BATON ROUGE — A 158-year-old Wesley United Methodist Church celebrated the 59th anniversary of the 1965 Voters Rights Act on Sunday morning by hosting a voter registration event.

'Souls to the Polls' is an initiative of the Power Coalition using the church as a platform to encourage the civic duty of exercising the right to vote.
Senior Pastor J. C. Richardson said it's his duty as a community leader to use his voice to speak truth and justice to the congregation.

"If you're invested in things that involve the community and hold up the fact that we are a democracy, that people have the power, and if you affirm that people are going to come out," Richardson said.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned discriminatory practices in voting. Although it's been 59 years since the act was signed into law, Richardson said the struggles of the past are still relevant today.

"History plays itself out in ways that we unconsciously are not aware of," said Richardson. "I think that this particular celebration, commemoration, continuation, affirms the fact that you think that history is the past. No, the past is the present right now."

The last day to register to vote in person is Oct. 7.