Former first lady Michelle Obama is still working toward justice despite being two presidents removed from the White House.
Leave it up to Barack Obama’s wife to keep the conversation of voting rights going. Obama teamed up with a number of famous faces, ambassadors, and political figures within the non-partisan organization When We All Vote to pen an open letter in support of passing the For the People Act, or S1. Obama, along with celebrities like Tom Hanks, Kerry Washington, Issa Rae, and many more, is urging the public to get involved with getting the act passed by contacting their local senators.
If the For the People Act is passed, it would lead to a mass expansion of voting rights that would help shift the way political campaigns are run and structured, CNN reports. In the letter, Obama and her counterparts call for “Americans of conscience and goodwill to join us in taking a stand for voting rights and to put the power more firmly in the hands of the people.” With the S1 act potentially facing opposition from the Senate, the letter asks for Americans to join the movement by “calling on your senators to pass the For the People Act immediately.”
The act aims to reverse voting rights restrictions enlisted by 250 bills within 43 states, as found by the Brennan Center for Justice. Additionally, it would prevent states from restricting votes by mail and force them to use independent redistricting commissions to create congressional district boundaries. The new bill would also work to protect future elections against foreign interference.
“This bill is not about choosing one party or one issue over another,” Obama states in the letter. “It is about commonsense reforms and best practices that make our democracy more open, more fair, and more inclusive,” she continued. “The For the People Act is about moving closer to the America we aspire to be—a land of opportunity where every voice is heard and valued.”
Along with Michelle Obama and Tom Hanks, supporters who signed the letter include When We All Vote Chairman of the Board Valerie Jarrett, and celebrities like Alicia Keys, Amandla Sternberg, Ayesha Curry, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Chrissy Teigen, Common, Janelle Monáe, Jay Ellis, Jada Pinkett Smith, John Legend, Laverne Cox, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Issa Rae, Shaquille O’Neal, Selena Gomez, Stephen Curry, Shonda Rhimes, Taraji P. Henson, The Roots, Wanda Sykes, Whoopi Goldberg, Yara Shahidi, and Yvette Nicole Brown.
