Are HBCU students politically active?
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Posted By: Rudolph Hickman on November 09, 2011 Yesterday, I visited two polling precincts in Richmond, Virginia. One of the reasons I was at the polls aside from the obvious one of casting my ballot was to see who else came to participate in the political process. Before, telling you what I observed and the conclusions I have drawn for this unscientific experiment I want to share a few thoughts about the history of voting in the African-American community. The Voting Rights Act was passed by Congress in 1965. I was 15 years old and had just entered my first year of high school. At the time the Act was passed, there was what the Kerner Commission later referred to as "two Americas, one white, one black, separate and unequal, see, http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6545/. One of the key instruments that was used to keep African Americans from participating fully in American life was the inability to go to the polls and vote for public officials who would represent their interests. This was critically important because had the ability to vote been available, blacks would have had the opportunity to redress their unequal status through local, state and federal legislation. Had such political representation been available "jim crow" laws, which served to perpetuate the legacy and subservience of slavery could have been addressed and abolished through political and legislative means. The passage of the Voting Rights Act removed such obstacles as poll taxes and literacy tests and opened the door to voting for members of our community on a wholesale basis. Needless to say, prior to gaining this right, scores of African-Americans, many of them students at HBCU's, suffered unspeakable cruelty and sometimes death - all for the right to cast a ballot in this country's most basic freedom - the right to vote. Fast forward to November 8, 2011 and the voting precincts I visited yesterday. The greater majority of people who came to vote on yesterday were middle-aged and older adults. Absent were the scores of first-time and young adults that turned out in record numbers to elect America's first President of African-American descent - Barack Obama. Gone were the long lines of young people chanting. chatting, and channel surfing on portable computers and other forms of electronic mediums. No, yesterday's elections will not make the kind of splashes that were made in 2008. At least not on a national level, but locally and statewide they were very pivotal in setting the political stage for next year's national election. Student activism has always been part of the fabric of America's political tapestry. As time progresses, young people seem less and less viable as the potent political force they once were and still are capable of being. Will they accept the baton of leadership as the fortunes of this country become more and more unequally divided yet again- this time between the super rich and the growing hordes of have nots - the 99%? Only time will answer this query, but if the answer is yes, bold dynamic and immediate action is required. Are members of the HBCU student community up to the task? You tell me. Blessings. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Rudolph Hickman
Owner, Rudolph Hickman Photography Virginia Union University class of 1974 Member Since August 2005 |
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