Sinkford Accepts First James Reeb Service Award

Bill Sinkford addresses voting rights activists in the historic central hall of the Massachusetts State House

Bill Sinkford accepts the James Reeb Service Award from Charles Walker of the New Democracy Coalition

(Boston, August 4, 2005) The New Democracy Coalition yesterday honored UUA President William G. Sinkford with the first "Rev. James Reeb New Democracy Service Award" at a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House. The award ceremony was the final event in a morning "teach-in" held by a coalition of civil rights groups working to raise awareness of the need to extend key provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which is due to expire in 2007. The events were organized by Kevin Peterson of the New Democracy Coalition and chaired by the Hon. Judge Charles Walker, who presented the Reeb award to Sinkford "for work in the area of civil rights on the 40 th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act." Speaking to a deeply moved crowd, Walker recounted Reeb's heroic sacrifice in Selma and read excerpts from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's eulogy of the slain Unitarian Universalist minister: "One day the history of this great period of social will be written in all its completeness...When this glorious story is written, the name of James Reeb will stand as a shining example of manhood at its best."

"I am deeply honored to receive New Democracy's James Reeb Award," said Sinkford. "I do so on behalf of all the Unitarian Universalists, clergy and lay-people, who answered Dr. King's call and went to Selma in March, 1965, to march for justice. And on behalf of all the Unitarian Universalists who continue to work to ensure the right to vote for all Americans today. And, most especially, I accept this award to honor the sacrifices of Jimmie Lee Jackson, James Reeb, and Viola Liuzzo forty years ago in Selma."

Sinkford also served as a panelist in a discussion about the importance of renewing the provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Recalling the struggles of 1965, Sinkford said, "That was a time of courage and sacrifice, but also a time of great hope. We need to keep that hope alive as we continue the work of building a society that truly embraces all of ‘we the people'."

Other panelists at the teach-in were legal scholars and activists working toward full enfranchisement through the provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The keynote address was given by Deval Patrick, a prominent civil rights lawyer, former counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice, and gubernatorial candidate. Thomas Menino, the mayor of Boston, made a surprise visit to pledge his support for voting rights and praised Sinkford and the UUA for their "good work" on behalf of the Boston community.

Co-sponsors of the teach-in included the Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus, the Massachusetts Endowment for the Humanities, The Urban League, NAACP, Dunk the Vote, MassVOTE, and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.

For more information on the Voting Rights Act and its provisions, please visit: www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/intro/intro_b.htm

Atlanta, Georgia-area Unitarian Universalists march in support of voting rights

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