With the election season upon us, it is important for everyone who is eligible to exercise their right to vote. Voting is crucial in this season where we, as African Americans, are being disenfranchised throughout the country in many ways, with the repealing of major portions of the Voting Rights Act and the introduction of voter photo ID laws to make voting difficult for those who don’t have government-issued identification.
In Missouri, we will have our own Voter ID law debuting on the November 8 ballot with Amendment 6. If passed, Amendment 6 will alter the Missouri Constitution to require government-issued photo identification to be presented at the time of voting in order to be given a ballot. Those without a government-issued ID will be immediately turned away at the polls. This measure will highly disenfranchise senior citizens and low-income voters, as well as college students whose student IDs will no longer be viewed as valid for voting. With the passage of this measure, neither out-of-state licenses or IDs will be allowed to cast votes. Â
As we look at the bigger picture, the African-American and minority vote is quickly becoming more influential in election cycles. While black voter turnout has been on the rise since 1996, it reached historic levels with the last two presidential elections. In 2012, black voter participation exceeded the mainstream by two percentage points which helped elect President Obama. While these victories were important, it is now time for us, as African Americans to shift our focus towards voting to empower those who represent our interests.
These interests include the elimination of unjust police killings, disproportionate and unfair sentencing of African Americans in the criminal justice system and discriminatory treatment of minorities in general. A recent Pew Research Center report cited that 63 percent of voters believe that the treatment of minorities is an important issue in the upcoming presidential election. If others are concerned about the fair treatment of minorities, how much more should we be concerned about our own welfare?
The upcoming election will be critical to shaping the next phase of the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans in the United States. President Obama’s elections were an important victory in our history, but we must also be concerned with how we can grow and ensure our civil rights, public education, jobs, urban development, healthcare, environment and minority business expansion for years to come.
Now more than ever, our vote matters. Next year, we will have a new president, governor and mayor in St. Louis for the first time since 1992. We need responsible leaders who will work for our issues and be accountable to the people. Now is the time to vote to empower those who support the interests and needs of the African-American community. Now is the time to vote!
Michael P. McMillan is president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
