Election Day: Honoring Our Legacy, Embracing Our Future

Today is a momentous day—Election Day—with the potential to make history by electing the first woman president, Kamala Harris. As I prepare to head to the polls, I reflect on the values instilled in me by my mother, a lifelong educator, who taught me the power of education and voting. These rights, essential to our identity and agency, were denied to African Americans for generations.

It wasn’t until the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870 that Black men were granted the right to vote, yet systemic barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses continued to disenfranchise them. Black women, alongside all women in America, gained the right to vote with the 19th Amendment in 1920, but it wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act of 1965—just 59 years ago—that these oppressive practices were largely abolished, finally securing voting rights for all African Americans. Even today, the fight to protect these rights continues.

I’m taking my 15-year-old son, Malachi, to the polls with me. I want him to witness history in the making and familiarize himself with the voting process so that he’s ready when it’s his turn in the next presidential election. This experience is about more than casting a vote; it’s about sharing a legacy of civic responsibility and embracing the privilege we have to influence our nation’s future.

This is a full circle moment for us. Malachi was in my womb when I traveled to Washington, D.C., with two of my sisters in January 2009 to witness the inauguration of the country’s first Black president, Barack Obama. That day, as we stood in the cold to celebrate a landmark in American history, I dreamed of a brighter, more inclusive future for my unborn son.

Fast forward to today: Malachi has accompanied me to the polls before, including the last presidential election, and now, he’s more aware of the significance of this civic duty. Our journey to the polls represents not just an act of voting but a shared commitment to upholding the hard-earned rights fought for by so many before us.

Exercising your right to vote is both a privilege and a responsibility. It’s how we honor our past and invest in our future. Let’s keep showing up, casting our votes, and shaping the world for the next generation.

#Vote #ElectionDay #CivicDuty #Legacy #FutureGenerations