ATLANTA — The White House has released new details ahead of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Georgia Tuesday.
Both are expected to talk about voting rights and election integrity. However, at least six Georgia-based voting rights organizations will not be in attendance.
The Asian American Advocacy Fund, Atlanta North Georgia Labor Council, Black Voters Matter Fund, GALEO Impact Fund, Inc., James Woodall who is the former president of the Georgia NAACP, and the New Georgia Project Action Fund will not be there.
“We don’t need another speech. What we need is action," explained Cliff Albright, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Black Voters Matter Fund.
That’s the main message group leaders from those organizations want to get across ahead of their visit.
“We need the President, Vice President, to stay put and to vote on the voting rights act and to end the filibuster," said Sandra Williams with the Atlanta North Georgia Labor Council.
Members from the organizations, which protect voting rights especially among people of color, say they will not be attending Tuesday’s speech.
“Us not going to this meeting is in no way trying to be antagonistic or combative but it is to send a clear message of the sense of urgency that we feel," said LaTosha Brown with Black Voters Matter.
They gathered to speak about this during a Zoom call Monday afternoon.
"We beg you to stay in Washington tomorrow because we don't need you here in Georgia. We got it here in Georgia and we always do," said Phi Nguyen with Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
They cite that all over the state, democracy is at risk, and listed the following issues in a press release:
Right now, Georgia voters are facing attacks on all fronts, and there is not time during these fights to attend a speech and meet to reiterate the seriousness of this moment.
· In Lincoln County, voters and advocates are currently working to keep polling places open in Black neighborhoods after a proposal to close all but one in the county.
· Inside the state capitol, after the legislature convened today, we are currently fighting anti-dropbox legislation and other imminent threats to Georgians’ voting rights.
· In Gwinnett County, we are currently working with local leaders to battle racist gerrymandering proposals that attack county governance and school boards.
· And across the state, we have been fighting to stem a flood of removals of Black board of election members in counties throughout Georgia.
“The legislature is in action and its working on passing more restrictive measures against voting and we still don’t have federal protections extended fully for voters in Georgia where regressive Jim Crowe type of legislative changes have taken place," said Jerry Gonzalez with GALEO.
Right now, Biden and Harris are expected to speak about the "urgent need to pass legislation to protect the constitutional right to vote". But the organizations want them to stay put in Washington and take action there.
“That action is through the John Lewis Voting Rights act as well as the Freedom to Vote act," explained former President of the Georgia NAACP, James Woodall.
For more details on the visit, click here.