National HBCU voting summit stresses importance of youth turnout

The Grio, Christina Greer:

The event honored the legacy of late Congressman John Lewis, civil rights champion and voting rights advocate

This summit comes at a flashpoint in our history following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. Young Americans, many of whom are college students, are taking to the streets to demand justice and equality.

Concurrently, the COVID-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on the Black community exposing the widespread nature of systemic inequality. And within this context, we’re battling voter suppression efforts aimed at maintaining the status quo. This summit was part of the ongoing fight for racial justice and equity through education, advocacy, and preparing students to vote.

Blatant voter suppression efforts from local and state governments have dramatically increased the past few years and disproportionately targeted people of color and students, who are historically targets of voter suppression. Educating these students on how to navigate these barriers is the most potent way of fighting back.

The event was co-hosted by The Andrew Goodman Foundation, Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition and by Alabama A&M University.

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