Voters in Alabama and across the country attended Voting Rights Vigils on Aug. 6 to mark the 54th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act and call on Congress to pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act.

The vigil in Birmingham was held at the Birmingham CrossPlex, and other large cities in the state held vigils as well.

Benard Simelton, president of the NAACP’s Alabama chapter, told the Gadsden Times, “These vigils across Alabama are significant as they mark the anniversary of the Voting Right Act, but more importantly they bring attention to how what we have taken for granted — our (voting rights) are eroding.”

In Alabama, the vigils were sponsored by the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP along with the ACLU of Alabama and other groups. Public Citizen is promoting the vigils nationwide.