Georgetown, Texas – Several dozen activists on Wednesday began a four-day march from Georgetown to Austin to demand federal legislation to protect voting rights.

Invoking the spirit of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, the activists began their four-day, 30-mile march through the intense Texas heat to the state Capitol in Austin, the Houston Chronicle reported.

"Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around. I’m gonna keep on a-walking, keep on a-talking, marching down to freedom land," they sang as they walked.

Their journey began at Christ Lutheran Church in Georgetown, hometown of the late suffragist and anti-lynching advocate Jessie Daniel Ames.

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The event will culminate with a large rally in front of the Texas Capitol on July 31, which is expected to attract over 10,000 people.

Texas has become the center of the voting rights struggle in recent weeks as Republican Governor Greg Abbott has attempted to pass a restrictive voting law and as Texas Democrats took off to Washington DC to block the legislation and demand the passage of federal voter protections.

On home turf, activists are keeping the pressure on state lawmakers and the eyes of the nation fixated on the state in the struggle to secure equal ballot access.

But that's not all: in addition to voter protections, the marchers are also demanding a host of other progressive reforms, including an end to the Senate filibuster, a $15 minimum wage, and immigration reform.

The march was organized, in part, by former Congressman Beto O'Rourke, together with local faith leaders and national voting rights advocates.

It is rumored that O'Rourke, who has become a key advocate for voting rights in the state, is heavily considering a run for governor in 2022, though he has not formally announced his campaign.

Incumbent Governor Abbott already has several confirmed challengers from within his own party, including former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West and former state Senator Don Huffines.

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O'Rourke rose to national prominence after narrowly losing a 2018 bid to unseat Texas Senator Ted Cruz, winning the most Democratic votes ever cast in a midterm election in the state. In 2019, he announced his campaign for US president but failed to secure the Democratic nomination.

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