Candace Chambers
Blue & White Flash / News Editor
As he stepped out of his car after pulling into the driveway of his home on June 12 1963, Medgar Evers,’ Field Secretary for the NAACP, life was taken by a single gunshot wound in his back. His wife, Myrlie and his three children ran outside to see what had happened to this great man they called husband and father. As blood seeped out of his injured body, Evers’ fight for justice had claimed his life but his loss would fuel the fight for many years to come.
The brave, soul-stirring singing and civil rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer and members of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party traveled to the 1964 Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22, 1964 to demand representation of the struggles of African-Americans in Mississippi. On national television, Ms. Hamer spoke before the Credentials Committee stating, “Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hooks because our lives be threatened daily, because we want to live as decent human beings, in America?” Although her speech was interrupted by a press conference ordered by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the message still spread across the country. But, the fight didn’t stop there.
Let’s fast forward 48 years as the issue of Voter ID has become prevalent in senate chambers and houses of representatives across the nation. I have heard about Voter ID and how it can affect the number of minorities and underprivileged voters. I have read about how it is a tactic to scare voters away from the polls. I have attended talks about how minorities should stand up and fight against the new form of grandfather clauses, poll taxes, and literacy tests, used to disenfranchise Black and Latino voters. Many elderly and minority voters do not possess or have access to obtain a government issued ID, which in turn eliminates their voice in the election. So we can’t stop the fight!
Today’s setbacks for voters are now disguised through bills and pieces of legislation. Lawmakers with suits and ties are creating laws to discourage minorities, women, and young people from going to the polls to vote on Nov. 6th. But we will not stop the fight.
Voting can change a home, a community, a city, a state, and this nation. It doesn’t matter if you are from Chicago, Ill., Juneau, Alaska, Birmingham, Ala., or Jackson, Miss., voting can make a difference. Voting can impact the number of times an elderly lady can visit the doctor, the amount of quality time a daddy spends at home instead of at war, and if a college student is able to continue studying at an institution of higher learning. So, the fight must go on.
Students also realize the importance of voting.
Marcus Coleman, a senior business administration major from Jackson, Miss., said, “I think we should exercise our rights. A lot of people in the past worked hard for our rights and this generation should vote because we have that right.”
Tiara Walls, a freshman from Jackson, Miss. shared similar views.
“Voting is a part of our duty. Being an American means more than just living here and reaping the benefits of our ancestors. It means that we have to take action and get involved in politics. Voting means you care about your future and the future of America,” said Walls.
Exercise your right to vote on Nov. 6. and remember, THERE IS NO VOTER ID required for the Nov. 6 election. Regardless of your political views, your voice deserves to be heard because we all live in the nation of the United States of America.
Singer Bob Marley creatively stated, “Get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights Get up, stand up. Don’t give up the fight.”
The views expressed in the commentary are those of the writer(s) and in no way represent the views of The Blue & White Flash.
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