Rise up! Stand up and fight! You have the right to vote!
Educate yourself, your family, your neighbors and more!
UPDATE: After much public outcry, voter suppression billboards in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee are coming down! Clear Channel, has stated that they will take the billboards down. Many people, however, are wondering how long it will take and whether or not Clear Channel will drag their feet in making it happen before the Nov. 6 election. As of October 25, some billboards still remain up.
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Thirty (30) anonymously funded billboards placed in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati may have the opposite affect of its intended goal – to suppress the vote. Since these racist billboards have been popping up, people throughout the 3C’s (Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati) have become outraged. African-Americans, Latinos and others are rising up nationwide but specifically in Ohio.
The 2012 Election might go down as one of the nastiest elections in recent times. However, a brief look back into U.S. history reminds us that African-American voters have consistently been disenfranchised by unfair voter suppression practices (i.e. poll taxes). What we are witnessing today in states like Ohio, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania is nothing new!
The difference is that with the advent of social media apps like Twitter and Facebook, more people are becoming aware, engaged and mobilized to fight back at a faster rate. Organizations like Color of Change and the Election Protection Agency are leading the charge. Kudos to the television programs and online broadcasts that help us stay informed, such as:
- Melissa Harris Perry on MSNBC
- Washington Watch w/ Roland Martin on TV-One
- The Young Turks on Current TV
- Democracy Now w/ Amy Goodman
- Politics Nation w/ Al Sharpton on MSNBC
Shout out to the many legislators and public officials who are speaking out, such as Nina Turner and Marcia Fudge. The Civil Rights Movement is alive and well in 2012. Although we don’t see leaders singled out with the magnitude of Martin Luther King, Jr. or Malcolm X, there are many champions for the cause. We must unite and continue to work together to protect the rights that were fought for 50 years ago. Don’t be a spectator. Get involved wherever you are!