The Decision To Vote In 2020

I will agree with you. This is not the usual nor customary commentary one would post on LinkedIn, the business platform of choice for so many across the globe these days. But in this era of unrest and reckoning in this country, what has been observed on this platform in particular, is we have seen a lifting up of voices coming from the corporate social responsibility sector. I cannot recall seeing over the course of my career the call for civic engagement coming from this sector. For example, civic engagement and the importance of voting. Think about the campaigns promoting voter education and preparation heard across all media both traditional and social. And for better or worse, and being a card-carrying member for CSR and DEI as well, I am taking this opportunity to use my voice in these last days of Election Season 2020 to amplify across social media the importance of voting from a somewhat different lens. And why history demands that we vote. But first a little bit of a background story.

Many do not know that in the mid-90s, I took a life-changing and life-affirming trip to Israel. And, I came back from the trip with the determination of going to divinity school for a Master of Divinity degree (M.Div).

Well, as the saying goes, God had another plan in mind. I always knew the call was not in pastoral ministry per se. Several years earlier I had been described as a person whose “ministry is marketing”. And I came to realize that perhaps the call post-Israel was indeed to the mission field of corporate America. So off I went. To corporate America. Not divinity school. Shout-out to the beloved Harvard Divinity School (HDS), Catholic Theological Union (CTU), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) and Interdominational Theological Center (ITC) for still fueling one over the years.

But along the journey these past 20+ years I have often times tried and some times succeeded to incorporate the passion of both faith and marketing into the work I describe as the calling on my life. And now I want to lift up a project and someone who I have come to admire who has done this combination of life callings so successfully. And more importantly, so much needed for a time such as this. The importance of voting in the Black community.

Aside from being one of the most prominent ministry voices of his generation, Rev. Dr. Moss III aka @om3 has become an emerging voice using film making as a vehicle not only for ministry but also for elevating social justice issues as well.

In this short film, Otis' Dream you will find an inspiring and touching story about the injustices experienced by one African American, Rev. Otis Moss Sr. attempting to exercise his right to vote. The additional poignancy of the film is that it is narrated by the descendants of Rev. Moss Sr.: his son, Otis Moss Jr., his grandson Otis Moss III; and his great grandson, Elijah Moss.

This film documents a part of history that may be similar to many Black family stories and these memories serve as an inspiration and reminder of how important it is for all of us to VOTE! Please visit the website www.otisdream.com for resources and information in this remaining time to becoming a better educated and informed voter.

So yes, vote like the lives of yours and mine depend on it. Vote for that of future generations. Let us never forget that which Rev. Moss Sr. said “Listen here, promise me if you ever get the chance...vote”.