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