Voting Rights Martyrs: U.S. Civil Rights Legacy & Sacrifice and the Midterm Elections

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history. Loving your country means embracing all the complexity of your history." — Maryland Governor Wes Moore

We remember the slain activists and protesters, of all eras in U.S. history, and those slain in America whose untimely deaths led to positive changes in this nation as well as those who made extraordinary sacrifices for equal justice throughout their lifetime.

They are American martyrs.

Join us to honor the heroes of voting rights and get inspired for the upcoming midterms with stories of courage and sacrifice.

Date: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026 at 4 PM PT (7 PM ET)

Location: Online via Zoom

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/voting-rights-martyrs-webinar-legacy-sacrifice-and-the-midterm-elections-tickets-2002242826192


Join Martyrs Day founder, author and legal scholar Gloria J. Browne-Marshall for a special virtual discussion examining the history, sacrifice and continuing legacy of voting rights martyrs in the United States.

“Voting Rights Martyrs: Legacy, Sacrifice, and the Midterm Elections” will bring together journalists, historians, authors and descendants of civil rights leaders for a conversation about the struggle for voting rights, the people who sacrificed in pursuit of those rights and the historical context surrounding contemporary voting issues and the 2026 midterm elections.

The program asks a central question: How do we fight for our voting rights and why?

The webinar will connect the stories of voting rights martyrs with broader questions about civic participation, historical memory and voting rights.

Through journalism, historical scholarship, family history and personal perspective, panelists will consider the sacrifices that shaped the struggle for voting rights and why preserving those stories remains important.

The conversation will also provide historical context for understanding voting rights issues surrounding the 2026 midterm elections. The program is intended to encourage learning, discussion and greater understanding of the people and events that helped shape voting rights in the United States.

The webinar will be moderated by Gloria J. Browne-Marshall and will feature Yunior Rivas, Michelle Flamer, Rochelle Dahmer and Dennis Dahmer.

Registered attendees will receive information about accessing the virtual program.


MODERATOR: Gloria J. Browne-Marshall

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is the founder of Martyrs Day and the author of “A Protest History of the United States.” Her work examines law, civil rights, social justice and the history of protest in the United States. Her book explores centuries of resistance movements and the role sustained protest has played in producing social and political change. “A Protest History of the United States” received a 2026 Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medal in History.

Browne-Marshall will moderate the discussion and guide the conversation on the history of voting rights, the sacrifices made in pursuit of equal access to the ballot and the lessons that history offers for understanding voting rights today.
Panelists

SPEAKERS:

Yunior Rivas

Yunior Rivas is a breaking news reporter with Democracy Docket whose reporting focuses on voting, election administration, litigation and related democracy issues. Rivas earned a master’s degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, where he specialized in local news and data reporting.

His reporting provides a contemporary perspective on voting rights and the legal and administrative issues surrounding elections.


Michelle Flamer

Michelle Flamer represents 1838 Black Metropolis and Philadelphia Heritage, as identified in the event materials. Her participation will contribute a historical and community-centered perspective to the discussion of voting rights, remembrance and the legacy of those whose sacrifices helped advance civil rights.


Rochelle Dahmer

Rochelle “Shelley” Dahmer is the author of “If You Don’t Vote, You Don’t Count: Vernon Dahmer’s Fight for Equality,” a children’s book that introduces younger generations to the life and legacy of slain civil rights activist Vernon Dahmer. She is married to Phillip Dahmer, Vernon Dahmer’s grandson.

Her participation brings a family and educational perspective to the discussion of Vernon Dahmer’s legacy and the importance of preserving voting rights history for future generations.


Dennis Dahmer

Dennis Dahmer is the youngest son of Vernon Dahmer Sr., the Mississippi civil rights leader and NAACP chapter president who was killed following a Ku Klux Klan attack on his family’s home in January 1966. Dennis Dahmer survived the attack and has worked to preserve and share his father’s legacy and commitment to voting rights and civil rights.

His participation provides a direct family connection to the history at the center of the webinar and an opportunity to reflect on the human impact behind the struggle for voting rights.