Tina Knowles-Lawson, mother of Beyonce and Solange, sent a letter to Senate leaders regarding voter suppression in black and brown communities, asking them to pass legislation to "ensure that all citizens can vote freely and fairly in the next general election." Knowles-Lawson wrote that seven years after the Supreme Court struck down the 1965 Voting Rights Act, "for seven years, state and local governments have reverted to discriminatory practices that restrict the voting rights of black, brown, indigenous, and Asian Americans and have erected unnecessary barriers to voting."

In an open letter to House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Knowles-Lawson partnered with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights' And Still I Vote campaign to urge passage of the HEROES Act. The bill would protect voter rights by increasing voter registration opportunities, sending absentee ballots to all voters, allowing socially dispersed advance voting, and increasing funding for local and state governments. It also increases stimulus payments and strengthens coronavirus testing. The House passed the legislation in May, but the Republican-led Senate has yet to accept it. [As members of the black community, we are hurt, angry, and anguished by the repeated attacks on black bodies that have been brought to light once again by the recent murders of George Floyd and Breona Taylor. Along with Knowles-Lawson, several "Mothers of the Movement," the mothers of those murdered as a result of police brutality and anti-Black racism, are Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylor's mother; Sheadu McGee Tate, the matriarch of George Floyd's family; Sandra Bland mother, Geneva Reed-Veal; Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton; and Jordan Davis' mother, Congresswoman Lucy McBath, signed the letter.

Beyonce and Solange also signed the letter, as did Gabrielle Union, Viola Davis, Janelle Monaei, and numerous other celebrities.To sign the letter urging the Senate to pass the HEROES Act, click here. (opens in new tab)

Knowles-Lawson's full letter is below:

To Majority Leader McConnell and Majority Leader Schumer:

We are mothers with black sons and daughters, some of whom have lost children.

This past month has led to a moment of reckoning for this country. As members of the Black community, we are hurt, angry, and distressed by the repeated attacks on Black bodies by hands that have long been wrongly called "righteous," brought to light once again by the recent murders of George Floyd and Breona Taylor. But even in this moment of despair and deep exhaustion, we are reminded of one essential truth. Because our movement to amplify the message that Black lives matter has taken hold not only across the United States but around the world, with thousands and millions of people marching in the streets, and public opinion has changed dramatically, almost overnight. Today, 76% of Americans recognize that racism is a "major problem" in this country, up 26% from just five years ago.

Some might say this change is nothing short of miraculous.

While this shift in public opinion gives us hope, we know that the only way to achieve a democracy that truly represents us all is to hear the voices of all voters at the ballot box. Our democracy works best when everyone participates. It is the job of policymakers to ensure that the system works, especially in the event of a crisis such as the current pandemic, and Thursday, June 25 marks the seventh anniversary of Shelby County v. Holder, in which the U.S. Supreme Court upended the 1965 Voting Rights Act and undermined decades of progress. Over the past seven years, state and local governments have reverted to discriminatory practices that restrict the voting rights of black, brown, Native American, and Asian Americans and have erected unnecessary barriers to voting. [Also, the disruption of polling places in the recent primaries shows that election officials are not prepared to conduct safe and accessible elections this year:

This is modern day voter suppression, plain and simple. Voters in all these states are risking their health and their communities just to make their voices heard. People should be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote and maintain their health, even in the midst of a pandemic. They should not have to choose between public health and a functioning democracy.

Many advocate structural reform through legislation. This legislation would provide a $3 trillion safety net for people, including black and brown communities, heavily impacted by COVID-19, through the provision of health care, financial security, justice reform, housing, and access to voting. Indeed, the $3.6 billion proposal for state control of federal elections is essential to protect the health and safety of the public in the midst of a pandemic (a second wave is almost certain to hit this fall), while coming together as a nation to ensure access to the ballot box for all. In addition to expanding voter registration opportunities and providing secure advance voting for at least two weeks across the country, an important reform to secure elections would be to provide all registered Americans with fee-prepaid absentee ballots that are mailed to them with sufficient time to fill out and return. Congress has deprived states and communities of the resources they need to run safe and accessible elections, and we cannot allow this to happen in November. Democracy cannot wait.

Please understand that it is everyone's responsibility to do their part by taking action to end systemic racism in this country. Some of you Senators may not know what it is like to think that your children may be shot by those whose job it is to purport to protect life. I pray that no one in the future will suffer from such fear. But to do so, we must act together as Americans. That is why it is essential that we pass H.R. 6800, "The HEROES Act," as a step in the right direction toward a more inclusive democracy.

By passing this bill, you are taking a positive step toward declaring that black lives matter. You will all be helping to build America as it should be. And you will be leading this country toward that longed-for moment when, thanks to the building of a more accountable democracy in which the voices of all Americans are heard, there will be no more mothers who think, "My son or daughter won't be able to go home tonight because of the color of their skin."

We are working closely with the And Still I Vote campaign, a joint effort of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and All Voting is Local, to fight for these important issues. We appreciate your interest and await your action.