‘Step Up to Vote’ program planned by MLK Planning Committee

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Planning Committee of Mahoning County will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the federal Voting Rights Act during a program, “Step Up to Vote,” at 6 p.m. Aug. 6 at Mill Creek Community Center, 496 Glenwood Ave.

Signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on Aug. 6, 1965, the Voting Rights Act aimed to eliminate and outlaw various legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented black people from exercising their constitutional right to vote. The act is considered among the most far-reaching pieces of civil-rights legislation in U.S. history.

The Step Up to Vote event will feature a presentation on the history of the Voting Rights Act by students from Sojourn to the Past, a musical tribute featuring the Academy Award-winning song “Glory” from the civil rights-themed movie “Selma,” and a step-dance presentation by students from Youngstown State University.

Community organizations such as the League of Women Voters, Community Mobilization Coalition and Youngstown Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority will have voter-registration materials available for unregistered individuals who wish to register to vote.

All attendees will be asked to sign a pledge affirming they will vote in the upcoming and every future election and will encourage their families to do the same.

The Step Up to Vote program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Jaladah Aslam, the Rev. Kenneth Simon and Penny Wells are co-conveners of the event. For information, call 330-746-3250, ext. 183.