By Dr. Frances ‘Toni’ Draper
The lyrics of an old Negro Spiritual poignantly declare, “Everybody talkin’ ’bout Heaven ain’t goin’ there.” Unfortunately, in 2024, despite all the discussion and debate about the presidential election, everybody talking about voting ain’t going there, either.
It’s one thing to talk about the importance of this year’s presidential election, with Vice President Kamala Harris poised to become the first woman of color to hold the highest office in the land. It’s one thing to talk about the need to register and vote, but it’s another thing to actually register and then go to the polls on Nov. 5, Election Day.
With all of the chaos, chatter, and confusion surrounding our democracy and our right as Black people to vote, it is more important than ever this election cycle that we not just talk about it but that we “be about it” — be about registering as many people as possible, be about helping people get to the polls, and be about understanding Project 2025, the right-wing blueprint that former President Donald Trump will almost certainly unroll if he wins the election.
We have to “be about” sending money not only to the Harris/Walz campaign but to down-ballot candidates running for the Senate and the House of Representatives whose policies and platforms align with your beliefs. That includes supporting Angela Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County, Md., official who is running to become just the third Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
We must “be about” making a voting plan, and sticking to it — a plan that says, “If it rains, I vote; if it snows, I vote.” And if we don’t want to take a chance on something unforeseen happening on Nov. 5, we must “be about” requesting, filling out and submitting a mail-in ballot or voting early, if your state allows it.
Most importantly, we must “be about” knowing our voter registration status today and making certain we are still eligible to vote.
According to the Pew Research Center, “Black voters could play an important role in determining the outcome of key 2024 elections,” including the race between Harris and Trump. In Georgia, a closely-watched swing state, Black voters account for a third of all eligible voters in the state.
The Black college student vote
Another group that plays a pivotal role in the voting landscape is the newly eligible young adult college student voter.
A 2021 report from the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education said that “the voter turnout among college students jumped to a record high of 66 percent in the 2020 presidential election. And the student “yield” — the percentage at which students who are registered voters actually cast ballots — hit 80 percent. The report called it “an important milestone and signal that they are vested in their own futures and the health of democracy.”
Still, the report did not differentiate between Black and White students, so I decided to do a very informal, albeit extremely limited, poll of my own. I asked a few of our family’s college students who are first-time voters three questions:
1. What excites you the most about voting in this upcoming presidential election?
2. What scares you the most about voting in this upcoming election?
3. What’s your voting plan?
Eva Lee, 19
Freshman, Georgia Southern University
“I am excited to be a part of history and voting for the first Black woman in the election. I look forward to seeing how positive and hopeful Kamala Harris’ campaign is. I can’t wait to see new voters exercise their right to vote, especially Black teens. We all have a voice, and this is our chance to use it.
Something that scares me is the hateful side of politics. I feel like it’s normalized to throw insults and spew misinformation and for our country, that is most bothersome. I hope the side that genuinely cares about us, the citizens, is chosen, where our rights will be respected and there’s less hate and more love for improving our livelihoods. I’m registering to vote here in Savannah!”
Collin McLain, 18,
Freshman, Tuskegee University
“I’m most excited about finally having the chance to vote and to be able to assist towards making a change in this country. With such high stakes, the outcome of this election could significantly shape the future.
What scares me the most about voting is feeling like my single vote is just one amongst millions and might not make much of a difference on its own. I plan to request and mail in an absentee ballot.”
Lyric Hamilton, 18
Freshman, Louisiana State University
“I am most excited for the experience to be able to vote: walking into the building, waiting in line, actually getting in the booth to vote. It’s a very surreal feeling knowing I can impact all of the U.S., from my singular vote on who helps run the government. It is such an honor and a privilege to be a part of something that African Americans weren’t always allowed to have — especially at my age.
What scares me the most is which candidate to choose. Each has their own flaws, and those flaws worry me sometimes. I’m not 100 percent settled on one person because neither of them lives Godly lives. I do know that whatever candidate seems closest to God is the one that I’ll be more than happy to support in this upcoming election. I hope whoever I choose doesn’t let us down, if they win, of course and strengthens America more than ever before. I plan to drive home on Election Day to vote, after my class ends at noon.”
Blake Evans, 18
Freshman, Baylor University
What excites me about voting in the upcoming election is voting with my family. As African Americans, it is an honor to be able to vote. Our ancestors fought for this right, and therefore, I will be going to the polls with my parents and my brother!
I wouldn’t say I’m scared about voting in the upcoming election, but I am worried about my lack of preparation. They don’t talk much about the voting process in schools, nor do they talk about everything we’ll be voting on. As I mentioned already, I will be going home on Election Day to vote with my family.”
David Lee, Jr., 22
Senior, Georgia Institute of Technology
“I am excited to drive voter registration and education efforts on campus this election cycle. I am concerned about the level of misinformation that surrounds this election and worried about the long-term repercussions of this intentional falsification of reality within my community. I go to school in my hometown, so I plan to vote in person on Nov. 5.”
Make a plan to “be about it”
Clearly, these young people have a plan to “be about it” as voters in their first presidential election. They are excited and anxious at the same time. But mostly they are full of optimism about going to the polls or mailing in their ballots.
Still, they also need to be prepared for those who don’t want them — or us — to exercise our right to vote: those who are spreading misinformation, interfering with a free and fair election, name-calling, lie-telling and plotting to overturn the election results.
There are those who revel in what my cousin Laura Murphy calls “shenanigans.”
A seasoned civil rights and civil liberties lawyer, she reached out to her network for a toolkit of resources and election protection organizations, handy information for voters of any age:
- Find out if you are registered, how to register and make an election-day plan by checking the Legal Defense Fund website.
- Keep this number handy: 866-OUR-VOTE. Share it broadly. Use it If you encounter problems or interference at the polls.
- Join Win With Black Women to help in this election cycle
All our Word in Black publications have posted voter information on their sites; some even have links to other sites where you can check your voter registration. That includes:
- The Atlanta Voice, Voice Your Vote
- AFRO News, AFRO Votes
- The New York Amsterdam News, Election 2024
- The Seattle Medium, 2024 Elections Center
- The Washington Informer, Vote Your Future
Let us all “be about it” during this and every election cycle. Check your voter registration status, make an Election Day plan and follow it. Encourage others to vote, utilize the suggested resources and prepare for a grand celebration in November!