Danette O'Neal, PhD

WE MUST SHOW UPIf we ever needed to vote we sure do need to vote now. The right to vote is not just a constitutional matter but a right borne out of struggle, out of sacrifice and a gift from the God. 2600 years ago God had his prophet say to every nation you must do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before your God. 2000 years ago he had his Son say that the least of these must be at the center of public policy..Think for a moment where we are now here today.

 236 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence

176 years since Texas revolted because they wanted to keep their slaves,

163 years since Harriet Tubman escaped slavery,

149 years since the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation,

147 years since the end of the Civil war,

118 years since the riots of Wilmington North Carolina to stop black political power,

108 years since the riots in Springfield Illinois,

  68 years since Smith v. Allwright opened up primaries for black people,

  68 years since Primus King was denied the right to vote in Georgia in a primary,

  46 years after Barbara Jordan was the first African American to sit in the Texas Senate,

  48 years since Fannie Lou Hamer said there comes a time when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired, 51 years since Dr. King said to the AFL CIO that the only voting platform that could transform America would be for blacks, poor whites and Latinos to learn how to work together,

  49 years since the murder of Medgar Evers,

  49 years since the March on Washington,

  49 years since the bombing of four girls in a Birmingham church,

  48 years since the signing of the Civil Rights Act,

  47 years since Bloody Sunday,

  47 years since the Voting Rights act,

  47 years since Malcolm X was killed,

  44 years since students at South Carolina State were massacred,

  44 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King,

  44 years since the signing of the Fair Housing Act,

  43 years since conservatives dismantled the Office of Economic Opportunity,

  43 years since my parents fought to integrate public schools,

    3 years since Barack whose name means Praise the Lord was sworn in to be President of these United States.

    1 year since Troy Davis was murdered by the state,

    4 months and 11 days since the shooting of Trayvon Martin,

    4 months since the secret documents revealed by the National Organization on

  We have been through too much and seen too much and fought for too much. If we ever needed to vote…….we need to vote right now!

Not only have we been through too much, there’s still too much to fight for…27.4% of African Americans in poverty. 12 million children red, yellow, black and white in poverty, 27 million Americans unemployed, 14% of African Americans unemployed. 49 million Americans uninsured. 1 out of every 5 African Americans uninsured. 1 million African Americans incarcerated.

 Politicians can say “elect me and I’ll take your healthcare”

“elect me and I’ll take your voting rights”

“elect me and I’ll take your medicare”

“elect me and I’ll take your social security”

“elect me and I’ll re=segregate your public schools”

“elect me and I’ll ignore your poverty” ….and still get votes!

Here we are 22 million African Americans eligible to vote and yet 8 million didn’t vote. 

1% of the population controls 42% of the wealth. 10% of the population controls 93% of the wealth.

Banks get bailouts from loans with our money with no interest and the banks turn around and lend us our money back with interest. These are critical times and we need to vote now.  I don’t know if Republicans are going to show up. I don’t know if Democrats are going to show up, but as the sons and daughters of slaves we better “the hell” show up! Our parents did more with less than we have today 

with less they beat slavery

with less they beat Jim Crow

with less they beat lynching

with less they beat the KKK

with less Harriet Tubman got 500 slaves out of slavery, she didn’t have email, she didn’t have a cellphone or Facebook!