Reston Town Hall To Focus On Voting Rights, Honor John Lewis Legacy

RESTON, VA — A voting rights town hall honoring the legacy of late U.S. Rep. John Lewis is scheduled for Friday evening in Reston, bringing together elected officials, civil rights advocates and community members for a discussion on voting rights and civic engagement.

Herndon-Reston Indivisible will host the Good Trouble Lives On – Voting Rights Town Hall from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 17, at United Christian Parish, 11508 North Shore Drive in Reston.

The event is named after Lewis' call for Americans to make "good trouble" in the pursuit of civil rights and social justice.

Scheduled speakers include U.S. Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-11th); Virginia Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra (D-Reston); Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill); Mary Bauer, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia; and retired U.S. Space Force Col. Bree Fram.

According to organizers, the panel will discuss what they describe as current challenges to voting rights and ways residents can become involved in protecting access to the ballot. Register here for Friday's event.

Recent Supreme Court Ruling

The event comes less than three months after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision that significantly narrowed a key enforcement tool of the federal Voting Rights Act in a Louisiana redistricting case. The ruling makes it more difficult to challenge electoral maps that opponents argue dilute the voting power of minority communities. The Associated Press reported the decision is expected to have broad implications for future redistricting efforts and voting rights litigation across the country.

Organizers have said Friday's discussion will examine the impact of those legal developments and broader issues affecting voting rights.

Lewis, a longtime Georgia congressman and civil rights leader, was widely known for his role in the 1965 Selma voting rights marches and for encouraging Americans to engage in peaceful activism through what he called "good trouble."

The event is open to the public.

The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.