Marathon march to Lansing puts photo ID law on stage

By Steve Neavling

Michigan civil rights leaders are organizing a historic 5-day march from Detroit to Lansing to protest a proposed state law that would keep many minorities and lower-income residents from casting ballots.

At stake is a section of the law – awaiting approval from Gov. Rick Snyder – that would require residents to have a photo ID to vote.

Since a disproportionate share of people without photo IDs are underprivileged and tend to vote for Democrats, it’s no secret who would be most impacted by the Republican-led law.

But good news may be ahead. On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department struck down a similar voter identification law in South Carolina, saying it was discriminatory and a violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the Associated Press reported.

The Michigan chapter of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network will march along Grand River to the capitol from July 23 to July 27.

  activism, civil rights, steve, voter’s rights

Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.

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