Black Americans have a choice to make in 2020. Will we allow the sacrifices of our ancestors be for nothing, or will we make sacrifices to ensure that Black voices are raised in the 2020 presidential election?
All kinds of obstacles have been erected in
2020 to discourage Blacks and other minorities from participating in the November
3rd election. Our young people are being bombarded with disinformation about the
records of Democratic nominees. Republican legislators and Secretaries of State
are instituting rules and regulations that will limit access to the ballot box.
The Post Master General has actively worked to slow mail services in order to
negatively impact vote-in mailing.
While some of these tactics are new,
this push to deny minorities access to the ballot box is an age-old battle
between racist conservatives and Black people seeking the promise of America. Black people were ushered into that promise when
granted the right to citizenship in 1868. But having the right to vote did not translate
into the ability to exercise it.
A systematic effort to turn Blacks and
minorities away from polling places has
prevailed from 1877 until the present, resulting in the exclusion and suppression of communities
of color in the political power structure. Southern and conservative legislators
across the country have doubled their efforts to block minorities from the
ballot box since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act In 2013. Many jurisdictions
currently labor to institute draconian rules and regulations meant to make it
difficult for minorities and Progressives to access the ballot box. Those
seeking to depress minority voting hope to negatively impact turnout this year by
providing fewer polling places, limiting hours and making mail-in voting unreliable.
Further, armed militia have been encouraged to poll watch to intimidate
minority voters.
None of
these tactics are new. Civil Rights activist down through the years have fought
valiantly to overcome these and sometimes more violent obstacles. Throughout
the years, we have gained some ground and then lost some as we struggle to
reach victory. But the struggle must go
on.
If you
cannot stand in line for an indeterminate amount of time to cast your vote;
then request a mail-in ballot. If you are not sure your mail-in ballot has time
to reach the Board of Elections by or before November 3rd, early vote. If you cannot get to an early vote location,
then be prepared to stand in line on November 3rd for however long
it takes. But whatever method you choose…Vote.
No
matter how difficult it is to cast your vote, you must make it a priority in
2020. It is you who will decide the kind of country in which we live. Whether you
vote or stay home, you are making a choice. Choose to be part of the solution.
Vote in the 2020 Election.
No comments:
Post a Comment