The local League of Women Voters chapter is inviting Wheaton-area residents to a free documentary screening and panel discussion on voting rights Saturday, Aug. 8, at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

The "Unite & Rise for Voting Rights" event begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Health and Science Center, Room 1234, at 425 Fawell Blvd., according to a Wheaton Patch listing. It features a showing of the 2020 documentary "John Lewis: Good Trouble," which chronicles the life and civil rights legacy of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, followed by a panel discussion. Voter Services volunteers will be on hand to register new voters and answer questions.

No registration is required. There is no cost to attend.

The screening is part of a nationwide push by League of Women Voters chapters. Hundreds of local chapters across the country are holding events around Aug. 8 to mark the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law on Aug. 6, 1965. The law outlawed racial discrimination in voting and established federal protections for eligible citizens.

The local chapter, which serves Carol Stream, Warrenville, West Chicago, Wheaton and Winfield, posted the event on its website and encouraged attendees to bring family, friends and neighbors.

When Maury Goodman of Warrenville was named chapter president in August 2024, according to Shaw Local, he emphasized the League's voter education mission. "As the manner in which voters obtain election information evolves, it is important for the League to keep up and progress with the times," Goodman said in a news release at the time.

Panelists for Saturday's discussion have not been announced publicly.

Upcoming community events

  • Saturday, Aug. 8: League of Women Voters "Unite & Rise for Voting Rights" screening and panel, 1:30 p.m., College of DuPage Health and Science Center, Room 1234, Glen Ellyn. Free.
  • Through Aug. 31: DuPage County pet calendar contest accepting photo entries.
  • Saturday, Aug. 8: Wheaton North March-a-Thon road closures on northside streets.