The 22 Day Countdown - Virtual Afro Woman

We are officially 22 days away from the U.S. Presidential election. On November 5^th, we will vote a new president into office. In some states, you may also vote for local officials and laws. I can remember being excited about voting before I could vote. Soon after I turned 18 years old, I signed up. There was no presidential election that year, but I felt as if I was following in the footsteps of my ancestors. The only thing I failed to realize is this meant I was now a candidate for jury duty. I was called for the first time before I turned 20. Anyway, I feel like voting no longer feels like a rite of passage for most people. I don’t think they have the same excitement I had before I reached voting age. The drama within politics today also doesn’t help with motivation.

I recently watched a YouTube video (attached below) of some millennial voters who expressed their frustration with politics. They spoke about not voting in the last election and being undecided regarding voting in the upcoming election. I respect everyone’s choices, but it hurts that this is what it has come to be. In school I loved American History, and I especially loved when I learned about Black History. As it relates to the voting rights of Black people in America here are some facts…

The 15^th amendment of 1870 came after slavery was abolished. This prohibited states from denying anyone the right to vote based on race. This was to help Black men vote, but as we know this didn’t happen.
The 19^th amendment of 1920 granted women the right to vote. But again, we know this did not help Black women.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, ended lawful discrimination against people based on race, color, religion sex, or origin.
On March 7^th, 1965, “Bloody Sunday” happened. This was when a group of Black men and women were peacefully marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Their hope was to register to vote. During this march they were brutally beaten by police and White Americans who were against their fight to do so.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 effective August 6, 1965, ended discrimination against people of color as it relates to voting. This was needed more in the Southern states where Jim Crow laws were present.

Throughout the many years between 1870 and 1965, our ancestors fought for their rights in this country. They fought to end discrimination based on race/color. And they eventually fought for the right to vote. This opened doors for changes regarding equality for all people. This also opened more doors for other discriminatory measures in politics. The War on Drugs came into law as well as other false imprisonments using discriminatory tactics. This gave government another opportunity to alter the lives of Black Americans that we still see today. Because of this event and a few other ways to setback the race, many Black Americans no longer believed in politics.

I am not a big fan of politics, but I know the history within our country. I know it is my right to vote. The candidate options sometimes are not great in local and federal elections, but I vote for the best option. Plus, I also know that voting locally affects my life more than the presidential election, so I treat all voting opportunities equally. We are the United States, but every state has their own laws and ways to use our tax money. In the end, the choice is yours when it comes to voting. But it’s important to think about the history of the country instead of just thinking about the now. I believe we will be a greater nation in the coming years. One election may not be the change, but with faith in the process and voting good people into office, I believe we can do it.

Below are the registration and absentee ballot deadlines in New York State. Click here to find information for your state.

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