| Title | Date Created | Description | Subject | Collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Religious Community Analyzes Two Housing Bills," October 1989 | 1989-10 | Newsletter discussing the religious community's analysis of two housing bills, the "National Affordable Housing Act" (S 565) Senate bill which requested a moderate increase in federal housing expenditures to create new programs and the "Housing and Community Development Act" (HR 1180) House bill which proposed a substantial increase in spending on programs that are much like current housing programs. This analysis included the discussion of affordable housing options and statements regarding the necessity of accessible housing options in the United States. 2 pages. | Civil rights movements, Political participation, Human rights, Religious broadcasting | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Religious Community Responds to Mine Workers' Strike", October 1989 | 1989-10 | Newsletter discussing the religious community's response to a mining labor strike in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky, after Pittson Coal Company miners worked 14 months without a contract and the company withdrew from the Bituminous Coal Operators Association, a multi-employer bargaining group which negotiated contracts covering mining employees who were members of the UMWA. The newsletter included an interfaith statement of support calling for reconciliation and resolution between the parties. 2 pages. | Civil rights movements, Political participation, Human rights, Religious broadcasting, Labor | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Black Voter Turnout and Registration Rates Fall In Last Presidential Election, Census Bureau Reports", March | 1989-03-08 | Report from the Census Bureau examining voter turnout in the 1988 presidential election. The report found that voter turnout among Black Americans decreased from 56% in 1984 to 52% in 1988, with white voter turnout also decreasing from 61% to 59%, while Hispanic voter turnout fell from 33% to 29%. The report also found that Black voter turnout was higher in the North and West than it was in the South. Among Whites, voter turnout was higher in the North and West than in the South. Overall, the report found that registration rates among Black Americans, White Americans, and Hispanic Americans all decreased from 1984 to 1988. 3 pages. | African American civic leaders, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government, Political participation | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Grenada, Defending Freedom", November 4, 1983 | 1983-11-04 | Newsletter on Grenada and the strategic importance of the country in the Caribbean. From the Republican National Committee. 4 pages. | Political participation | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Black Leaders Agonize as Jesse Jackson Ponders Bid", September 11, 1983 | 1983-09-11 | Article on the Black community grappling with the potential benefits and risks of Jesse L. Jackson's candidacy for President of the United States. 2 pages. | African Americans--Politics and government, Political campaigns, Political participation | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| Memo, Voting Right Extension Act, June 29, 1982 | 1982-06-29 | On June 18, the Senate passed the Voting Rights Extension Act by a vote of 85-to-8, culminating a year and a half struggle to continue the protections of the federal civil rights law despite initial opposition and attempts to weaken it, with bipartisan efforts leading to the passage of a strong and effective extension bill. 3 pages. | Associations, institutions, etc., African Americans--Civil rights, Political participation | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Black Voter Participation," September 16, 1976 | 1976-09-16 | Newspaper article recording remarks made during a Congressional session held on September 16, 1976 regarding Black voter participation. The speaker, "Mr. Glenn", noted the obstacles to Black voter participation in the United States, particularly in the South. Glenn cited examples of voter intimidation, discrimination, and harassment, and argued that these practices were still prevalent despite the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The author also highlighted the work of the Voter Education Project (VEP), in its work to register and mobilize Black voters. 1 page. | Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Carter Attacks Ford's Ability to Lead", August 31, 1976 | 1976-08-31 | Newspaper article regarding Jimmy Carter's criticism of President Ford for being "timid, fearful and afraid to lead". He accused Ford of neglecting to mention his leadership record as President and of failing to address important issues such as trust, embarrassment, and shame. Carter also criticized the government's handling of the Medicaid program, which he said lost $4 billion a year through fraud, deficient patient care, maladministration, and the issuance of benefits to ineligible persons. 1 page. | Political participation, Voter registration, Political campaigns, Presidents | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Jimmy Carter: Fitting the Mood of the Voters", January 4, 1976 | 1976-01-04 | Newspaper article regarding the public mood in the bicentennial presidential election year as desiring the federal government to be run in a more humane fashion, and that voters preferred someone who had not been in the bureaucracy to be in charge. The article discusses three outsider candidates who stirred more interest than the candidates from Congress: Ronald Reagan, George Wallace, and Jimmy Carter. The article argues that Carter was the most appealing of these three candidates because he was not anti-government like Reagan and Wallace, and he was not just another warmed-over New Dealer like the liberal Democrats. 1 page. | Political participation, Voter registration, Political campaigns, Presidents | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Battle-Howell Duel Changes State Politics", August 14, 1969 | 1969-08-14 | Newspaper article the ways in which the Virginia Democratic gubernatorial runoff produced a political metamorphosis with potentially far-reaching implications. The old Byrd Organization declined, and new forces came to the fore. Henry E. Howell and William C. Battle represented a new thrust in state politics and a gradual closing of the gap between the Virginia Democratic Party and the National Democratic Party. 1 page. | Political participation, Political campaigns, Voter registration | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Negroes Eye Two Major Mayoralities", January 2, 1969 | 1969-01-02 | Newspaper article discussing the potential political campaigns of two Black candidates in Atlanta and Detroit after the final term of respected mayor Ivan Allen Jr. Due to Atlanta's large Black population, there was a growing movement for Black political representation. The article suggests that if a Black candidate were to run for mayor, they would have a good chance of winning. 2 pages. | Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government, Political campaigns | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| Civil Rights Digest, "Black Vote in Danger", Spring 1969 | 1969 | Civil rights digest of issues featuring an article written by Vernon E. Jordan Jr. regarding the significant progress made by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in increasing Black voter registration in the South. However, the article emphasizes that there was still much work that remained to be done. Only 62% of voting-age Blacks were registered to vote in the South, compared to 78% of whites. The article primarily discusses the need for full enforcement of the Voting Rights Act through stringent means and the preference that Black people had for going before federal examiners rather than local registrars. 60 pages | Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "This President...Is Doing More" Pamphlet, September 14, 1967 | 1967-09-14 | Pamphlet from the Democratic National Committee emphasizing The Democratic Party's long history of supporting civil rights and economic advancement for African Americans, centering around the work completed in Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential administration. The party enacted legislation and programs that helped to open up opportunities for African Americans in all areas of life, from education and employment to housing and healthcare. The Democratic Party remained committed to ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their race or ethnicity. 2 pages. | Political campaigns, Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
| "Voter Participation in the National Election November 1964", October 25, 1965 | 1965-10-25 | Report on the voter turnout statistics of the 1964 national election. The 1964 presidential election saw a high voter turnout, with 69% of the civilian non-institutional population of voting age reporting that they voted. Voter participation rates varied by age, sex, race, and region of residence. Men were more likely to vote than women, and white people were more likely to vote than non-white people. The South had the lowest voter turnout, while the North Central Region had the highest. Residents of metropolitan areas were more likely to vote than residents of non-metropolitan areas. The report includes a variety of tables breaking down voter participation among specific demographic groups. 50 pages. | Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government | Voter Education Project Organizational Records |
Sep 4, 2020
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
The Voter Education Project (VEP) began in 1962 as part of the Southern Regional Council. Initially VEP granted funds to civil rights organizations to support voter education, voter registration drives, and voting-related research. In 1964, Vernon Jordan, the second executive director of the VEP, expanded the programs goals to include citizenship training, voter education, and leadership training in the southern United States, while continuing to provide funds to independent voter and civil rights groups, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the League of Women Voters. The VEP’s work with the League of Women Voters is highlighted in the materials below. In 1971, VEP under the leadership of John Lewis, became an independent organization and functioned as a research center and became known as an authoritative source for statistics on southern elections and voter registration in general. Lewis also forged the VEP into an activist organization, launching Voter Mobilization Tours with Georgia state legislator and civil rights advocate Julian Bond.
At the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library we are always striving to improve our digital collections. We welcome additional information about people, places, or events depicted in any of the works in this collection. To submit information, please contact us at DSD@auctr.edu.
