(ThyBlackMan.com) Voting is a very sensitive, and passionate, subject for African-Americans. There is the sense that voting needs to take place as we need to allow our voices to be heard regarding our needs in this country, but there is an underlining sense of obligation because of the price that was paid in blood by our predecessors. Every election year we are reminded of the price that was paid for our right to vote in this country, though I admit I feel like the battle for adequate voting rights in this country is one that still needs to be fought. When blacks don’t show out at in record numbers to the polls there is a wave of backlash within the community whereby those that didn’t vote are deemed a disgrace to the past.
We have people in our communities that feel their votes don’t count…and some of them voted. They sit back on election night and watch their feelings are validated on some level. It is very important to remember the price that was paid or us, but at some point, we 
must have a serious discussion about the right to vote, and what that means right now. We can’t continue to use shaming the past as our sole reason to go to the polls. With each passing generation, and as the access to information becomes more available, we will see this argument fail with our youth.
Voting is not a mandated action in this country…though some believe it should be. No one is going to jail because they did not vote; just as it is my right to vote it is my right NOT to vote. This does not mean that as a people we should take out right to use our voice via voting for granted. However, shaming our own people in this area verses having a meaningful discussion is counter-productive. We need to vote because it is important to take part in the political process of this country on every level. So many of our people feel their vote doesn’t matter, but they need to realize their votes concerning congress and local elections effect their everyday lives directly.
Often times when we vote locally there are amendments on the ballot that effect your life right now. Voting is more than just choosing a candidate. In this recent midterm election Louisiana had to vote on whether jury decisions had to be unanimous in non-capital felony cases. This amendment was very important as this was a left over from Jim Crow. Voting for judges, school board officials and other local positions have an immediate effect on you and your family. When we begin to discuss voting, we need to begin to explain all that voting entails.
Its very important to remember where we come from. We can never forget that our rights were forged in blood, and that this battle is not over. We can’t continue to speak like the right to vote in this country is cemented and is no longer an issue. We see that its still a fight every single election. The ancestors died for us to have the right and can never forget what a right is when we want to encourage our people to go to the polls. Furthermore, it is important to note there are people that literally can’t make it to the polls and if they don’t know how to cast a ballot in their predicament it doesn’t make them a shameful black person. We can’t galvanize a community with shame and tear down tactic…sounds like we are internalizing some of the things done to us.
Lastly, in most places we are NOT the majority. If the candidate we are hoping will win loses that’s not the time to verbally beat on each other; in some of these red states we turned out in large numbers and did our part. However, we were not the majority by far. Its time to have real discussions about voting. We need to find out why some of our people feel their vote doesn’t count. Don’t blow them off or try to shame them show them why it matters. This is were we have to have the patience to educate our people. Let’s not wait until election season to get started. The midterm elections are over for the most part. Now is the time to have community discussions about voting beyond just the sacrifice for right. I’d like to believe that those that came before us would expect more of us in this area.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.
