Russ Feingold: “40 years ago, in 1965, African Americans were excluded from almost all public offices in the South. At that time, with…”

“40 years ago, in 1965, African Americans were excluded from almost all public offices in the South. At that time, with 21 million people fenced out of the political process, our nation was suffering a devastating failure. A failure to fulfill one of its signature promises: representation for all. As I speak here today, African-American and Hispanic voters are now substantially represented in the state legislatures and local governing bodies throughout the South. And 81 minority Members currently serve in the U.S. Congress. This turn-around came as the result of a monumental struggle, a struggle in which Americans risked their lives to secure the right to vote. They marched in Alabama and across the South to protest the use of poll taxes, literacy tests, and other barriers erected in Southern States to exclude African Americans from the political process. African Americans were harassed, intimidated, and physically assaulted for simply trying to vote. Televised broadcasts brought the horrible images of attacks on peaceful protesters with nightsticks, tear gas, and police dogs into the living rooms of citizens throughout the country. Some brave souls, and some innocent bystanders, lost their lives in this struggle for justice, which still today stands as a testament to the power of ideas and nonviolence to bring about crucial social and legal change.…”