Ahead of D.C. Emancipation Day, Stand Up America Urges Senate to Pass D.C. Statehood, Recognize Voices of 700,000 Americans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
APRIL 15, 2022

PRESS CONTACT:
Anushka Sarkar, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tomorrow marks the 160th anniversary of the District of Columbia’s Emancipation Day, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act, freeing 3111 enslaved people.

Stand Up America’s Deputy Political Director Reggie Thedford marked the anniversary and commented on the need for passage of H.R. 51, the Washington D.C. Admission Act, in the Senate:

“One hundred sixty years after President Lincoln signed the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act, the 700,000 residents of Washington, D.C.—half of whom are Black—are still being denied the full rights of citizenship and deprived of voting representation in Congress, which exercises undue power over D.C. residents.

“Last year, the House of Representatives heeded the calls of D.C. residents to end this injustice and pass the Washington D.C. Admission Act, but the Senate failed to act. Senators cannot purport to care about the advancement of democracy, at home or abroad, if they’re unwilling to grant full voting rights and representation to Americans living blocks away from the U.S. Capitol. It’s time that the Senate pass D.C. statehood to ensure all Americans have a voice in our democracy.”

To speak with a Stand Up America spokesperson, please contact [email protected].
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About Stand Up America
Stand Up America is a progressive advocacy organization with over two million community members across the country. Focused on grassroots advocacy to stand up to corruption and voter suppression and build a more representative democracy, Stand Up America has driven over 1.7 million calls to lawmakers, registered over 100,000 voters, mobilized thousands of protestors, and contacted tens of millions of voters. 

Website:StandUpAmerica.com
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