Tag: 270 electoral votes

“Most fear stems from sin; to limit one’s sins, one must assuredly limit one’s fear, thereby bringing more peace to one’s spirit.” – Marvin Gaye.

I believe young voters of color could be the sweet spot in civic engagement next year. Last week I had the privilege of connecting with a young NAACP organizer. We discussed strategies to bounce back from this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. He asked if we’ll ever see the kinds of organizing training that was common pre-pandemic. “You know the mass teaching events that attracted tons of media and thousands of attendees? With an audience that included members of Congress, mayors, and local councilpersons?” 

While in those trainings, a person could catch up with old friends, distant colleagues and meet up with mentors. We would talk about the movement and discuss ways to address civic empowerment issues like redistricting and receive powerful advice. “When life presents more challenges than you can handle, delegate to God. He not only has the answer, He is the answer.”

Young activists have and always will rely on mentorship. As voters, they also benefit from a different kind of mentorship — knowing family members working over fifty-five hours a week and learning about the issues they deal with. Maybe that’s why they get so disappointed with the current redistricting process. While politicians choose who will vote for them, young people realize that they and their hard-working family members are being left out of the process.

What the long-term effects of leaving young people out of the process? Will this widen the gap with young Voters of Color (VOC) on Election Day? Will it solidify positive movement or become a hurdle for young voters of color next year?

Looking at studies from key districts and the last round of redistricting, we are on track to have a similar electorate as the previous decade, where the youth could make up 18% of the vote. As witnessed last year, an energized young VOC electorate can be the difference in multiple races. This is key for understanding the next decade of voting results.

For example, while voters under 30 were 17% of the electorate for both Ohio and New Jersey in 2008, that number dropped for New Jersey to 9% in 2009. The same is true for young voters in Virginia; they were 21% of the electorate in 2008 and only 10% in 2009. Why? A substantial number of young VOCs decided to stay home.

What is the possible impact on future elections? If a politician leads their challenger among 18-29-year-old African Americans 91%-6% and Latinos 73%-13%. More importantly, if 59% of African Americans and 31% of Latinos are enthusiastic about voting, the political landscape becomes favorable for NAACP supporters. If the base of support from young voters on “major issues” like immigration reform is at least 45% – 25%, then they will see substantial support from young voters of color. 

These numbers will be even more critical in places like New Jersey, where VOC is 31% of New Jersey’s citizen voting-age population. They comprised 28% avg. of the electorate in recent elections. By comparison, in 2010, Hudson county’s population grew by 4% to 634,266, and Jersey City’s population increased by 3% to 247,597. This is a majority Latino, African American, and Asian American city and has well over 95,000 essential VOC.

Looking deeper, you can see how engaging young people during redistricting can positively impact the future of civic engagement. For many, voting provides a sense of independence, responsibility, and purpose. In addition, if politicians are lucky enough to gain their support, they benefit from their vote and their ideas.

It’s always a momentous occasion when a young person votes for the first time. This is one of the first meaningful investments they will make for their future. The funny thing is that it will be a massive investment in America’s future as well. 

To be continued …

Kirk Clay is the President of Capitol View Advisors — a collaborative investing and acting on its values in creative and strategic ways to connect communities with the information and resources they need to support and further their aspirations.

“High standards can be contagious. But it doesn’t necessarily happen through osmosis. Sometimes you have to budge people into doing the right thing—either by example or in a more obvious way.” – Nannie Helen Burroughs 

While growing up, I was taught that my community’s injustices could be fixed if I engaged in the electoral process. However, after spending considerable time volunteering to register voters, I didn’t see the immediate impact. Since I didn’t notice things changing in my neighborhood, I couldn’t see how civic engagement was useful. I shared my feelings with the local NAACP youth and college division director, and she gave me some advice. “First, you must eliminate the doubt that you can effect change, then we will receive what we are due, and justice will be done.” Her point to me was that we have to release the doubt that we can create change and accept the challenge to change what we consider unacceptable, then we will see the impact.

Like the time I volunteered to stuff envelopes for Marcy Kaptur’s Congressional campaign. It was my first experience campaigning, and I spent hours licking and sticking stamps before mailing them at the post office. I wanted to make a difference and help create social change by being active civically for women issues. At the time, there was an awe-inspiring movement in U.S. politics to diversify political leadership — electing more African Americans, women, and young people to office. Perhaps it was the legacy of passing the voting rights act or just the natural next step in our political evaluation, but I wanted to be a part of it. 

“I don’t vote because we don’t see the immediate impact.” I heard a young activist say while the group was eating dinner between shifts. She was right, and we would hear statements like that while talking with peers about voting. “Okay then, how can we persuade students of color to awaken and create long-term impact?” When students of color are inspired, they tend to be connected, remarkable and resourceful activists. If we link their issues, values, and inspiration to our life experiences and relationships, they will see their vote’s impact. The point was that we knew from experience when students of color understand the consequences of their actions and take personal responsibility for addressing an issue; their core values are inspirationally motivated. 

Amid today’s persistent barrage of fractious issues stemming from a lack of quality education, financial freedom, and adequate healthcare, we must not separate everyday life relevance or prospective influence from civic engagement. I recently talked with a past NAACP mentee about what it’s going to take for the United States to bounce back from this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. We agreed that it has been like pushing a car up a hill in the sweltering heat. The truth is that voting is one of the most important vehicles that Americans have to get from one place in life to another and influence the policies that affect our lives. Therefore, when people need help voting, we should make every effort to help them because it makes our democracy work better.

I wish that were the logic behind restrictive voting laws that cut early in-person and vote by mail. These laws limit the days you can vote by changing the deadline for voters to vote by mail or early vote in-person. They turn a blind eye to the millions of voters who historically vote during the early vote days before Election Day. It dampens early-voters’ impact by impeding voters of color who plan to take advantage of that last few weekends. That’s why it’s essential to help voters cast an early ballot by mail or in person without an excuse. This increases civic participation and strengthens our democracy until we pass a law making Election Day a holiday with same-day registration.

As we know, voting early and voting by mail helps to ease the long lines on Election Day — something that makes headlines every election cycle. In 2000, the lines were so long in many places around the country that precincts closed before voters could cast their ballot. Nearly a million voters—close to 3% of all registered voters—had this experience. This led to legal contests in St. Louis, which affected Missouri’s U.S. Senate race. By closing the polling places before everyone in line was able to vote, many voters were disenfranchised. Voters who made extraordinary efforts to go to the polls were denied ballots due to no fault of their own.

Each of the nearly 200,000 polling places nationwide will handle about 500 voters on Election Day. Since we only have about 700,000 workers at the polls, early voting and voting by mail effectively ensure that voters are not disenfranchised. In 2008, more than 1.7 million Ohio voters cast ballots early – close to 30% of all ballots. Election Days are predicted to be more taxing for the foreseeable future as America gears up for record-breaking voter turnout due to the nation’s demographic shift. This is especially of concern for students of color.

According to a recent civic engagement report, Voters of Color (VOC) could turn out at an even higher future rate. 

• The study proposes that if African-American registration rises to 78.3%, we could see 3 million more African American voters. 
• The Latinx community grew to 50 million in 2010 while the Asian American – Pacific Islander (AAPI) population increased to 5.2% of the national population. 
• If those demographic trends materialize, VOC could make up more than 23% of the eligible electorate.

There is a significant VOC population in swing states like Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, and Virginia. These states were anti-public education strongholds until recently. Also, each state became more pro-public education as the demographics began to change. There is strong evidence that political geography is why pro-public education leaders improved their 2000 electoral performance by more than seven points in each state. Moreover, experts believe that Virginia’s and Nevada’s recent purple propensities are powered by 55% and 71% AAPI growth since 2000.

Population growth is an essential factor in predicting turnout. The voting laws in Ohio are based on the misconception that VOC will not be 17% of the electorate. As an unintended consequence, Ohio may disenfranchise tens of thousands of voters. Worst yet, this will turn a blind eye to the profound and chronic problems of race and discrimination in voting practices. 

What is the most important thing we can do to cultivate a civic engagement mindset for students of color? Collective, evidence-based, and reflective systems change essential. Based on data, their involvement, capabilities, and conversations within peer groups, we can inspire and motivate young people to vote. We must assess our nation’s successes and failures, fine-tune our approach to democracy, and start all over again where necessary. This practice will allow us to improve exponentially year after year. Our ultimate goal should be to help students of color manage and advocate for themselves, elect leaders that share their interests, and pass laws that expand democracy to every American. We must widen the circle of freedom so that all realize the American promise of liberty and justice for all.

To be continued …

Kirk Clay is the President of Capitol View Advisors — a collaborative investing and acting on its values in creative and strategic ways to connect communities with the information and resources they need to support and further their aspirations.

“A lot of people endured a lot of hardship, humiliation, suffering, and pain. The least I can do is be my best, live my best life, and treat myself and my surroundings with respect.” – Nannie Helen Burroughs 

I remember my first day interning at the White House. It was 1994, and I was assigned to the Presidential Personnel Office. After barely setting my desk up, I was alerted that all interns would meet in the auditorium for a quick briefing before the day started. I arrived as quickly as possible and grabbed a seat. Before the session began, I was pulled aside by an African American staffer. “To get the most of this experience, you must love the skin you are in. You are God’s Divine Design. He does not make mistakes. Don’t get caught up in wanting to be or trying to be like someone else. Everyone is gifted in different ways. Love being you.” Those words changed my life. I later learn that my grandmother asked her to watch after me, she worked in the dining room, and she lived in southeast Washington, DC.

My supervisor was from Arkansas and the White House Political Director. I enjoyed having a desk across from him. His job was to process SES, Schedule Cs, and Ambassadorships positions, and I was the only intern in the office. He was a senior staffer, one of the First Lady’s best friends, and always meeting with interesting people. After the first month and my workload began to slow down, he would occasionally invite me to eat lunch with him. “What’s your background?” “Where are you from?” At first, I felt his questions were pushy, and I didn’t know how much to share, so I froze up and couldn’t even remember my name, let alone my biography — generational trauma will sometimes do that. One day at lunch, my grandmother’s friend notice how uncomfortable I was, pulled me aside, and reminded me just to be myself. I followed her advice and began discussing shared values, connected with him, and the rest of my internship was terrific. From then on, we spent most of our alone time pondering, evaluating, and theorizing on American politics. I learned a lot discussing Washington Post articles with him, but most importantly, I felt like I belonged in the White House.

What I learned that summer is that no matter your background, gender, race, or religion, your success largely depends on opportunity, talent, and rapport. I learned how hard it is for a student of color to process workplace microaggressions. However, my supervisor demonstrated a willingness to connect with me and created space to engage him. Note that this form of exchange will be particularly beneficial for students of color during this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. Amid a persistent barrage of fractious issues stemming from a lack of quality education, financial freedom, and adequate healthcare, we must encourage and cultivate mentorships.

Recently I was talking with a past NAACP mentee about what it’s going to take for the United States to bounce back from this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. “A well-resourced and strong public education system.” His point was that a thorough, reflective, and individualized process for educating young people on civics principles would help. Also, we agreed that there is a need to expand democracy to include more significant numbers of young voters of color. 

For example, a diverse electorate may help to stem a wave of “voter suppression” laws, executive orders, and voting impostor laws in multiple states. Thankfully, the Department of Justice has the power to interrupt these regressive efforts by not granting a clearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act — first passed in 1965 to outlaw voting practices that disenfranchised thousands of Americans. States with both (a) “tests” or “devices” that restricted the opportunity to register and vote and (b) less than 50% voter registration or voter turnout can no longer make changes concerning voting without “clearance” from the Department of Justice. This includes everything from redistricting, purging voter rolls, and changing polling places.

That’s the idea, but here we are, years later, in the 21st century, and politicians are still making it difficult for Americans to participate in democracy. According to a recent report, since 2011, more dozens of states have passed or attempted to pass laws and executive orders that disenfranchise voters of color. In Florida, the governor is pressing election officials to purge voter rolls with citizenship discrepancies – an action in the past that yielded a list of thousands of people of color. This process had a 78% error rate, and hundreds of people were wrongly purged. In the past, these actions produced federal lawsuits by the Department of Justice that claimed the violation of federal voting laws.

Remember the “pregnant chads” of 2000 that became the determining factor for a 534 vote presidential victory. During that same election cycle, Florida’s Secretary of State ordered election supervisors to purge ex-felons from the voter lists. This list “flagged” more than 90,000 names, of which close to 60,000 were purged. More than 54% of the list were people of color, and Congress passed the Help America Vote Act in 2002 to create standards for states to follow while updating outdated voting systems.

What will our democracy gain from implementing laws that will have a disproportionate impact on voters of color?

• Florida voters of color make up 29% of the voting-age population, and 69% are registered to vote. In 2008, voters of color were 28% of the electorate, although more than a third did not vote.
• In Texas, Latinos accounted for 65% of the State’s growth between 2000 and 2010.
• Among young voters between the ages of 18 and 19-year-olds, over 60% are people of color and 41% Latino.
• Houston grew by 7.5% to 2,099,451 with over 400,000 “Key” VOC. Harris County has over 800,000 registered VOC.

Our country needs everyone’s help to bounce back from this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. Learning to love the skin you are in is a practice through which students of color and this country can redirect our social awareness and cultivate culturally competent civic, academic, and life strategies. It means engaging with each other to reflect on difficult issues and developing solutions. As mentors, we must be careful not to dissuade students from engaging in self-analysis even if we are not sure of the consequences. Quite the opposite, they will benefit from learning about themselves, and we should help them develop those strategies and ensure that the playing field is leveled for them. We are a nation of three hundred million Americans, and we all love this country. Therefore, there is no excuse for denying students of color opportunities to shape America. We must not compromise the promise of freedom, equality, and justice, especially if it compromises our democracy.

To be continued …

Kirk Clay is the President of Capitol View Advisors — a collaborative investing and acting on its values in creative and strategic ways to connect communities with the information and resources they need to support and further their aspirations.

“War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate” – Marvin Gaye.

I can remember the first “Rooftop Pajama Jam Card Tournament,” I hosted in college. Our university was celebrating a major athletic victory in college basketball – we made it to the NCAA’s Final Four Tournament. I was president of the Caucus to Improve Black Affairs, and my peers wanted to do something special on campus to bring the African American students together to chill. We debated what food to serve, movie to play, and what issues we would share with the school community during the planning. Our basketball team was scheduled to play soon, and students were debating whether the basketball team should stay in the locker room as a form of protest. A dorm Resident Advisor (RA) said it best “Just give college athletes what you want. When you give others what they want and need, everyone will paradoxically receive what we want and need. If you wish to have power, empower others. If you want money, give money. If you want praise and recognition, give praise and recognition. What we do for others will be done for us, so if you want to see them play, we’ve got to pay.” This statement reflected how many students of color felt but not every member of the Racial Awareness Piloting Program (RAPP) felt the same way. 

“What you don’t understand is that you people should be happy to even be in the big dance.” I quickly moved to close out the conversation after that statement because we all began to feel the microaggressions taking control of the debate. The question is, what steers people to accomplish greatness in life — students of color in particular? Leading scholars would say that the righteousness of a person’s aptitude is a considerable driver. Successful students of color indicate that perseverance, purpose, and thirst for living free of the fear of poverty, violence, and untimely death are big motivations. Whatever the driver, an academic achievement often pushes African American students to use actions, art, and words to validate themselves.

Moreover, this “righteousness frame of mind” helps students of color overcome the generational trauma they live with every day. Spoken words have meaning; they attach consequences to the capabilities and actions of the people hearing them. Over time words can contribute to or detract from educational success for students of color. Yes, the human spirit is flexible and effective communication, if used appropriately, can enhance learning. Positive language indeed gives students a general feeling of purpose, and there is a clear relationship with accomplishments at school. It makes sense that encouraging language would promote positive actions, better performance, better grades, and a stronger community. What about negative language?

Living in a community of color during this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis makes it easy to see how the lack of quality education, financial freedom, and adequate healthcare impacts society. I see how microaggressions and words of hate play out in real-time. The use of language in a way that, if called to question, the offender can deny any intent to disrespect others. The use of terms and or remarks about issues to spark a reaction. Underneath this is a subtle reference to values in a manner that manipulates American society.

What’s worse is that tactics like this bring out the worse in all of us. The use of shock to motivate one group of people also triggers a downward spiral that adds to civic dysfunction and encourages hateful language and ineffective policies. It’s an outrage that during one of the most challenging periods in American history, we are held hostage. Unlike the bipartisan response to the financial crisis in 2008, there has not been a real attempt to legislate compassionately.

What’s clear to me is that something changed in 1994, and American politics has not been the same since. Remember, after 40 years of one-party control of the house, politicians developed a strategy to win at all costs, and they won. Now, the philosophy of “say anything to win” has become a mandate, and only the American voter can break this cycle. Will politicians attempt to manipulate voters with the use of fear and hateful language? Will they use wedge issues to mobilize their base?

I think back to the 2006 elections when these extremists unleashed a harsh “cultural war” to get their base to vote. The political atmosphere is similar to that of today. However, there’s strong evidence that things may be different this time. We’ve had many years of new registrants, and many young voters plus voters of color (VOC) will return to the electorate.

This political geography is highlighted in majority-minority cities like Norfolk.

• Norfolk’s population grew 3.4% to 242,803. 
• This increase gives Norfolk more than 83,000 “key” Voters of Color. 
• People of Color are 26% of Virginia’s Citizen Voting Age Population. They were 24% of vote share in 2008 and about 23% in 2010.

What can we do to help? We must encourage students of color to build networks of compassionate connections. Studies show that the more positive the school community, the more successful the students. These include have conversations with educators and friends that mostly strengthen them — this is essential to their success. If a youth coalition of consciousness came together to demanded honest and trustworthy leadership, we could revitalize and expand our democracy. The truth is, we all love our country, and that means every community in it. That’s what motivates most Americans to be compassionate. Hateful language will not help us bounce back from this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. When we give others what they want and need, everyone will paradoxically receive what we want and need.

To be continued …

Kirk Clay is the President of Capitol View Advisors — a collaborative investing and acting on its values in creative and strategic ways to connect communities with the information and resources they need to support and further their aspirations.

“Education and justice are democracy’s only life insurance.” – Nannie Helen Burroughs 

Texas was the sight of one of my most memorable Congressional campaigns. I remember hitting the ground and not being sure where I should begin. This was a special election, and the voter’s last opportunity to voice their preference for representation. I lived in Beaumont, but Galveston Island was my headquarters and base of operation. I chose this location because of Juneteenth, and it’s a great historical significance for the African American community. Also, it had a large youth population — I had a theory that people of color would be essential in a low turnout election like this, and I figured young voters of color would be necessary to turn that key. 

My first contact was with a group called A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI). Attending an emergency meeting, I walk into a heated discussion between a senior woman in charge of youth outreach and a middle-aged gentleman in control of its finances. “Yes, we can train students of color to take the lead in that precinct. We need them because we are shorthanded.” Her point was simple, “don’t impose thoughts of lack and limitation on these students of color.” When we think they can, they will believe they can. When we erase our doubt in their ability, they will face this challenge with confidence and a yes-we-can attitude.

She was also hitting on another truism – Americans are resourceful. In particular, we are witnessing “true resourcefulness” from communities of color during this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. Especially from civil rights institutions like the NAACP, A. Philip Randolph Institute, Urban League, NCBCP, and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies with their fearsome, seemingly everlasting civic engagement programs and innovative mobilization instruments. It may be hard to believe, but this has been the case for many years. It’s not just civic engagement, healthcare, and economic justice; our work has had a tremendous impact on public education. Admittedly, our public schools have not made it to the “Promised Land” yet; we are a lot closer to achieving our high aspirations. Now students of color are not just learning to read, write, and mathematics; they are becoming self-advocates, social managers, and financially literate. They are mastering sophisticated tools that will create systems change now and in the future.

As the A. Philip Randolph youth outreach director later explained, “We must develop and invest in their education and proficiency because our existing paradigm as it relates to social safety nets like healthcare are unjust.” Therefore, our education aspiration has to be culturally competent to understand, preserve, and enlighten all people’s intelligence. Our lesson plans must be both student-focused and grounded by evidence-based scholarship principles that transform livelihoods. 

A past Supreme Court decision regarding Arizona’s immigration law SB 1070, and The Affordable Care Act is similar to another significant moment in American history–the Court’s ruling on the Brown v. Board of Education case. That ruling profoundly impacted every person in the country and helped move this country forward regarding civil rights, social justice, and equality.

Like the 1950s, it was hard to measure the impact that decision would have on this country’s social fabric and the world at the time of the decision. We are now witnessing those results, and for many voters of color (VOC), those rulings are a strong signal that there is hope. Moreover, the fact that there may be at least one new Justice to the Supreme Court in the near future gives people of color even more reasons to be encouraged. Note that our civic engagement will help appoint someone to make landmark decisions that can move our country forward.

Like 2012, healthcare will be a significant issue for igniting greater civic engagement among students of color. According to a Gallup survey then, 21% of Latino registered voters rated healthcare as one of their top priorities. In states like Texas, 20% of children in the country had no health coverage, and 37% of Latinos didn’t have health insurance. Many adults living in major metro areas around the state are uninsured: Beaumont-Port Arthur area—26%, Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown area–24%, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area–21%, San Antonio area–18%, Austin-Round Rock area –18%. Interestingly enough, these metro areas still have significantly high Latino and African American populations.

Census data show the Latino population increased by 15 million in 2010, and 20% of that growth happened in Texas. People of Color are already the majority in Texas, and they believe in healthcare and public education.

• Latinos made up about 25% of the state’s new registrants in 2009 and 2010. 
• People of Color represented 54% of the state’s total population and 41% of the citizen voting-age population (CVAP). 
• They represented 40% of registered voters and just a little more than 19% of frequent voters. However, over 3 million registered Latino and African American voters stayed home in 2010. 

Imagine what would happen if Latino turnout went from 24% to 49% and African American turnout from 35% to 49%. Together, we could add over 1 million more VOCs, which would be the difference in areas where so many VOCs are uninsured. For example, Fort Worth grew by 38% to 741,206 and now has over 140,000 registered “Key” VOC with close to 95,000 infrequent voters. If adequately resourced, and the electorate continues to expand, we may see a significant voter turnout increase. These voters may vote for more pro-public education and healthcare reform leaders. This would put TX’s 38 electoral votes in play for future elections.

No one is entirely sure how voters will respond to this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. The truth is that The Affordable Care Act was an example of politicians getting something done. First, it was voted out of Senate Committee with bipartisan support, then passed with two independent politicians and upheld by the Supreme Court.

Are students of color the key to winning this battle over civil and human rights? Will they light the fire of social justice and change our nation for the better? I have confidence that they can do it. They are better situated to have an impact now more than ever. For one, they are skilled end-users of informative data, consuming it directly from social media. Second, they have a great awareness of unique cultural systems, instruments, and trustworthy institutions’ methods. Lastly, students of color are conscious of the need to embrace hope and play a part in shaping our nation’s future in a way that will help people dealing with hardships. When we think they can, they will believe they can. Yes, We Can.

To be continued …

Kirk Clay is the President of Capitol View Advisors — a collaborative acting on its values in creative and strategic ways to connect communities with the information and resources they need to support and further their aspirations.

“Art is a way of possessing destiny.” — Marvin Gaye 

I remember the first time I taught at a public high school of color – a public school with a significant people of color population. The school was entirely male and majority African American. I spent two hours before the bell reviewing for my first lesson – I wanted to be the perfect teacher. The entire morning I sat in my classroom rehearsing my introduction, classroom management strategies, and the lesson plan. Then the bell rang, and lessons from my Grandfather came to conscience. “Young people need someone to mold, motivate, and mentor them. Just help them exemplify the interests, attitude, and enthusiasm worthy of influence, and the rest will take care of itself.” 

He was right; our career accomplishments, life experiences, and values should inform and influence school lesson plans. Every one of us remembers a teacher who made us work harder and inspired us to achieve great things based on hard work. In turn, the rapport and relationships built during those moments became energy for our subsequent aspirations. Moreover, networking with an experienced person — accomplished in the area of our passion — was enormously influential. Sitting in class, sharing ideas, and providing feedback to one another gave us access to incredible success opportunities.

As a secondary benefit, my colleagues tell me that educators gain a great deal from mentoring students of color. Working through an alumni mentorship program creates a meaningful connection for both the teacher and student while giving experienced educators a chance to contemplate and restructure their teaching approach. This enriches and informs future school work for both, so everyone benefits from “collective synergy.”

How can we inform, translate, and connect education to communities of color during the global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis? Would a mentorship program be correspondingly constructive for educators, students of color, and alumni when we are social distance learning? 

Recently I was talking with a protégé about the connection between civics, education, and financial independence. During that conversation, we began talking about the virtues of expanding democracy to include more voters via census, reapportionment, and redistricting. The concept is that an accurate census count will create a diverse electorate and help to pass a pro-public education policy. Therefore, civic engagement could lead to quality education for students of color.

We must acknowledge that many states have a history of practicing “voter suppression” laws, especially during census years, justifying Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 to outlaw voting practices that disenfranchised thousands of Americans. States with both (a) “tests” or “devices” that restricted the opportunity to register and vote and, (b) less than 50% voter registration or voter turnout no longer make changes concerning voting without “clearance” from the Department of Justice. This includes everything from redistricting to polling places.

More than two dozen states have passed or attempted to pass laws and executive orders that disenfranchise voters. At one point in Florida, the governor pressed election officials to identify non-U.S. citizens on the voting rolls. The list of 2700 people comprised mostly of people of color, was found to have a 78% error rate. More than 500 people on the list were later identified as actual citizens. 

Do you remember “pregnant chads” in the 2000 Presidential Election and the subsequent 534 decision? During that same election, Florida’s Secretary of State ordered election supervisors to purge ex-felons from the voter lists. Experts later reported that the file “flagged” close to 91,000 names, of which more than 57,000 were purged. More than half of the list—54%—was African American and Latino. This prompted Congress to pass the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002 to create standards for states to follow and update outdated voting systems. Each State transitioned to electronic voter lists.

What are the essential questions in the minds of students of color? Can they help the U.S. bounce back from this crisis, communicate their interests, and accelerate social change? My advice is to believe in the righteousness of your issues, civic engagement, and get active. For Example, Florida and Texas have undergone political, racial, and geographical transformation.

• Florida voters of color make up 29% of the voting-age population, and 69% are registered to vote. 
• In 2008, voters of color were 28% of the electorate, although more than a third did not vote — Imagine the impact if all who are eligible to vote were mobilized and voted.

The same is true for Texas, where the Latino population accounted for 65% of the State’s growth between 2000 and 2010. 

• Among young voters between the ages of 18 and 19-year-olds, 60% are people of color and 41% Latino. 
• Census data shows that Houston grew by 7.5% to 2,099,451 — Imagine what could happen if 814,000 registered VOC in Harris County voted. Especially in places like Houston, where there are over 400,000 “Key” VOC.

Ultimately, as every teacher knows, positive relationships are essential for everyone, and the United States is essentially a network of 300 million. Therefore we must develop strategies to nurture culturally competent connections, engage in courageous conversations, and forge relationships with students of color to ensure that the playing field is level. Our country needs every person to prosper to bounce back from this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. To be successful, we must not compromise the promise of quality education, financial freedom, and adequate healthcare — especially if it compromises diversity.

 To be continued …

 Kirk Clay is the President of Capitol View Advisors — a collaborative acting on its values in creative and strategic ways to connect communities with the information and resources they need to support and further their aspirations.