As the country observes Juneteenth Day – the commemoration of African American freedom that became a federal holiday in 2021 – Vice President Kamala Harris is recognizing the Equal Ground Education Fund, a nationwide nonpartisan organization that advocates for and protects the voting rights of Black Floridians.

“I applaud the Equal Ground Education Fund’s commitment to empowering black voters and promoting civic engagement across Florida,” Harris wrote.

Equal Ground organizers say they launched the organization five years ago in response to the Republican-controlled Florida state legislature's implementation of the 2018 constitutional amendment that sought to restore voting rights to Floridians who had completed prison sentences for capital crimes.

The scope of this amendment was severely limited in June 2019, when Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law prohibiting these “returning citizens” from voting unless they met certain legal financial obligations imposed by a court as a result of a conviction of a serious crime, including court costs and restitution.

Jasmine Burney-Clark, founder of Equal Ground, was named Florida director for President Joe Biden's re-election campaign in April.

Blacks make up nearly 13% of the Florida electorate, with 1,721,238 voters, according to the latest records from the Florida Division of Elections. Of those voters, 74% are Democrats, 23% are Republicans, and the remaining 3% are either unaffiliated or registered with third parties.

In her letter, the Vice President writes that “extremists have attacked the sacred freedom to vote.”

“This not only hurts voters in every state, but also disproportionately hurts black voters across Florida,” she wrote.

“Please be assured that President Biden and I stand with you in protecting this fundamental right. We will continue to fight for passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act – federal legislation that would expand voter registration and voting access while combating discrimination.”

While the media increasingly reports that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is gaining traction among black voters who have traditionally favored Democrats in presidential elections, a Pew Research Center poll released last month shows that black voters prefer President Joe Biden over Trump by a 77 percent to 18 percent margin.

Florida Phoenix is ​​part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. Florida Phoenix maintains its editorial independence. If you have any questions, contact Editor Diane Rado: [email protected]Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Þjórsárden.

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