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.
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.
8 Objects displayed
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  2. Archival Collections
  3. Voter Education Project Organizational Records
For:
  • Decade = 1980-1989
  • Subjects = Labor
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.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Religious Community Responds to Mine Workers' Strike", October 1989
Date Created
1989-10
Description
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.
Subject
Civil rights movements, Political participation, Human rights, Religious broadcasting, Labor
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
The article highlights the inhumane working conditions and racist policies at the Samsons and Delilah manufacturing plants located in Georgia, where most of the 650 workers are African American women, and the call to action for support and solidarity with the workers who have recently voted to unionize and are facing violation of state and federal civil, rights, and labor laws by the owner, S. Lichtenburg and Company, Inc. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Samsons and Delila: Slavery in Georgia, by Benjamin F. Chavis, 1988
Date Created
1988
Description
The article highlights the inhumane working conditions and racist policies at the Samsons and Delilah manufacturing plants located in Georgia, where most of the 650 workers are African American women, and the call to action for support and solidarity with the workers who have recently voted to unionize and are facing violation of state and federal civil, rights, and labor laws by the owner, S. Lichtenburg and Company, Inc. 1 page.
Subject
Labor, African Americans--Civil rights, African American women, African Americans--Civil rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
The National Right to Work Committee is reportedly spending $100,000 this year to place approximately 100 private investigators, including many from Miller and Associates, in union political operations, voter registration organizations, and other groups, in an attempt to identify alleged violations of federal election law and misuse of funds by unions, the Mondale-Ferraro campaign, and tax-exempt organizations. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Investigators Infiltrate Union Political Groups", October 19, 1984
Date Created
1984-10-19
Description
The National Right to Work Committee is reportedly spending $100,000 this year to place approximately 100 private investigators, including many from Miller and Associates, in union political operations, voter registration organizations, and other groups, in an attempt to identify alleged violations of federal election law and misuse of funds by unions, the Mondale-Ferraro campaign, and tax-exempt organizations. 1 page.
Subject
Groups and organizations, Labor, Voter registration
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Letter to the editor from Melinda D. Owens protesting the unfair treatment of workers by Pepsi Cola in middle Georgia. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Letter to the Editor from Melinda D. Owens, 1982
Date Created
1982
Description
Letter to the editor from Melinda D. Owens protesting the unfair treatment of workers by Pepsi Cola in middle Georgia. 1 page.
Subject
Labor, Political participation, Associations, institutions, etc., African Americans--Civil rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article on seventeen union strikers won't be allowed to have former positions until new positions become open in the Pepsi company. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Pepsi Strikers Can't Have Former Jobs", circa 1982
Date Created
1981/1983
Description
Article on seventeen union strikers won't be allowed to have former positions until new positions become open in the Pepsi company. 1 page.
Subject
Labor, Political participation, Associations, institutions, etc., African Americans--Civil rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Two men stand underneath a sign discouraging the purchase of Pepsi products to support worker's rights. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Support Labor", circa 1982
Date Created
1981/1983
Description
Two men stand underneath a sign discouraging the purchase of Pepsi products to support worker's rights. 1 page.
Subject
Labor, Political participation, Associations, institutions, etc., African Americans--Civil rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article on the anger of Pepsi-Cola's worker's wives, and how they are upset by the poor treatment of the company to their employees. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Strikers Wives Angry", circa 1982
Date Created
1981/1983
Description
Article on the anger of Pepsi-Cola's worker's wives, and how they are upset by the poor treatment of the company to their employees. 1 page.
Subject
Labor, Political participation, Associations, institutions, etc., African Americans--Civil rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
The Journal of Labor Georgia State AFL-CIO Official Newspaper with article "ERA Coalition Vows to Keep Fighting for Equality". 7 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
The Journal of Labor Georgia State AFL-CIO Official Newspaper Vol. LXXVI No. 14, July 17, 1981
Date Created
1981-07-17
Description
The Journal of Labor Georgia State AFL-CIO Official Newspaper with article "ERA Coalition Vows to Keep Fighting for Equality". 7 pages.
Subject
African Americans--Civil rights, African American women's suffrage, Women's rights, Community Development, Labor, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records