Source: Bilal Moris / iOne Digital
When it comes to voter engagement among young Black voters, college campuses are a great place to gage the pulse, especially HBCUs. NewsOne recently caught up with Black Voters Matter on the campus of Lincoln University of Pennsylvania during the first stop of their Take The Field College Bus Tour. The tour’s mission is to expand Black voter engagement and build grassroots progressive power on college campuses around the country. According to the organization’s website, “Take The Field” focuses on student activism by providing capacity-building training for student teams to get engaged on issues like racism, mental health, police violence, climate change, voter suppression, and more.
During their visit to Lincoln University, the Black Voters Matter team pulled their beautifully wrapped tour bus into the middle of campus for all the students to see. The DJ blasted hit after hit as students and organizers danced to a background of young people registering to vote. But amid all the fun, students organized, preaching community and engagement as pillars for seeing the change they want in the world.
“It’s a real community event,” said Drake Smith, a political science major and senior at Lincoln University.
“I think it’s gonna inspire the student body by showing them that voting doesn’t have to be something that’s boring and scary.”
Smith also said that on Election Day, the energy and camaraderie will be just as high.
“We’re gonna have the band out, cheerleaders. We’re gonna have DJs, lots of food, goodie bags, giveaways,” said Smith. “I mean, it’s gonna be just a vibe. We call it our Election Day block party.”
Smith also had distinct issues he was paying close attention to this election.
“So the housing market. I’m about to graduate here from Lincoln,” said Smith
“So the housing market, the economy, the job market. Right. But I also have a mother, a sister and a lot of female cousins. They’re talking about taking away women’s right to choose. As a man, I can’t stand for that. As a family man, I can’t stand for that.”
Source: Bilal Moris / iOne Digital
Lincoln University senior MaKenzie Hanks was proud of the opportunity to be able to try and elect the first Black woman as president of the United States.
“They always say every election is important, but I feel like this one is important in particular because we have the opportunity to elect the first Black woman as president of the United States,” said Hanks. “I think if we have a Black woman who’s in power, she’ll help with a lot of issues in terms of policy.”
During the event, National co-field director for Black Voters Matter, Danielle Brown, said the tour would continue for 10 days through North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Florida.
“We’re making sure that everybody has their information because most of these campuses sit in predominantly Black communities,” said Brown.
She also emphasized the critical nature of the upcoming election, highlighting the importance of both voter registration and participation.
“So this election, as everybody keeps saying, is probably the most important that we will see. We say that every year, but it really is,” said Brown.
“So when we’re talking about our day-to-day livelihood, talking about what it means to be a part of this country, a part of democracy, it’s voting. We have to make sure not only are you registered, but we also have to make sure you have all the tools that you need to actually go cast your vote, which is very important, not just for this election, but for elections moving forward.”
As the Black Voters Matter tour bus continues on its journey, the hope is that when the bus leaves, young Black voters will be more informed.
Click here to see Take The Field College Bus Tour’s entire schedule.
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