Black Voter Engagement and Suppression
As I write, the Texas primary election is going on. Texas is the second-largest state in America, however, Texas ranked 41 in the country when it came to voter turnout in 2018.
In the November 2020 election, Black people will make up 12% of the electorate vote in the United States. It might not seem as much but the Black vote matters. If it didn’t matter there wouldn’t be so many ways to keep people, especially people of color from coming out and voting.
Though COVID-19 is still the topic of the day, we cannot forget that the movement for Black Lives is still going. This coming election could be decided by not just Black people, but young Black voters.
Though we are four months into the COVID-19 crisis, and government officials throughout the country still aren’t making the right decisions to deal with this pandemic, we cannot forget that those same government officials will use COVID-19 as a way to scare people from voting. We have to recognize those same forces that prevented Black people from voting decades ago still exist today.
When Black people vote, for some reason, people in power want to change the system by creating rules and laws to intimidate Black people from voting. Even when Black people do go out and vote, they are hit with long lines, because machines aren’t working correctly, making people wait for hours.
Voter suppression is real.
I know we’ve heard those two words in recent days, but what is voter suppression? According to Demand the Vote, voter suppression is “any effort, either legal or illegal, by way of laws, administrative rules, and/or tactics that prevents eligible voters from registering to vote or voting.” Hence, Jim Crow laws that were established after slavery, during the Reconstruction period to enforce racial segregation, and suppress Black people from having a voice and a vote.
I’m not here to argue that in 2020, there should be simpler ways to go vote. Especially since voting has been going on in America for over 200 years.
Many politicians will make excuses because of COVID-19 for not engaging communities, especially those of color, therefore, you have to educate yourself on those politician’s track records.
Democracy isn’t a speculator’s sport. You have to get in the game to change the system.
There are many organizations throughout Texas educating people about voting, such as Battleground Texas, Move Texas, ACLU Texas, and the Texas Civil Rights Projects.
We are less than four months away from the 2020 election on November 3rd.
It’s time to get ready to get out the vote. And before you start arguing about the two-party system - after this election, if you’re still dissatisfied, go out and start your own political party or even build your own political organization that helps to elect people you want to see in power.
But until then, work within the system that’s already in place. Then remember, this election is more than who is going to be the president, it’s about state and local government as well. So educate yourself on the issues, so you can hold candidates accountable.
Please, I beg of you, don’t just vote, tweet, post, do whatever you can to inspire somebody else to vote too. You have August, September, and October to organize your community to get out the vote.
If you’re not satisfied with the people who are elected in November, always remember, you can always run for something yourself.
