RACISM + POLITICS
If Black Voters Matter, It's Time to Put Up Or Shut Up
A message for anyone who thinks we have "more time" to get on board with voting rights legislation
Not sure who told you Black folks were patient, but definitely set them straight the next time you see them. Fannie Lou Hamer told you years ago that we were "sick and tired of being sick and tired." Patience is something Black people have been forced to engage in but believe me, we're not willing to let election cycle after election cycle pass while our needs are always put on the backburner. We’re sick of hearing, “Race is so divisive and we can work on it next time.” America has a credibility problem with Black voters, and it has to be addressed now, not later.
Voting rights should not be a controversial topic in a democracy. But then again, America has never been a fully developed democracy. Instead, our own government describes itself as a constitutional federalist republic, more commonly known as a representative democracy. So what's the difference, you may ask? Well, in a democracy, there is no gatekeeper between the power and the people; the government's decisions require input from the people, with no middleman taking a cut or muddying the waters.
