Voting and elections have always played a role in my life, as my birthday happens to fall on November 5th. Waking up one year older and finding out there are new leaders in the country was always fun but confusing. It was always hard to grasp what exactly these new changes meant and how it may pertain to, until the 2016 election as a highschool freshman. The next few years really opened my eyes to how others feel about people who are different from them, how changing policies may actually now start to affect me and my future, and most importantly, how I would soon be old enough to vote and make my voice heard.
My dad took me to vote for the first time back in October 2020 for the presidential election and the entire process was daunting but exciting. He took a photo of me talking with the poll worker and posted it to Facebook saying, “Class of 2020 strikes back!” This has subconsciously been my motivation when going to vote every time after this and has aided me in my current position at The Urban League of Greater Madison.
I was brought on as the Project Manager/Producer of the Reclaim Your Vote Campaign in July 2024. I have worked closely with CEO Dr. Ruben Anthony as well as members from the Milwaukee and Racine/Kenosha Urban Leagues to form our vision. Together we decided that I would lead the charge on producing five videos that would target different communities to encourage them to vote in this upcoming election. Our goal is not to sway people in one way or another, but to inform them of their rights and how important it is to make their voices heard as this election is one of the most important in our lifetime.
One of the videos shines a spotlight on the Young Professionals of this world and learning what they are concerned about as the youngest voters. Another focuses on the Former Incarcerated population and informing them that even with a felony conviction, after you have fully served your sentence, you CAN vote in the state of Wisconsin. The next focuses on the Black clergy and how faith leaders are helping their communities with vote education. Our Healthcare video shines light on how your health and the facilities you use may be affected. And lastly our Divine Nine video focuses on how different groups want to come together toward a common goal.
Being able to interview community members for each of these videos has been eye opening as it showed me that there are so many in our community facing hardships, but there are also amazing people who are actively working to make a change.
Whether you will be voting for the first time, have been voting for years, or don’t know if you should vote, I encourage everyone to do their research and understand who the candidates are, their beliefs, and see what might change for you and your life if elected. If you want to vote and may not know how, there are many resources, such as the Urban League who will work to help you.
Early voting begins on October 22nd in the state of Wisconsin and the official voting day is November 5th. Make sure you are doing your part to defend democracy, demand diversity, and defeat poverty.
