NCRRRI Launches Tour to Restore Voting Rights

The National Civil Rights Research and Records Institute (NCRRRI) has launched a national civic tour aimed at urging Congress to update the Section 4(b) formula of the Voting Rights Act, thereby restoring the federal preclearance protections that were invalidated by the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder (570 U.S. 529).

The tour, which will feature public forums in cities across the country, is designed to gather residents’ testimony and identify recurring barriers to voting. These barriers include polling-place closures, restrictive identification requirements, sudden procedural changes, inadequate language access, discriminatory redistricting, and unequal access to voting technology. The tour will also connect affected communities with civic leaders and researchers to develop a contemporary evidence base for practical reforms and congressional review.

NCRRRI, a non-profit organization dedicated to civil rights research and records, emphasizes that voting discrimination has evolved rather than disappeared. The institute’s announcement highlights the effect of the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which invalidated the Section 4(b) coverage formula. Without a valid coverage formula, Section 5, once a cornerstone of federal voting-rights enforcement, cannot operate as intended.

The tour will feature participation from local officials and civic leaders, including LaWana Slack-Mayfield, Kenneth Barrios, Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, Kevin Robinson, Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, and Bennett R. Lawson. These officials and community leaders will help strengthen civic confidence by listening to residents, improving access to public institutions, and translating community concerns into responsive policies and services.

At each civic education forum, residents will be invited to speak for three to five minutes about their experiences with voting barriers or other civil-rights concerns. The forums are not legal proceedings and will not determine liability. Their purpose is to create a national record of lived experiences for NCRRRI to preserve and use in research, education, policy development, and congressional review.

NCRRRI’s community-development model gives residents, civic leaders, researchers, and elected officials a structured way to identify an issue, document its real-world impact, and advance a practical solution. By turning individual experiences into organized evidence and sustained civic action, NCRRRI helps communities move from being heard to being equipped for change.

The institute argues that restoring an effective Section 5 framework is both a constitutional priority and an economic concern. Minority voters, who represent over 42 percent of the U.S. population, are a permanent part of the nation’s political and economic life, yet they remain vulnerable to discriminatory redistricting and unequal voting access. NCRRRI maintains that Congress should establish a durable, evidence-based coverage formula that protects access to the ballot under current conditions and gives future generations a stronger foundation for civic participation and self-government.

The institute’s announcement also includes the participation of Kenneth Barrios, a community organizer from the 33rd Ward of Chicago, and Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, an Alderwoman from Chicago’s 48th Ward. Additionally, Bennett R. Lawson, an Alderman from Chicago’s 44th Ward, will be participating in the tour. The National Civil Rights Research and Records Institute is urging Congress to adopt a new, evidence-based coverage formula that reflects current conditions and restores federal review of voting-law changes in jurisdictions with documented patterns of discrimination.

The institute’s solution involves convening accessible forums where residents can describe barriers and priorities in their own words, respectfully and without intimidation. It also includes documenting systematically, preserving testimony and supporting records so recurring concerns become credible, usable evidence for local and federal policy design and reform. The institute will connect stakeholders, including residents, civic organizations, researchers, businesses, and public officials, around shared priorities, including reducing health-care costs, removing political and economic barriers, stabilizing housing, improving support for seniors, and expanding access to polling places.

NCRRRI’s solution also involves translating documented needs into civic education, policy recommendations, leadership development, and community-based action plans. The institute will return knowledge, records, and practical tools to participating communities so residents and local organizations can continue to organize, advocate, implement solutions, and measure results beyond a single event.

The institute argues that restoring an effective Section 5 framework is both a constitutional priority and an economic concern. Minority voters, who represent over 42 percent of the U.S. population, are a permanent part of the nation’s political and economic life, yet they remain vulnerable to discriminatory redistricting and unequal voting access. NCRRRI maintains that Congress should establish a durable, evidence-based coverage formula that protects access to the ballot under current conditions and gives future generations a stronger foundation for civic participation and self-government. With more than 150 million minority residents, representing over 42 percent of the U.S. population, they drive economic activity across every major consumer market that Wall Street relies on for growth. With more than $5 trillion in annual buying power, minority consumers shape performance in the nation’s most influential industries.

The National Civil Rights Research and Records Institute (NCRRRI) is urging Congress to adopt a new, evidence-based coverage formula that reflects current conditions and restores federal review of voting-law changes in jurisdictions with documented patterns of discrimination. The institute’s civic tour will gather residents’ testimony and connect affected communities with civic leaders and researchers to develop a contemporary evidence base for practical reforms and congressional review. NCRRRI’s chairman, Joseph Baker, emphasized the importance of the right to vote, stating, “The right to vote protects every other right.