Los Angeles Pastor Redeem Robinson of All Souls Church has joined a hunger strike as part of a national coalition of 25 faith leaders advocating for voting rights on the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to urge Congress to pass voting rights legislation on or before Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Day on Jan. 17.
“The faith community cannot be silent as our frail democracy is repeatedly attacked,” said Robinson. “I’m participating in this hunger strike because my faith convicts me to make the necessary sacrifices to capture the attention of our political leaders who have a responsibility to protect both our democracy and our right to vote.”
The hunger strike is in response to the threat against voting rights across the country as 19 states passed 34 laws impacting the right to vote, specifically targeting communities of color.
States have enacted laws to reduce early voting, restrict access to absentee ballots and seize control of non-partisan election administration official functions. In addition, extreme partisan gerrymandering threatens access to Black political representation in state and federal elections for the next decade.