ESSAY: Here Is Why You Must Vote In Your State & Local Elections
The following is an excerpt from an essay for NewsOne on the importance of voting and organizing locally.
For thousands who participated in the protests, the election result was their wake-up call, their first activist action other than voting. To take advantage of this moment, we must see ourselves like personal trainers in the gym and guide people through the process. Those of us with years of the struggle under our belts will need to be patient and inclusive of the new folks who are ready to learn and work. We will need to make actions relevant, local and be honest about the battle ahead.
While we need to keep an eye on what’s happening in Washington, more often what’s happening in the halls of our state legislatures, city halls, and our schools have more of a direct effect on our daily life than any executive order the President will sign.
Make no mistake, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a Justice Department that possibly will not act on cases of voter suppression and police misconduct, and changes in education and housing policies will certainly be felt. The legal system is based on state and federal sovereignty to assure checks and balances. But courts intervene in instances of overlap in cases like President Donald Trump‘s contentious immigration executive order and concerns about sanctuary states.