Our voices have always been a threat to white supremacy from the jump. From Jim Crow and eliminating voting rights for the formerly incarcerated to redlining and closing polling sites, those attempts to silence us mean one thing: we’re tired. And it shows.
Over the past two decades, the Black community has been scapegoated whenever a well-liked Democratic candidate has failed to win their election. “Black people didn’t vote. They simply don’t care.” The statement couldn’t be further from the truth.
Research has consistently shown that when we show up at the polls, we show out. The issue isn’t that we aren’t voting; we are being stopped from voting at every possible turn. We stand in line longer than anyone else, have our polling places changed or closed, and face “accidental” purgings of registrations.
These suppression tactics have made many of us feel apathetic about voting. What’s the point when it’s so hard? That’s how weariness sets in, but the truth is our votes WILL change the entire game.
Voter suppression is all about attempts to keep us in invisible chains, but we can’t let the apathy that comes along with it win. We have incredible power in our voices and our votes. We must stand against the effects of suppression and apathy to force effective change.