Representatives from St. James’, Austin, joined the movement to push for federal voting rights legislation.
They did it by participating in a four-day Moral March for Democracy, which started in Georgetown Wednesday morning, culminating in a rally at the Texas State Capitol Saturday morning.
Dozens of political figures, religious leaders, and civil rights activists led flocks of marchers. Prominent figures included the former Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke and the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and his Poor People’s Campaign, among others.
The event comes as Texas House Democrats are in Washington in an effort to block state-level election legislation criticized for disenfranchising voters. They broke quorum last week, bringing the chamber’s work during a special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott to a halt.
The Rev. Jim Harrington, assistant rector of St. James’ and the director of Proyecto Santiago organized and led the movement.
“We must fight for the soul of Texas, because it is also a fight for the soul of our nation. It’s time for a Moral March on Austin to demand an end to the filibuster, full passage of the For the People Act, full passage of the Voting Rights Act, and a $15/hr minimum living wage,” shared on a Facebook post.
The rally ended on a high note when singer Willie Nelson took the stage and performed some of his classics hits as well as new song called, “Vote ‘Em Out,” which opens with the line: “If you don’t like who’s in there, vote ‘em out; that’s what Election Day is all about.”
