A coalition of state and national leaders address voter education and suppression.
Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, speaks at the rally held at the Midtown Café.
The Power of the Ballot Action Fund national campaign to mobilize and empower Black voters in preparation for the crucial 2024 presidential election is underway.
The initiative encourages voting to address issues such as Black history, the needs of historically Black universities and colleges (HBCUs) and public education and supporting Black businesses.
It’s being conducted by a coalition of 30 organizations, including the National Black Coalition of Civic Engagement, Black Women’s Roundtable, Black Youth Vote, League of Women’s Voters, All About the Ballot and more.
The tour stopped in Daytona Beach and held a press conference on Friday, Oct. 13 at the Midtown Café, 536 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd.
Speakers included Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Black Coalition on Black Civic Participation and national convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable; Salandra Benton, executive director of the Florida Coalition for Black Civic Participation and convener of the Florida Black Women’s Roundtable; and Cassandra Brown, chair and co-founder of All About the Ballot and the Lake County Chapter of the Black Women’s Roundtable.
“Florida is an example of the challenges that we see as a nation when it comes to our rights and freedoms in this democracy. We see the erosion of these rights,’’ Campbell said.
“We’re all Americans. Black history is American history and should be taught. It’s happening all over the country. The rights of Black and Brown people are being attacked. We built this democracy and we’re going to save it.’’
The initiative is addressing voter apathy among African Americans.
Campbell expressed, “We are voting, but not in the numbers that we should. We turned out in 2020. Black women led the charge. Biden and Harris wouldn’t be in office if not for them. Black men did well, but we need to catch up. We’re pushing the power of the ballot and connecting people to those concerns. We are discussing things and having listening sessions.”
Concerns about voter suppression
Voter suppression is also an area of concern for this upcoming election.
“We want everyone to know that your vote counts. They are spending billions of dollars for your vote not to count. They wouldn’t do that for you not to have your voice included in the conversation if your vote didn’t matter,” Benton said.
“On Election Day, everyone is equal. That’s the poor, rich, homeless, etc. We all have the same ability to vote, according to the Constitution.’’
Campbell added, “Voter suppression has always been there. We’re informing people about what they need to know. Those who don’t want to see inclusion in this democracy have studied voting patterns to see how we vote. In 2020 due to COVID, we had to shift to large scale vote-by mail ballots. We had to adjust. We will again. There will be more sup- pression. We have people on the ground ready.”
Stressed voter education
Organizations are working to help thousands of voters who have been kicked off the voting rolls due to new legislation passed making them ineligible to vote.
“We are checking with the supervisors of elections across the state to make sure we can contact those this has happened to. We are making people aware and letting them know what they need to re-register to vote. That is part of the voter education, which is important,” said Benton.
There is also work to help those arrested by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ voter fraud task force, which charged some ex-felons who thought they had the right to vote after serving their time.
“If the supervisor of elections office, which is a government agency, gives you a voter registration card you should be able to vote. Just like the DMV gives you a license. With this task force, it is another part of a broken system in Florida. It’s foolishness. Taxpayers should be upset,” emphasized Benton.
Local speakers included local NAACP
President Cynthia Slater and Volusia County African American Leadership Council President Daisy Grimes.
Dr. Frank Wood, assistant professor for Criminal Justice and Courtney Williams, a senior criminal justice major, at Bethune-Cookman University, also spoke.
Later that day, the Black Women’s Roundtable held a fireside chat at the Midtown Café that addressed the importance of Black history.
Attended B-CU’s homecoming
Those on the tour also took the time on Saturday, Oct. 14, for the Bethune-Cookman homecoming parade, tailgating and football game. They even went door to door in the community to encourage voting. The tour focuses on HBCUs and attends their homecomings.
“We are going to the homecomings. We want to engage students. They are already there participating in the events,’’ Brown said. “We also want to do door knocks out in the community. We want to educate voters and get them mobilized by discussing issues that affect their community so that we can take it to legislatures to get those laws passed or changed.”
The campaign kicked off in Jacksonville on Oct. 10 on the campus of Edward Waters University in Jacksonville during their homecoming.
From Oct. 13 to Oct. 18, the tour also made stops in Titusville, Mims, Gainesville and Ocala. It will end in Florida in Tallahassee at the end of the month.