It seems that the slogans for the black community are “my one vote wouldn’t have made a difference” and “I honestly do not see the point in voting.”  This mindset has left many of us held down for far too long. Ironically, this past midterm election made that more obvious than ever.

First and foremost, I would like to say as a History major, I have often went back and forth on how much I trust our political system. I firmly believe history has shown our government is not always the most helpful in terms of the African American issues.

However, the older I get the more I realize that politics are much like relationships.

In a relationship, if you wait for someone to become perfect you will be waiting forever. However, if you take the time to dedicate yourself and help improving the flaws of your significant other, then eventually you will be able to look back and see the impact you have made.

The same goes for politics.

If we continue to sit around and wait for politicians to change, we will be waiting for the rest of our lives. However, by being dedicated to voting, donating time, and actually becoming involved in the political system, we will see the difference that we have strived to see for hundreds of years.

“On this campus we’ve had panel discussions, four forums, a social, a reception, we brought candidates to speak and introduce their political stance, and we ended it all off with a march to the polls; and for whatever reason people still didn’t vote!” says Matthew Duncan, senior graphic design major from PG County, Md.

Duncan would go on to present the question “What more do you want?”

Many of us are still disappointed by the results of the past election. However, it amazes me that the junior class can pack out an auditorium for an event speaking on Illuminati yet we still struggled to convince everyone to vote.

We can spend countless hours on the computer checking our facebook, twitter, email, Pandora, and youtube, but never spend the time to research the candidates running for office.

We beg our chancellor and deans to hear our needs, but when it comes to voting, we sadly, but surely, remain silent.

This is a problem!

Now before many of you get things twisted, let me just say that I am proud of this school for significantly increasing the number of voters on campus.  

When speaking with Gregory Hill, a senior Economics major from Durham, N.C., and one of the lead organizers in Join Me at the Polls held on Oct. 21, he informed me that “I am very proud of the student body. Compared to last year, this was clearly a step in the right direction. However, there is still a lot that needs to be done.”

The struggle to get people to vote does not stop on campus. For in the words of Christian Robinson, a junior political science major from Raleigh, N.C., “We’ve got to do better as a people!”

According to CBS News, African Americans only made up 10 percent of the votes in this election. That is inexcusable.

We have proven that we are strong enough to get a black president elected, but not dedicated enough to help keep him there.

I, along with many other student leaders on this campus, feel that the responsibility of raising more political awareness falls completely on our shoulders.

When speaking with Robinson he made it clear that “even though you can’t debate politics with everyone, everyone needs to hear it.”  So with this being said the question comes to mind, how do we rebuild and assure that this never happens again?

First, we can start by being sure that North Carolina A&T has a student body that is 100 percent registered to vote.

Kimberly Johnson, a senior psychology major from Raleigh, N.C. said “I feel as an institution of higher learning we should take responsibility and make it mandatory for incoming freshmen to at least register to vote!”

Being a registered voter is not interfering with religious beliefs, nor does it cost any money to anyone.

Second, we should become more interested in our political process.

Attend town hall meetings, become more active in the community and not just A&T, educate yourself and other voters, and force your own change. Realize that regardless if this is election season or not you have a voice 365 days out of the year. Use it!

These are the people that ultimately control our dollars, education, and our freedom to be individuals.

We can no longer say we do not have access to them because we do.  Writing a letter, sending an email, and even taking a visit to their homes or office are all things that we have access to in our society. It honestly does not even take much effort to get these little things done; yet we still fall short on our civic duties.

Chris Lennon, a senior chemical engineer major from Bladenboro, N.C. said, “now that the power has shifted, individuals actually have more power to take control of their own lives. While politicians are arguing for the next two years, we have the opportunity to start more grass roots movements and create our own change.”

Last, and certainly not least, take more initiative and become mentally stronger.

When speaking with Lauren Towns, a junior JOMC major from Raleigh, N.C. she assured me that “miseducation is our problem. For far too long we have allowed ourselves to look at things as impossible task and this ultimately is our biggest downfall.”

Your political voice matters. It is time for us to wake up and rebuild. It is time for forward thinking. The world is constantly changing and without being vocal in politics we cannot expect for the change to be in our favor. For I believe Malcolm X said it best “if you don’t stand for something, then you’ll fall for anything!”

 

• TRUMAINE MCCASKILL