In late 2021, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill named after the iconic civil rights activist and congressman, failed to [receive] the votes necessary to be debated in the senate, and effectively died. The provisions of the bill would have strengthened the Justice Department’s ability to examine and preapprove election conditions for states with a history of voter discrimination, particularly against minority groups. In the same month that the bill was axed, The New York Times reported that Senators Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia — two key democratic opponents of voting rights legislation in the last year — have attracted new financial support from conservative-leaning donors. In such a political climate, it is easy to see how college students can find themselves convinced of their own powerlessness. However, now is not the time to give up on our vision of democracy. As unprecedented as the present may seem, the progress we, as a new generation, aspire to is only made possible by the foundation laid down by those before us, such as John Lewis.