Black voting strength is a thing!
2nd December 2019 · 0 Comments
If we believe it, we can achieve it…
As we push away from the Thanksgiving table and the gubernatorial election is in the rear view window, we must believe in ourselves and our voting strength. We’ve re-elected the governor. We’ve made the Secretary of State a competitive race where a virtual unknown with no funding received over 400,000 votes against the incumbent.
Gwen Collins-Greenup lost to Kyle Ardoin, but Collins-Greenup gave us a valuable lesson of what can be achieved if we believe, as she did, that taking the risk is worth much more than not rising to the challenge. She sent a clear message that we want change and that she may well be victorious in the future.
If there was ever any doubt about our importance and strength in determining our path forward, we need only to look at the recent election. Other folk are reluctant to acknowledge our strength and that needs to stop. We must stop believing that politicians can win without the Black vote.
Edwards was passive toward us in the primary but when he found himself in a run-off, he came courting and courting hard. Edwards got less than 34 percent of the white vote and won with 95 percent of the Black vote. In New Orleans, he got 90 percent of the vote. The incumbent’s win in predominately Black parishes, including East Carroll, Madison, Tensas, St. John Baptist, St. Helena, Claiborne and St. James, which have from 68 percent-50 percent Black population majorities, is proof positive that Black voters sent Edwards back to the Governor’s Mansion despite three visits and two rallies by Donald J. Trump for his opponent.
We made the difference. We showed up and showed out.
We can’t let this be an aberration. We can do it all the time and if we do, not only will we demand respect, they will respect us. If we don’t believe, they will continue to disrespect us, ignore us, and take our vote for granted.
Still, too many of us don’t show up at the ballot box and many who do, don’t do it consistently.
How often have we heard our Black friends, family members, and colleagues say: “My vote won’t make a difference” or “Why should I vote, the politicians won’t do anything for us,” or “Voting is a waste of time.” These anti-voting arguments make one thing very clear: people who take these positions don’t believe in our collective voting power; they don’t believe in their own power to affect change with their ballot; and they don’t recognize that unless we believe in our own voting strength, we are jeopardizing our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. When we don’t vote, we block our own path to a higher quality of life, control over our own destiny and our due process rights.
President Barack Obama’s words still ring true: “We are the change we’ve been seeking,” and “Yes, we can.”
If we don’t vote, we can’t elect people who will adhere to our needs and demands. If we don’t vote, we’re abdicating our responsibilities to uplift ourselves, our communities and our families. If we don’t vote, we shouldn’t be surprised at the whittling away of our voting rights. We shouldn’t be surprised that we work for an unfair minimum wage or that we are living under discriminatory laws designed to disenfranchise us.
We must believe in ourselves and our voting strength because white elected officials, who know how powerful our vote is, continue to engage in voter suppression. They’ve exchanged KKK robes for Brooks Brothers suits.
They’re creating laws that suppress our votes and policies that keep people of color from immigrating to this country, so they won’t have access to the ballot. They’re passing laws that make it harder to secure a good education, economic justice, clean air and water, and they are levying high taxes on us.
We can’t stop them unless we turn up the heat at the ballot box. We must turn up and turn out for every election, every amendment, and every tax proposition. Then we must hold all elected officials accountable and demand that our needs are met.
Not voting consistently gives white officials the legal cover to purge us from the voting rolls. Not answering the state’s annual canvas notice (to see if you still live where you live) can also lead to being purged. Voting purges are at an all-time high. The Brennan Center of Justice reported that at least 17 million voters were purged nationwide between 2016-2018.
If our ancestors fought and died for the vote, because they knew that the ballot is the key to leveling the playing field in America, we should honor their sacrifice by voting every time and in every election.
Lena Horne, the legendary singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist sang it best:
Believe there’s a reason to be
Believe you can make time stand still
You know from the moment you try
If you believe, I know you will…
– The Wiz
This article originally published in the December 2, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
