Former U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm’s declaration, “The one thing you’ve got going: your one vote,” rings loud and clear within the current political climate of the United States. When Chisholm ran for president in 1972, voting served as a direct instrument of personal and collective power.
Today, with recent primary elections and upcoming midterm elections, casting a vote remains a crucial and necessary defense of current rights and protections. With what’s at risk in the current political climate, including the implementation of data centers around the country and congressional spending on foreign aid and wars, young Black college students need to vote.
On Nov. 3, a total of 468 seats in the U.S. Congress will be up for reelection. Across the country, governors, senators and state legislatures alike will be decided in battleground swing states. On a local level, elections for roles including mayors, district attorneys, school boards, county commissioners and more will be decided with equal importance. Collectively, these elections will determine which direction our country chooses to follow.
Many systemic barriers to voting are present today, such as gerrymandering and the recent passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship — at the risk of administrative hurdles for eligible citizens who may not be able to readily access the necessary documents. Alongside a lack of resources for the country’s underrepresented and marginalized communities, hope within the system is bound to falter. Despite this, voting is the backbone of our society.
For the nation’s most overlooked, no matter how hopeless or frightening things may seem with an increase in law enforcement brutality, inflation and a seeming lack of government accountability, deciding to cast a vote means fulfilling your civic duty. More importantly, it means allowing oneself to demand accountability from political systems, even when those in charge would wish to see those demands silenced. For Black Americans, voting holds a historical and societal weight that shouldn’t be ignored in the face of erasure.
The federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed 189 years after white men over the age of 21 who owned property were given the right to vote. 95 years prior, the 15th Amendment to the Constitution had removed racial barriers to voting, but Black people still faced countless discriminatory barriers such as intimidation, literacy tests and vehement — the violent targeting that barred them from voting booths and exercising one of the greatest constitutional rights in America.
Currently, the ability for Americans to vote and the systems in which voting is conducted are under heavy scrutiny by the current presidential administration, with various officials proudly denouncing the results of the 2020 election, and recent Supreme Court decisions regressing crucial sections of longstanding amendments meant to protect the voting rights of all.
Alongside proposed redistricting efforts in multiple states notorious for voter suppression such as Texas and Missouri, the future of Black voting rights and political representation are undoubtedly under attack. And, when you look across the past 250 years of this flawed nation, this is not the first time Black Americans have had to defend their right to equal representation.
It is of utmost importance for young Black people to continue to vote on a local and national level. This means remaining informed about current and upcoming elections, and doing in-depth research about candidates to make an informed vote. Black Americans have continuously challenged, shaped and expanded American democracy and now is not the time to take the foot off the gas pedal.
No matter your political party, stance or opinion, voting serves as an opportunity for you to decide who represents your best interests. The upcoming midterm elections show great promise in terms of legislation and congressional control, but this promise is only as great as the number of votes that are cast. The irrevocable truth is that if you don’t vote, you run the high risk of doubling the voices of those you disagree with.
Copy edited by Jori Johnson