Community organizations across the country are working to educate and encourage communities of color about the importance of voting and going to the polls in elections so they can influence decisions that affect us in our communities.
During the video conference: “Voting for change: Why it works: community advocates defend the ethnic vote”, organized by Ethnic Media Servicesseveral organizers spoke of their electoral mobilization efforts.
Ernie Serrano, organizer of electoral participation with the organization Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE) in South Los Angeles, said it is very important to create the conditions to have a voice at the table.
“For some reason, people of color, women and immigrants are not informed about how elections work. So we have to make an extra effort to educate about the importance of voting.”
He said that one of the biggest victories they achieved in Los Angeles was getting Karen Bass to win the mayoralty in 2022, defeating a billionaire like Rick Caruso.
“I was one of those who managed a team that was instrumental in ensuring that she won the campaign.”
He claimed they had a grassroots leader with only $10 million in her budget go after a billionaire who spent $109 million trying to win the mayoralty of Los Angeles.
However, he said that thanks to a grassroots effort they won the election in a substantial way.
“How was that possible? Caruso had to win the election with all the money he invested and with the support of his powerful allies. “Why didn’t he win?” he questioned.
He responded that he did not win because they did not have a concept of what it meant to reach people; and he claimed that if Caruso had been interested in Los Angeles, he would have invested $50 or $20 million in the economy and really shown it.
He said that spending $109 million on the campaign shows that his motives were not necessarily the residents of Los Angeles,
“There are many factors that come into play so that people are not only disconnected from the voting process, from the minimum wage to those who do not believe that the system was designed for us, and that it is rigged so that the powers that be win directly ”.
He considered that this is not necessarily true. “Maybe sometime in the ’50s and ’60s, when we had civil rights riots, even into the ’70s. Yes, it was very difficult; and these communities were marginalized. Even the banks were working to not allow us to buy our own house.
“In these years there have been gains and changes, but not as fast as we need it. “There is always work to do.”
Voting is power
Debbie Chen, Houston-based community activist and executive of the Asian Pacific American Advocatesa civil rights advocacy organization, said that when we vote, we make an impact on who makes the decisions that directly affect where we live.
“Essentially we give power, and we gain the ability to influence things to get done. “We are always telling people that voting is power, and that is why it is so important for the community to get involved.”
He said Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing community.
“In Texas we grew 74%, especially in Houston, 300,000 are citizens of voting age.”
But he mentioned that these communities do not know the importance of voting and the first generation of immigrants come from countries where voting is not necessarily the best.
“We have to spend extra time educating people about the importance of voting because in the United States you have the power to make changes and influence policies that will affect your community.”
He made it clear that the AAPI community is a kind of open market of opportunities for candidates and parties to look at a group of people who could vote.
“It should come down to who has the best policy ideas and the best plan to get the job done.”
He concluded by saying that in terms of the importance of voting, it is about making sure that people are counted, that we are not racially manipulated and our votes are diluted.
But it’s also about, he said, making sure people understand that when they vote they exercise power and influence who decides how their tax dollars are spent in their community.
Young voters
Anneshia Hardy, CEO of Alabama Valuessaid he frequently encounters young voters who ask them about the impact of their votes.
“My answer is always: voting is not just choosing a candidate but choosing the future of our communities through a powerful tool to express our values and a change of direction.”
He emphasized that his public education campaigns typically focus on Hispanic, African American and LGBTQ voters ages 18 to 35.
“We strive to connect voting with the issues that matter to them like social justice, health care, education.”
How do we make communities understand the value of their vote?
“It really starts with the narrative and the message. Whoever controls the narrative controls the power. Therefore, it is very important how we craft messages that resonate and highlight the direct impact of political decisions on their lives.
“And may we connect the dots with tangible community outcomes to inspire action. “It’s not just about a ballot.”