Join your WHC clergy and community for a nationwide day of action calling on Congress to pass the For the People Act (S. 1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4). This community motorcade is among 100 “Votercade” events being held in cities across the country on May 8.

Location: The Temple of Praise, 700 Southern Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC

• 2:00 – 3:00 pm Assemble and Decorate Cars
• 3:00 – 4:00 pm DC Votercade begins, cars depart Temple of Praise
• 4:00 – 4:30 pm Votercade returns to Temple of Praise parking lot for a celebration village with food, drinks, entertainment, and information about D.C. Statehood, the Voting Rights Act, and the For the People Act. Participants must wear masks when not in vehicles.

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Why a Motorcade?

When Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched in Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965, he famously said, “Legs are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered songs. Even without words, our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying.”

Each Shabbat, we pray with our lips that our world will soon be repaired and whole. This coming Shabbat afternoon, we have the opportunity to pray not just with our lips and legs but with our tires in the “John Lewis Voting Rights Votercade” with the Union for Reform Judaism and Freedom to Vote coalition partners across the country.

Why Is This Legislation Necessary?

Despite the pandemic and a patchwork of barriers to the ballot box across the country, more than 159 million Americans voted in the 2020 elections, the highest rates seen in over a century. Now, some elected officials want to roll back this progress by creating more barriers to vote.

These bills will protect the freedom to vote by establishing national standards for federal elections and ensuring that – no matter your race, age, income, zip code – voter registration and voting options are equally accessible in the U.S.

Why “Votercades”?

The freedom to vote is fundamental in a democracy, and we must ensure that elections are accessible for all. John Lewis ‘Good Trouble’ Votercades have proven successful in inspiring awareness among young voters, in Communities of Color, and other disproportionately impacted communities across the United States.

Why Is WHC Participating?

WHC proudly participates in this day of action in partnership with the Reform Movement’s Racial Justice Campaign and in support of the work of our racial equity task force, S.E.A. Change cohort, and Congregational Conversations program. Together, we can build a better nation and a stronger democracy.

Questions? Please contact Rev. Dr. Sharon Anderson at 301-370-9855.