A February 6 walking tour in the vicinity of the National Mall aimed to spread the word about the D.C. statehood movement to tourists visiting Washington.
“No taxation without representation. That’s a belief our country was founded on, yet [taxation without representation] is right here… We pay the highest federal taxes in the country, yet we have no representation.” said Mara Cherkasky, a local historian who spoke during the event.
The activists hoped to inspire visitors to carry the message home. “We need you, the people around the country, to stand up for us, to get your representatives to stand up and vote for us,” said Anise Jenkins, a co-founder of Stand Up! for Democracy D.C.
According to Cherkasky, opposition to D.C. statehood in the Republican-controlled Congress is based on race and demographics.
“It’s the four too’s,” Jenkins agreed. “[Opponents of statehood believe the city is] too progressive, too urban, too black, and too Democrat.”
She is not alone in that belief. “We shouldn’t be discriminated against on the basis of what political party we belong to,” said Michael Brown, United States Shadow Senator from the District of Columbia. Though the position of Shadow Senator is recognized by the government of the District of Columbia, the shadow senator does not have a vote, a voice or a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Participants praised Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s non-voting delegate, for her past efforts to achieve voting rights for African Americans as a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. They also lauded her continuing commitment to full Congressional representation for citizens of the District of Columbia.
In 2007 and 2008, Norton was able to shepherd the D.C. Voting Rights Act through the House and Senate. Had that bill become law, the District would now be able to elect a voting member of the U.S. House of Representatives. However, after opponents of the bill attached an amendment that would have eliminated D.C.’s gun safety laws, Norton dropped her support for that iteration of the bill. She continues to fight for statehood for the District of Columbia.
