Jefferson County Chapter Goes Stomping

Voting Rights Stomp in Louisville is a success

Is there really any better way to start your Saturday than to start it working for social justice? Yea, I didn't think so, and apparently the same goes for some 30 other people who turned out at the Presbyterian Community Center in Louisville to canvass about restoration of voting rights for former felons and to register voters.

After a brief training on door-to-door work, volunteers split into teams to canvass the California, Shelby Park, Smoketown, and Phoenix Hill neighborhoods. My partner and I had some really good conversations when we went door-to-door. Most people we met were unaware that Kentucky is just one of two states that permanently disenfranchises former felons and were eager to talk with us and sign our petition. Other volunteers not only collected petition signatures, but also registered voters and gave out applications for former felons to have their voting rights restored. Martha Flack, a Jefferson County KFTC member, was excited to have given out a couple of applications and registered three young men who were just old enough to vote.

The fun didn't end with canvassing. Noon kicked off the Restore the Vote rally back at the Presbyterian Community Center where people enjoyed some tasty free food and heard stories from former felons who have gotten their rights restored. One man talked about the different ways he's felt he had no power or control as a former felon, saying, "There are situations where you feel you're out of control, but you have the control and power to register to vote and to apply to get your rights restored." Near the rally's end, some 200 people in the neighborhood had signed a petition supporting restoration.

Several groups worked together to organize this great allied event: Making Connections, Jobs with Justice, KFTC, Women in Transition, the Presbyterian Community Center, The Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and the American Civil Liberties Union. Getting out and meeting folks who work with other social justice organizations was great, and my hope is that we'll all go Stomping again real soon.
-- Beth Bissmeyer