- 12 hours ago
Early voting is starting across the nation, and that means we have another Paint The Polls Black Town Hall.
Learn how you can make a plan to vote early and use your power at the ballot box. Showing up for each other at the polls this year is crucial. Let’s use our power to fight for each other.
Learn how you can make a plan to vote early and use your power at the ballot box. Showing up for each other at the polls this year is crucial. Let’s use our power to fight for each other.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00:30Good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for joining us tonight. My name is Alfonso David. I am the President and the CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. I'm also a civil rights lawyer. Welcome to Paint the Polls Black, which is a voter awareness, voter registration, and voter mobilization initiative.
00:01:00It's being supported by the Sundial Group of Companies, which includes Essence, the Global Black Economic Forum, Girls United, Afropunk, Refinery29, Beautycon, and the New Voices Foundation.
00:01:16Our goal is to educate, mobilize, and register voters to take action this November and into the future. For some of you who have been with us for the past several weeks, we hosted our first town hall in the beginning of August with Congresswomen Jasmine Crockett and Chantel Brown, Bakari Sellers, Van Lathan, Lene Vanay, and kicking us off for the very first town hall we had, the one and only D-Nice.
00:01:42Tonight, we are hosting our sixth of eight town halls where we will be focusing on early voting.
00:01:50We are exactly three weeks away, or 21 days away, if you like, from Election Day.
00:01:57And we want to walk you through what it means to vote early, and why it's important to vote early.
00:02:04A few housekeeping rules. This is a nonpartisan call focused on voter registration and mobilization.
00:02:11Further, this is not a fundraising call. There are many other events that are focused on fundraising.
00:02:15We're here to provide awareness and information for all of you to make sure that you can actively engage in this year's election.
00:02:21We will also be answering your questions, so please put your questions in the chat, and we will try to get it to as many questions as we can as we do every week.
00:02:30Also, there is a link for voter registration.
00:02:34The deadlines in some states have passed, but not all states, and you can still register in some states.
00:02:40If you are registered, also we're asking you to please make sure that you're still on the roster.
00:02:45You can go to Paint the Polls Black. You can also go to vote.org to make sure that you get information about registration, and you can check your registration.
00:02:56Finally, sit back, relax, and enjoy this town hall.
00:03:00Tonight, we are missing our very own Ebony McMorris.
00:03:04She unfortunately can't be with us because she's traveling, but we are going to continue the show as planned.
00:03:11Early voting, as many of you know, think back to 2020.
00:03:14You all remember the vibe four years ago.
00:03:18COVID was rampant, but it was so important for so many of us to cast our votes, and we decided that we couldn't, of course, go to the polls in some cases, and we couldn't interact with our family and friends, and we voted by mail.
00:03:32Many of us voted by mail.
00:03:33Early voting had such a renaissance in 2020 that the percentage of people who casted their ballots by mail grew to 46%, more than doubling the number of people who had voted early in 2016.
00:03:48Specifically, in 2020, approximately 60% of Democrats, 6-0, and 32% of Republicans voted by mail.
00:04:00There was a huge increase in 2020.
00:04:03Early voting, as many of us know, is not new.
00:04:05We have been voting early in some format since the founding of our country, and voting has held over, as many of you know, over the course of several days so that voters in many parts of the country could have ample time to travel to town or certain county courthouses to cast their ballots.
00:04:25But what does it actually mean when we say to vote early?
00:04:30Well, early voting references a few different ways in which you can cast your ballots.
00:04:36You have in-person voting, early voting, as the name suggests.
00:04:40It means that you can go before Election Day and cast your votes at a local polling place.
00:04:46There is also, in addition to in-person early voting, there is also mail-in voting, which is when you submit your ballot via the mail.
00:04:55In some states, anyone can vote via the mail, while in other states, voting by mail is restricted to certain circumstances.
00:05:04We're going to show you a map right now that showcases the differences in early voting throughout the country.
00:05:11The states that are highlighted in the color blue means that all voters in those states have the options to vote early in-person and by mail.
00:05:23So where you see all of the blue, if you live in one of those states, you can vote early in-person as well as by mail.
00:05:33Now, if you live in the states that are colored yellow, that means that you have the option to vote early in-person, but you have to be eligible to vote by mail.
00:05:45And then finally, the states that are in red represent states where there is no option to vote early in-person, and to vote by mail, there has to be an eligible reason.
00:05:59So I want to keep that up for just a little while longer.
00:06:01If you look at the blue, you have options to vote early in-person and by mail, and it's available to all voters.
00:06:08And if you vote early in-person, it's available to you if you live in the yellow states.
00:06:14And the red states, unfortunately, early voting is not allowed in those states except under certain circumstances.
00:06:23So now that we understand the landscape, let's talk about who is eligible to vote early or who has voted early.
00:06:35That's probably the better way to frame it.
00:06:37As of today, more than 5 million people, 5 million, have already cast their votes through the mail or in-person nationally.
00:06:48Early voting has already started in many states, although the exact deadlines of when you can request an in-person ballot, must submit a ballot, or when you can start going online differs by state.
00:07:00While in 2020, states made early voting easier because of the pandemic, over the past few years, unfortunately, some states have made it much more difficult to cast your votes early in this election.
00:07:15Throughout tonight, we will be showcasing information and deadlines about when you can vote, and we will also be highlighting the states that each speaker is representing.
00:07:27So, for example, I currently live in New York.
00:07:30I'm a New Yorker.
00:07:31So we want to show you this slide that highlights some of the important deadlines to know for those who live in New York.
00:07:37So as you can see, Saturday, October 26th is the last day for voter registration in-person or online if you live in New York.
00:07:46And then the last day to request a mail ballot is Saturday, October 26th.
00:07:52And then the deadline for mail ballots to be postmarked is November 5th.
00:07:57The very first day for in-person voting, early voting, is Saturday, October 26th, a few days before Election Day.
00:08:05And then the last day is Sunday, November 3rd.
00:08:09And of course, as we all know, Election Day is on Tuesday, November 5th.
00:08:14So with that, we're going to start with our guests tonight.
00:08:19We have a number of guests that are going to be joining us to talk about early voting.
00:08:24And we want to start with the folks that are from the HBCUs.
00:08:29And specifically, we have joining us for this conversation, we have Tavon Blair, who's the co-founder of Excel Leader.
00:08:38And he's also a graduate of Dillard University.
00:08:42We're also pleased to have with us three HBCU student ambassadors from across the country.
00:08:48We have Promise Joseph from Claflin University, Scott-Teria Scott from Tuskegee University,
00:08:56and Anaja Graham from Florida University.
00:09:02Thank you for joining us.
00:09:05Hello.
00:09:05How are you all doing?
00:09:07Scott-Teria, we can't see you right now.
00:09:09Why are you hiding from us?
00:09:12She's coming in.
00:09:13Where she's at?
00:09:14How are you doing tonight?
00:09:15My video feedback on.
00:09:18No problem.
00:09:18Take your time.
00:09:20We have some time.
00:09:21I'm doing okay.
00:09:22How are you all doing?
00:09:24Today's the first day of early voting in Georgia.
00:09:26And the lines have been a lot going on.
00:09:30So I'm doing good.
00:09:30I just had to turn around and say, I'm going to come back tomorrow and make my plans.
00:09:35And to go at 7 a.m. instead of going at 11.
00:09:38So I learned my mistake of going to go vote at 11.
00:09:41The line is going to be very, very long.
00:09:44So I have to just do a restart for tomorrow.
00:09:47So I know that Scott-Teria is trying to get her video on.
00:09:53While she's doing that, let's talk about early voting.
00:09:55There are many people that are watching and many people who will watch this video after
00:10:00we've concluded.
00:10:02And I want to first talk about, from your perspectives, both of you graduated from HBCU, or one of
00:10:07you have graduated from HBCU.
00:10:09Another is still attending an HBCU.
00:10:12Talk about some of the benefits of early voting that you have seen.
00:10:15And specifically, what I want to get to is in communities that have targeted your Vote
00:10:21HBCU program.
00:10:22Can you talk a little bit about, first, what that program is?
00:10:26And then, second, what you have seen in terms of the benefits for early voting?
00:10:30And maybe, Tavon, we can start with you.
00:10:32Sounds good.
00:10:33So we vote at HBCU.
00:10:35It's a program of Excel Leader.
00:10:36We kicked off this work back in 2020 to educate, mobilize, and empower HBCU students
00:10:41to be informed voters.
00:10:43We just got off our 10-stop tour.
00:10:45We went to Virginia State, Howard University, Tuskegee, Shaw, FAMU, Bethune-Cookman.
00:10:51And we were able to really see the power of HBCU students when they have the ability to lead
00:10:57and when they're able to make their voices heard and not in the space where someone's
00:11:01telling them to go vote for something or to vote for a specific person.
00:11:05This was an opportunity for students to not only lead this effort on their campus, but
00:11:09to come together and mobilize their student community to this work.
00:11:13And so, Excel Leader, we are a community of HBCU alumni who build leaders, impact HBCUs,
00:11:18and change the world.
00:11:19And I'm just honored to have a cohort of 10 fellows.
00:11:22These are just two of the 10 fellows that we have that picked up the charge to mobilize
00:11:28their students.
00:11:29We were able to register 859 students on our tour across these 10 schools for 31 days.
00:11:35And Promise, Scotteria, Anija, they led this effort.
00:11:41We all came to Atlanta this summer.
00:11:43They learned the importance of what disinformation looks like, where it's misinformation.
00:11:48They learned how policy works, as well as how to register their students to vote.
00:11:52And so, that legacy and culture that they were able to build this work off of was able to
00:11:57live on campus and make it live.
00:11:58So, that's a bit about us, but the students are the ones who really put this work on and
00:12:04made a shift in how HBCU students consider and see themselves in the voting group.
00:12:10Before we hear from Scotteria and Anija, I want to hear a little bit more about the misinformation
00:12:17that you all are addressing.
00:12:19We are hearing a lot from mass media.
00:12:22We're reading a lot about the misinformation.
00:12:24Talk to me a little bit about what you are seeing on HBCU campuses, how students are
00:12:30responding to misinformation, whether they're able to identify misinformation is something
00:12:36that I think that we're missing.
00:12:37So, can you talk to Vine a little bit about that?
00:12:40And then I want to ask the other two HBCU ambassadors about their experiences.
00:12:46Yes.
00:12:47So, we know that young people, they get their news from different social media outlets.
00:12:54We conducted a survey and we asked them, where do you get your news from?
00:12:57And so, some of them said traditional media outlets, but the large majority were speaking
00:13:02about different Instagram platforms, social media, Twitter, TikTok.
00:13:06And we really wanted to highlight and show them how to fact check.
00:13:10And so, a lot of those students, they were getting news and they're ready to post the thing
00:13:14they're doing, informing their students about what's happening and what's going on.
00:13:18But sometimes, there's a level of misinformation where there is not too much of an intentional
00:13:24mix of trying to influence people or trying to share wrong information.
00:13:30But there's sometimes where they run into information that is intentionally shown to be
00:13:35shared, which is disinformation.
00:13:36The students have to know when to fact check.
00:13:38So, I tell the students, check three before you share out.
00:13:41Look for those big outlets that you are a trustworthy outlet that you can inform your students on
00:13:47before you go push this out.
00:13:49And I know Megan Estonian made a good video one day and said, watch out for the folks with
00:13:54the big font, the big font and white background.
00:13:56Don't be too quick to share those.
00:13:58So, those are some of the things.
00:14:00But also, with voter registration, students are, they understand the truth, but there's a
00:14:05missing piece sometimes of the full facts of how to register to vote.
00:14:10Understanding that we were encouraging our students to register to vote where you learn.
00:14:14You are a student there for four years.
00:14:17And a lot of students were saying that they were always told to submit absentee ballots,
00:14:22but we're not informed what that process looks like.
00:14:24How do I vote by mail?
00:14:25And so, oftentimes, when students are not encouraged to register to vote where they go to school at,
00:14:30they can possibly miss deadlines.
00:14:32They cannot understand the process of how to complete an application.
00:14:35And so, we work with these students.
00:14:37And so, we have to inform factual information.
00:14:40And when you inform factual information that's not telling them to vote for a specific person,
00:14:44you allow them to think critically.
00:14:46And so, with this information, we really try our best to inform them of how to fact check,
00:14:51but also make their own decisions in this process.
00:14:54So, Scott Terry, I want to go to you.
00:14:57You're currently at Tuskegee University.
00:14:59You are an HBCU ambassador.
00:15:02Tell us a little bit about what you're seeing on your campus right now.
00:15:07Yes.
00:15:08So, thank you.
00:15:10Again, everyone, I'm Scott Terry at the Tuskegee University.
00:15:14And some of the things that I'm seeing is students not understanding why it's so important for them to vote.
00:15:20A lot of students are coming here misinformed, as it was stated before,
00:15:25and they're not really, they don't have the morale to want to get up and vote,
00:15:30or the will to get out and engage their peers to vote.
00:15:33So, on my campus, with the Vote HBCU platform, we were able to meet civic engagement and cultural awareness as well.
00:15:42So, the students, it was a fun experience for the students, but we also informed and educated them.
00:15:49Regardless of the candidate that they were voting for, we wanted to make sure that they knew who was on the ballot
00:15:54and how the certain policies affect their life.
00:15:58And as it was mentioned, just being at an HBCU in Alabama and being in a rural area is so important for the students to get out and vote,
00:16:08because our last voter turnout was about 17 students went to vote.
00:16:15And we have a voting poll.
00:16:1617 students?
00:16:17Yes, voting in Macon County.
00:16:21And we're trying to change that this year.
00:16:23We want to shed light on the importance of voting, the importance of being informed about the candidates that you want to vote for,
00:16:29but also having fun with it so that we can show the students that are coming after us that we are the leaders of tomorrow.
00:16:36So, we have to make that change, and we have to get out and vote and choose who we want to represent us.
00:16:42That's how we can make our voices be heard.
00:16:44So, when you mentioned before that you're hearing from some students who either are, you know, experiencing apathy or just don't want to vote or don't know why they should vote,
00:16:55walk us through a little bit again, because this is about sharing information and addressing misinformation.
00:17:01Share with all of the folks that are listening, and we'll watch this, what you are hearing, why people are saying that, especially at this moment in this time.
00:17:10They feel like their voice don't matter.
00:17:14That's why they don't want to vote.
00:17:16They think that one vote wouldn't matter because of all of the people in the United States.
00:17:22They think that one vote doesn't really determine the candidate, but I just want to say that they're wrong about that because we've been fighting for our rights to vote forever,
00:17:32and now that we have it, we have to make our voices heard, like, that's how we pick our leaders, and that's how we see the change that we want to be.
00:17:42Anasia, how about you?
00:17:44So, you're currently at HBCU as well.
00:17:49Talk to us, and you're at Florida University.
00:17:54Talk to, at FAMU, I should say.
00:17:56Talk to us a little bit about your experience there and what you're hearing on the ground.
00:17:59Yes, so I'm hearing a little bit of both.
00:18:03I have students, well, peers who are very excited for the upcoming election, and then we also have, you know, those that aren't as excited as others.
00:18:14And like Scott Teria said, it's just because people aren't aware of the power of their vote.
00:18:20And so, thankful to vote HBCU and Tavon, we've been able to increase voter registration for FAMU students.
00:18:31When I was doing my interview process for vote HBCU, I let Tavon in on that we have a polling precinct here on FAMU's campus, and not many students are aware of that.
00:18:42And so, it is one of my goals this upcoming election season to get as many students to utilize that polling precinct, whether that be early voting, in-person voting, day of election voting, but to utilize that precinct because we don't want that precinct to be taken away.
00:18:58But, yeah, there's a little bit of both here on FAMU's campus.
00:19:02We, you know, everyone's excited, but, you know, we have to push those who aren't as, you know, ready for November 5th or October 21st to get out that vote.
00:19:15What about the climate in Florida?
00:19:18Because many students who are there obviously may not be from Florida.
00:19:23Are you seeing a distinction between the students who are from Florida and the ones who are not from Florida?
00:19:29Yes.
00:19:30So, the students that's here in Florida, we kind of, like, we kind of know what we want to do, you know, like, we have to vote.
00:19:41We kind of know what we want to do, but those students that are, like, we have a lot of out-of-state students here at FAMU.
00:19:48We have Georgia, like, a different variety of states.
00:19:51However, me personally, I've, when I talk to students and they're, they're pretty, like, really sure on where they want to vote, I ask them, where do you feel comfortable?
00:20:02Do you want to make a difference back at home where you're not currently at?
00:20:05Or do you want to make a difference here in Tallahassee where you'll be for the next four or five years?
00:20:09And if they say they want to make a difference here, I say, okay, here, here's a voter registration form, update that registration, and we'll get you updated here into Leon County.
00:20:19But the students that's here in Florida, I personally ask them the same thing.
00:20:24Me personally, I don't vote here in Leon County.
00:20:26I vote back home in Palm Beach County.
00:20:28I request the absentee ballot.
00:20:31But I ask them the same question.
00:20:34Do you want to make a difference here in Leon County?
00:20:35Or do you want to make a difference here in Palm Beach County, Miami-Dade?
00:20:38You know, any way we can get students to vote, long as they're voting, I, to me, you can be voting here in Leon County, Palm Beach County, Sumter.
00:20:47Long as you're voting, that's, that's what I want to make sure happens.
00:20:52Tavon, I want to go back to you.
00:20:54We started this conversation tonight saying that for all of the speakers, and we'll do this for all of you, we want to highlight the, where you're from specifically,
00:21:04and, and highlight what the deadlines are for folks because we think it's actually a really instructive way to identify some of the options that are available and the options that may not be available depending on where you're from.
00:21:16So you are, if I'm not mistaken, you're originally from Illinois, but you currently live in Georgia.
00:21:22Is that right?
00:21:23That is correct.
00:21:25Okay, so we did our fact checking, so we got that right.
00:21:28So if we were to go to, we're going to pull up a slide right now that highlights what the early voting framework looks like for you if you were in Illinois.
00:21:40And for folks who are watching, you can see what the framework is in Illinois.
00:21:46So you can register to vote.
00:21:48The deadline for registration to vote in Illinois is October 8th.
00:21:52So that is passed.
00:21:54The last day for voter registration online is October 20th.
00:21:59So we have a few days for that.
00:22:01And then the last day for voter registration in person is November 5th.
00:22:05But when we look at early voting and vote by mail, so voting by mail, we still have a few more, two weeks or so, October 31st, to request a mail ballot if you're in Illinois.
00:22:17And voting early, the first day to vote early in person was September 26th.
00:22:27So there's been, Illinois provides a fair amount of bandwidth for folks who want to vote early.
00:22:33So that's an example, Tavon, you're from Illinois originally.
00:22:36If we were to flip this and go to the next slide that highlights Georgia, you'll see a radical difference in terms of deadlines and availability, right?
00:22:46So the last day for voter registration in person or online is October 7th.
00:22:51That date is passed.
00:22:53And vote by mail, last day to vote by mail is October 5th.
00:22:58And then early voting, the first day of early voting, as you've mentioned today, Tavon, is today in Georgia.
00:23:06So I want to talk to you now that we've sort of established that foundation of Illinois versus Georgia.
00:23:12You're currently in Georgia.
00:23:14We've been hearing a lot about voter suppression over the past few election cycles.
00:23:18Can you give us a little bit of context, what you're hearing on the ground in Georgia, what people are saying?
00:23:25Are they facing obstacles when they try to vote early in Georgia?
00:23:30Yeah.
00:23:30So even the way that I introduced this call, I talked about the long lines this morning.
00:23:36In Georgia, we know that our job is to vote.
00:23:39It is to make our voices heard.
00:23:40And we expect lines to be long.
00:23:44And people all over the state of Georgia and different counties, I'm here in DeKalb County, we are keeping an eye about what's happening.
00:23:53And so we have these wristbands that have the voter protection hotlines on there.
00:23:57So people understand if they are, if they do run into issues in the polling location, that they are able to call this number to get more support.
00:24:05But on the ground, people are excited.
00:24:07People are energized.
00:24:07We made record numbers today of even by 2 o'clock today, and we hit another 100,000 after 4 p.m.
00:24:15And so Georgians, they know on the local, state, and national level that our voices make impact.
00:24:22And so this is just day one.
00:24:24But I do understand as we go through these different weeks, getting closer to Election Day, people should make their plans.
00:24:29Because if you wait until Election Day, the lines, I don't even know how long they could be.
00:24:34But it's to ensure that we are in a state where laws have been put in place where you can't get some water, you can't do certain things that close to a polling location where it's somewhat of a legal.
00:24:46And these laws are new.
00:24:48And so when impact is made through making your voices heard and through this different change that we have here, it is important for Georgians to know that you have to make a plan because anything can come up.
00:24:59And so just like today, I knew the lines were long, I can say I can go back tomorrow and make my voice heard.
00:25:05But if you wait until Election Day, you don't have tomorrow.
00:25:08And so on the ground, people are excited and just ready to finally, the joke is maybe when I vote, people will stop texting me and calling me.
00:25:16So that is just what people are looking forward to of just saying that I made my impact, I've done my part, and now it's time for me to text my friends to get them involved in this process too.
00:25:24So for folks, we just referenced voter suppression, which unfortunately, we've seen an increase in over the past few election cycles.
00:25:35For those who confront challenges voting, please, there are many resources available.
00:25:41The Global Black Economic Forum and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.
00:25:45We have a partnership to make sure that folks understand the resources that are available.
00:25:50There's a phone number you can call is 866-OUR-VOTE.
00:25:55Please make sure if you run into challenges trying to exercise your right to vote that you call that phone number.
00:26:02There are lawyers that are available.
00:26:04There are poll watchers.
00:26:05And we will have, we're hosting a town hall next week that will focus on election protection specifically.
00:26:11But given that we're talking about voter suppression, I want to restate that point so that folks are aware of it.
00:26:17And Tavon, anything else that you want to mention on voter protection or voter suppression, I should say, at this point, before I go back to Scotteria and in Asia?
00:26:28The specific thing that I'll add on is for college students.
00:26:31And so we know here in Georgia, if you do not attend a public HBCU, you are not permitted to use your school ID.
00:26:41So that is something to be mindful that voter ID laws are different here in the state of Georgia, and they may be different for your other states.
00:26:49So if you attend Spelman, Morehouse, and other private schools here in the state of Georgia, you do not gain the same privileges as the Georgia state.
00:26:59But there are schools like Savannah State and Fort Valley that are able to use their school IDs.
00:27:03But just be mindful when you go into these different environments, well, environments in the polling locations, that those laws are shifted for you, which it should be is that you are a student.
00:27:14They have your information.
00:27:15You should be eligible to vote in these locations.
00:27:17So just be mindful.
00:27:18And so for all my HBCU students, look at those state laws before you go there and understand what voter ID is when you step into these polling locations.
00:27:24So, Scott, Terry, I want to go back to you.
00:27:29As we've mentioned before, you are currently in Alabama at Suskegee University.
00:27:35I want to put up a slide for folks who are in Alabama.
00:27:39So, again, we understand what the laws are in Alabama.
00:27:43So the last day for voter registration in person or online and the deadline for registration by mail has to be postmarked by October 21st.
00:27:52So that's in a few days.
00:27:53If you live in Alabama, you have to make sure you register to vote before October 21st.
00:28:02Now, if we're talking about voting by mail, because remember, early voting is unfortunately not available in the same way in Alabama.
00:28:11The last day to request a mail-in ballot is October 29th.
00:28:15And then you the deadline for voting, of course, is October as November 5th.
00:28:21So, Scott, Terry, going back to you for a minute and talking, because this conversation is really about early voting, given that folks can't leave their homes to go and vote early the way they're doing currently in Georgia, what is the environment in Alabama?
00:28:39How are people, if those who are excited about this early voting or excited about voting early or excited about whatever the candidate is that they're excited about, how do they express that?
00:28:50How are you guys managing that in Alabama?
00:28:51Yes. So thank you for that question.
00:28:54So some things that we're doing right now is hosting collaboration events with the Macon County Elections Committee as well.
00:29:02And we're hosting events on campus to get the student body registered before October 21st.
00:29:09So if you are not registered within your hometown, we're encouraging them to either register in Alabama or register because some deadlines are closed in certain states.
00:29:20But we know October 21st is the hard deadline for Alabama.
00:29:23So our goal is to get students registered. And we have a polling station on campus in Tompkins Ballroom.
00:29:30And it's it gives it's really close to all of the housing on campus.
00:29:35And it's really close to all of the class buildings. And it's also during our homecoming.
00:29:40So we're kind of streamlined, streamlining the election day being during homecoming to get the students out and registered to vote.
00:29:47Because we know a lot of students aren't going to want to go back home to vote.
00:29:52And we know that a lot of students can't get back home to vote.
00:29:55So we're just trying to provide them with the resources that they need, inform them about the candidates that's on the ballot, inform them about what's going on politically within the state of Alabama.
00:30:05But also telling them to stay informed about what's going on in their home state as well.
00:30:11And we're just making sure that they're educated, registered, registered to vote in Alabama by October 21st because they can't do early voting.
00:30:21And we're making sure that they know where all of the polling locations are.
00:30:24And we're keeping the morale up by hosting fun events that they can come out and get educated with keynote speakers.
00:30:31We just hosted a Let's Talk About It event where we provided free tacos.
00:30:35And we had a keynote speaker sponsored by vote HBCU.
00:30:40And we were able to get a lot of students out.
00:30:43I believe we got 90 students out.
00:30:46But we're informing them and having an open mic session to express why they think it's important for their peers to vote so that they can spread that knowledge.
00:30:55So we're just keeping the morale up in a fun way so that they can know civic engagement is fun.
00:31:00So I want to ask you a brief question about misinformation, the same question I asked Yvonne.
00:31:07You know, many of the students, I suspect, are getting their information online on social channels.
00:31:14Can you give us some examples of the misinformation that you're seeing in Alabama?
00:31:19Yes.
00:31:20So it's a lot of misinformation.
00:31:21We have some time.
00:31:23Right.
00:31:23It's a lot of misinformation going around, especially when it comes to absentee ballots, because I've had so many students come up to me and say, hey, can you give me an absentee ballot?
00:31:35And I'm just like, OK, whoa, I can't give you an absentee ballot.
00:31:40I don't know who told you that.
00:31:41But let me inform you about how you can request the absentee ballot and get it sent back to your hometown before the deadline, because a lot of students believe that they can come and pick up a ballot.
00:31:51But which is OK, but that's why we're here to inform them so that they don't get that misinformation from social media because they're seeing their peers submit absentee ballots, but they don't know where to get it from.
00:32:04So a lot of things like misinformation like that, they're on TikTok, watching videos, conspiracy theories.
00:32:12It's just so much going on and you have to steer them away from that.
00:32:16You have to let them know that reality is reality and social media is social media.
00:32:21But if you want to know what's really going on, you have to really be on the real news sites.
00:32:28You have to make sure that your information is backed by people with the credentials to inform you of this.
00:32:38And Aja, let's go to you.
00:32:41You're in Florida and I want to pull up a slide right now for folks who are in Florida so they understand what the options are there as well.
00:32:49Monday, October 7th, which is already passed.
00:32:52We talked about this last week.
00:32:54It's the last day for voter registration in person or online.
00:32:58And it was also the deadline for registering by mail.
00:33:02So now we're left with voting by mail for those who are registered in early voting.
00:33:07So the last day to request a mail ballot, as you heard before, you have to request one, is October 24th.
00:33:15And for early voting, the first day of in-person early voting is Saturday, October 26th.
00:33:22Same as if you may remember, we pointed to New York.
00:33:26That is the first day of early voting in New York as well.
00:33:29And of course, then Tuesday, November 5th is the election.
00:33:33So going to you, Aja, and talking about Florida itself, what are some of the major concerns that you're hearing from students, not only about misinformation,
00:33:44but maybe let's talk briefly about some of the biggest issues that students are flagging for you or raising with you with respect to this election?
00:33:57Mainly, our generation, we're an interesting group.
00:34:01So it's just the simple fact that we don't go check our information, how we should go and check our information.
00:34:14Oh, God.
00:34:15They come with some of the craziest things, the craziest statements.
00:34:19I know, like, a couple of days ago, actually, in class, someone mentioned that they could actually turn in a vote-by-mail and vote in person.
00:34:30So that's one reason why they don't trust the election.
00:34:34And I'm like, I've never heard of that.
00:34:37And so I previously interned with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Election.
00:34:40So I had to go in my bag a little.
00:34:43And I was like, I don't recall, you know, us being able to vote twice.
00:34:49Like, that's not an excuse for you to use, to not wanting to vote, to not want, like, your vote to count because you think people can vote twice.
00:34:57That is not true.
00:34:58And stop spreading that information.
00:35:01That's not true.
00:35:02And then also, students are just really concerned.
00:35:05Like, most of them, I noticed when we did our voter registration activation on campus, most students aren't aware that they could literally change their voter registration information the day of the election if they cannot make it back home to their specific county to complete their ballots.
00:35:25So that's some information that I'm also trying to get out there to students.
00:35:31What else?
00:35:31Students aren't, like, on our campus, like I said, students aren't aware.
00:35:35That there's a precinct on our campus.
00:35:37So they're concerned about how they're going to be able to get to these precincts to even vote.
00:35:42And so I know our SGA and students around, like, student leaders are trying to encourage students to use our precinct.
00:35:50But mainly, a lot of students are really concerned about, like, the history, like, teaching of the history, our history throughout the state of Florida.
00:35:58How we could, you know, how we could, you know, it's us a whole lot.
00:36:02How things could change here in Florida, the potential of so much going with this election.
00:36:09It's exciting on FAMU's campus, but we're combating a lot of misinformation.
00:36:14Listen, you touched on something that I wanted to ask you anyway, which is about Black history.
00:36:20Given everything that's happening across the country, we know that Florida has been a hot button, if you will, on this issue.
00:36:27I'll just leave it there.
00:36:28Talk to me a little bit about Black history and how it's being taught at FAMU and what is being taught or not taught in other schools in Florida, based on what you know.
00:36:42I'll just leave it there.
00:36:44I'll just say that I have some professors who don't care, who still go about how they always lecture their students,
00:36:51how they've always informed their students to make their decisions, who always have, you know, been, you know,
00:36:58those pro-Black teachers who go above and beyond to, like, you know, let us know what our history is.
00:37:04And then you have some of those professors and some of those faculty and staff who are scared, who, like,
00:37:09they would start speaking on some things and they're like, well, I'm not going to go there because I don't know who's recording in our class.
00:37:17I don't know what's going on. So, you know, you have different types of energy happening with as it relates to, like, teaching Black history.
00:37:26I know some of my professors just they do what they want to do and they'll just take it up with the administration later if they do get in trouble,
00:37:34which I like. Me personally, I like because no one should be telling us, oh, no, we don't want your history to be taught the correct way.
00:37:42We want to water it down and teach it how we want. No, we want the truth. Nothing but the truth.
00:37:48So we're talking about slavery. We're talking about Jim Crow. We're talking about Andrew Hamer.
00:37:53We're talking about James Baldwin. We're talking about Malcolm X.
00:37:56We're talking about barriers that are being created so that we cannot learn our history.
00:38:02Correct. And you have some who don't care about those barriers.
00:38:06And I hope, you know, we have more professors who are that bold to, you know, stand with students in these fights because we need those professors who who are willing to, you know, push us over the edge.
00:38:19I know some professors here in Tallahassee are waiting for students to make the next move on what we like, the change they want to see here in Tallahassee,
00:38:27whether that be FSU or FAMU, but we need our professors to support us as well.
00:38:33So we like the bold ones.
00:38:36I want to ask all of you this question and Tavon, we'll start with you.
00:38:40You're, of course, interfacing with college students, folks that are sort of in some cases voting for the first time.
00:38:48If parents are currently watching this, what do you want to say to those parents in communicating with their children, their teens, their college kids about or young people, sorry, about voting this election?
00:39:04Yes. So a lot of students from the tour that we were able to go on and a lot of those students were first time voters.
00:39:14And so the word of advice that I have for those parents to encourage their students to make their voices heard.
00:39:21But we tell our students to be a HBCU student means to be a registered voter, to be a student that is making their voices heard.
00:39:29And so being at HBCU, knowing the long history of civic engagement and the fight for our voting rights, those were young people doing that work that were fighting and making their voices heard across their community and really focused on one single issue.
00:39:46And they all came together. And so the word of advice is to ensure that your students, if you are talking to your son or daughter and you're texting them during their check-ins, ask them.
00:39:58I know you used to call me maybe every day. Now it's gone to once a week.
00:40:05I need to do a check-in to make sure that you are planning to vote, that you are making your voices heard.
00:40:11You will be a student on that campus for the next four years. If you decide to go to FAMU Law, you'll stay there for an additional three years.
00:40:18That is your community. That is your home. And so encourage your students to be vocal about the change that's happening.
00:40:24And so when we talk to our students, let them know that you don't just become active during the presidential cycle.
00:40:30This is a, you start on the local level, understand who's being elected on city council, who's being elected to your mayor, and know that that impact you see directly.
00:40:40Everyone's talking about who the next president will be, but you've possibly could have ignored the midterm elections, local elections.
00:40:46And that is where change is going to hit you first. The person who is the governor of your state, they have authority of how budgets are created, of how different laws are implemented into your state, how funding is pushed to these schools.
00:41:01So educate your students as they think about going to HBCUs, or if they are currently enrolled at HBCUs, that it is their voice and it is their duty to make their voices heard in the communities.
00:41:11So to be HBCU students means to be civically engaged students and vote HBCU is here to ensure that students are informed and have the resources they need.
00:41:20Scott, Theria, how about you? You talk to a lot of students.
00:41:24If you had an opportunity to communicate with their family members, or you had an opportunity to communicate with their parents, what would you say to them?
00:41:32Yes. So something that I would say to the students' parents is you have the knowledge, so preserve it and share it with the students.
00:41:41Because a lot of students are misinformed, and when they are first-time voters, it's very confusing because it's so much information.
00:41:49It's so many steps that you have to take to make sure that you're geared and ready to vote.
00:41:54So I would tell those parents, make sure that you are sharing that knowledge with your kids.
00:41:59Make sure that you are taking them to the polling stations.
00:42:02If they're not ready, if they're not able to vote, show them that you're going to vote.
00:42:07And that's why it's so important, because a lot of students look up to their parents.
00:42:11So they follow what they see. Show your kids why they need to vote and show them that their voices matter, even if it's just one vote.
00:42:19It matters and it counts.
00:42:22And Aja, what about you? What would you say to a parent or to a family member, to their son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, family member?
00:42:34For me, I would definitely say help your student make a plan to vote and not just make the plan to vote, but get to that polling place and actually vote.
00:42:48A lot of students may with like, you know, there's midterms going around right now here at FAMU.
00:42:54A lot of students may be busy with midterms. Homecoming is coming up.
00:42:59So make sure you're making a plan and you're actually going to vote.
00:43:03So parents encourage your students to actually utilize their polling precincts.
00:43:09Tavon, Skateria, and Aja, thank you so much for joining us.
00:43:14Thank you for all of the work that you're doing to mobilize young people on college campuses and specifically HBCU campuses around the country.
00:43:23And thank you for joining us tonight.
00:43:26Thank you for having us.
00:43:28You're welcome.
00:43:29And next up, we are excited to bring on some alumni from notable reality television shows.
00:43:38You have seen these folks on your television screens on Survivor, Big Brother, and The Challenge on MTV.
00:43:45But because they're on television doesn't mean that those shows encompass their entire lives, obviously.
00:43:50We're excited to hear from them about their experiences and their thoughts on reality television, but also about the reality of this election and what it means to them and their communities more broadly.
00:44:02We have Michaela Bradshaw, who is known for her appearances on CBS's Survivor and MTV's The Challenge.
00:44:11When she's not living on an island or competing in terrifying challenges, she's a project manager in Texas, helping companies communicate to customers on how they can have a more positive impact on the environment and on society.
00:44:25And we also have Derek Fraser, who is known for being the runner-up for Big Brother Season 23.
00:44:32When he's not living in a house with no contact to the outside world or coordinating on the Historic Cookout Alliance, he is the director of enrollment at National University.
00:44:43He's a Philadelphia native, and he's the son of legendary boxer Joe Fraser.
00:44:48He also strives to be a positive role model for Black, LGBTQ+, and size-inclusive communities.
00:44:55Please welcome Michaela and Derek to the town hall.
00:44:58How are you all doing?
00:45:00I'm doing great, Alfonso.
00:45:01Thanks.
00:45:02Great to meet you, and thanks for having us.
00:45:05Great to meet you.
00:45:06Derek, how are you doing?
00:45:08Oh, you're on mute.
00:45:09I'm muted.
00:45:09Thank you so much.
00:45:10I'm so glad to be here.
00:45:11Thank you for inviting us, and so excited to have this conversation with you guys.
00:45:16Oh, you're welcome.
00:45:17You're welcome.
00:45:17So we're going to get, I want to ask some key questions because I haven't had a chance to talk to you both about your television experiences, and many people know you, of course, from your TV series, whether it be Big Brother or Survivor or The Challenge.
00:45:32And so can you tell us what you remember most about appearing on those television series, and then I'll tie it into the election.
00:45:39But first, let's talk about your experiences there, and maybe we'll start with you, Michaela.
00:45:44Yeah, I'll definitely say one of the key experiences being on Survivor is just realizing that it's not all about what I want as an individual or how I perceive things or my vision.
00:46:00It's understanding what's happening around me and realizing that there's a broader context to everything.
00:46:07And my own desire is one thing, but how to make sure that anything I'm doing is able to push, basically how to make sure that anything that I want to get done can be sold or I can influence other people in the same way.
00:46:24Like, mobilizing other people is just as important as being very committed to what I want to see done.
00:46:30That's one thing that I realized is very important, you know, in Survivor, I had the opportunity to play that game back to back twice, which not many people get the chance to do.
00:46:39And that was a big thing that made the difference between me going out halfway and me getting three days from a million dollars, which is realizing that what's in other people's minds and what's on other people's agenda is important.
00:46:51And me finding a way to play into that or influence that is what can get me, you know, from halfway through the game to the end of the game is very important.
00:47:01What about you, Derek?
00:47:03What do you remember most about appearing on television?
00:47:07I'm going to kind of piggyback a little bit off of Mikayla.
00:47:11Definitely influence a lot, you know, comes into play when you're playing this game, any of these reality shows.
00:47:18And I will say just understanding how people think and how you may be perceived to them or what they're thinking is so important.
00:47:26So Mikayla kind of stole my answer a little bit and I'm going to just piggyback off of her.
00:47:34But it does play into key to where we're at now as we get into this powerful conversation of election, you know, having these conversations with other people.
00:47:43And Big Brother is the same thing.
00:47:44We've really had to base our game on conversation and relationship.
00:47:49So it depends on how you influence them and get them to do what you want them to do in order for you to get further.
00:47:56And that's just how the world is to look at our election and how it is.
00:48:00Let's get to the election.
00:48:02So Mikayla, you are currently in Texas and I want to put up on the screen.
00:48:06We have some slides for each and every speaker tonight.
00:48:10We wanted to reference where they are, where they live and what the deadlines are for this election.
00:48:18So the deadline for registration in Texas has passed.
00:48:22October 7th was the last day to register in person and was the deadline for registration by mail.
00:48:28So Texas does allow vote by mail and early voting.
00:48:33So vote by mail begins on October 25th.
00:48:36Vote by mail, I'm sorry.
00:48:38And then early voting is October 21st.
00:48:41And then, of course, election is November 5th.
00:48:45So just speaking about this election and you mentioned briefly what you learned from the series.
00:48:51Tell us a little bit about, given this election and where we are 20 plus days before the election, how your experience from appearing on television in a competitive environment applies to this specific election cycle?
00:49:07Yeah, definitely.
00:49:08I would say in my experiences, both on Survivor and the challenge, I realize every single vote matters.
00:49:17The worst thing you could do is assume that because things went well yesterday or last week or last month, that things are well today.
00:49:26Things change on a day-to-day basis and you have to be constantly making sure that the things that you stand for and the things that you want to happen, that you're actively moving the needle towards them.
00:49:39So in terms of voting, that means you yourself making a plan to get to the polls and early, not on election day, right?
00:49:49You can vote anywhere when you do early voting.
00:49:52You have to vote at your designated election location on election day, right?
00:49:56That might mean lines.
00:49:58That might mean traffic.
00:49:59That might mean a lot of extra things that you don't want to have to deal with.
00:50:02So just ensuring that you don't get comfortable is the important thing and saying, hey, number one, I need to take care of myself.
00:50:10And the next thing, I need to take care of my alliance, right?
00:50:12What is the broader goal of the people I need to try to activate, mobilize, influence to take action?
00:50:19And those are the things we need to keep top of mind when we think about this election season.
00:50:24And Derek, you are currently, I believe, you're from Philadelphia.
00:50:28So we'll look at the slide from Pennsylvania.
00:50:31So for folks who are in Pennsylvania, which is a swing state, Monday, October 21st, which is in a few days,
00:50:39is the deadline for voter registration in person or online, and as well as the deadline for registration by mail.
00:50:47Pennsylvania provides the ability to vote by mail as well as early voting.
00:50:51So the deadline for voting by mail is the deadline for requesting a ballot, I'm sorry, is October 29th.
00:50:59And then early voting began on September 16th.
00:51:04So folks can already vote early in Pennsylvania, which is a swing state again.
00:51:10Derek, going back to you and your experiences on reality television and how this actually applies to this election,
00:51:18can you connect the dots for us and what you learned on television and how this applies to the election for you?
00:51:26I will say this.
00:51:28The one thing that's very important when it comes to this election is that, like you said, the main thing you said was swing.
00:51:36It is a swing state.
00:51:38So just like when you're doing these competition shows, you have to keep having these conversations with these players.
00:51:44You have to keep reassuring that, hey, you're voting my way, right?
00:51:47We're going this way.
00:51:49Those things are so important because sometimes you might think, OK, it's all good.
00:51:54I don't have to have a conversation with so-and-so.
00:51:56So they're all good.
00:51:58They're going to vote the way that everybody else is going to vote.
00:52:00No, it doesn't work that way.
00:52:02And if you think about this election, take Pennsylvania, for example, it's a swing state.
00:52:06You have to keep having conversations with the people around you, the people that are in your community,
00:52:12the people that you care about.
00:52:14And it's important to vote.
00:52:15No matter who you're voting for, it's important to vote.
00:52:18So that's why when you do these competition shows, it plays into key of making sure you have conversations.
00:52:25I know I didn't have a conversation with a person and come to find out that person voted against me.
00:52:31And I had to have that awkward conversation of, oh, you voted against me.
00:52:35And I'm still here, but you voted against me.
00:52:37And that's why you have to make sure when it's unsure-like, have these conversations.
00:52:43Get yourself registered.
00:52:45Get yourself, if you're going to vote early, vote early.
00:52:48Why not?
00:52:48Get it done.
00:52:49You know, these things are important.
00:52:51You know, the things that play into key, just like we were talking about, Michaela was talking about,
00:52:56sometimes there could be lines.
00:52:57There could be issues.
00:52:58There could be, you know, traffic.
00:53:01So much.
00:53:01So it's like, if you can get it done, get it done.
00:53:04Now, let's talk a little bit.
00:53:05You both referenced this.
00:53:07And I want to really tease out what you're hearing from your colleagues, what you're hearing from your friends.
00:53:13Michaela, talk to me a little bit about what your friends and your colleagues are raising with you about this election.
00:53:22Yeah, you know, honestly, I hear that a lot of people are just tired.
00:53:26There's so many things happening.
00:53:28People are feeling apathetic.
00:53:30People are feeling like they're choosing between options that maybe wouldn't be their preference to begin with.
00:53:40And, you know, I feel like I can speak for a lot of millennials who are in this 30-ish space.
00:53:47And there's such a temptation just to worry about me and my house at this point.
00:53:51And while I do believe that, you know, the local elections are where we feel the deepest impact and we really need to be engaged and we're willing to galvanize around that, at the end of the day, when we think about the head of this country, that's what represents us on a global scale.
00:54:09And that's what will set the trajectory of the things we'll experience as a whole over the next four years or so, right?
00:54:17So really, it's a big push to get people out of this space of being overwhelmed, tired, stretched in, focused on their own pocket and focus on their own, you know, box of the world.
00:54:30And just recognize that this is a time where we need to engage, to be active and, you know, major in the majors.
00:54:38And so that's really the thing right now.
00:54:40It's just getting people to, regardless of what they want to choose from versus what they have on the table right now, just knowing that this is an important decision and letting this be a springboard to say,
00:54:51hey, if you don't like your options today, think about what you do to make sure you have options you want in 2028 and how to start that process right now.
00:55:01So, Michaela, what are you, how are you convincing your friends or engaging with your friends on not thinking about these issues myopically?
00:55:08Because I think that's absolutely right.
00:55:10We're moving closer and closer to an environment where people are only seeing the election through a certain lens.
00:55:16So maybe it's only on an issue or maybe about an individual.
00:55:22How are you having those conversations?
00:55:24And I assume those conversations may be difficult.
00:55:27Yeah, I would say, I would say slowly but surely, you know, it's figuring out what's important to each individual person.
00:55:36And again, I find, I find value in talking about it at the community level and saying, all right, well,
00:55:42what do we need to do on the local level so that we can make a bigger, a bigger impact broadly, right?
00:55:48Because I feel like the challenge is sometimes people feel like, you know, this thing is so, so out of my, that I, my vote doesn't make a difference.
00:55:58That person doesn't know me, won't do anything for me.
00:56:00And so sometimes just drawing the attention back to, okay, what is important for you today?
00:56:06And who is the person that actually can make those decisions?
00:56:08Did you, were you engaged in that election process?
00:56:11Right?
00:56:11And if not, let's change that.
00:56:13But this is the one you have today, right?
00:56:16So let's start that trend there.
00:56:18So it's just, it's just finding that one thing that matters and encouraging people to take the action that's available to them right now.
00:56:25We can't control the things that we cannot control, but we should take action on the things that are in our, are in our realm of control.
00:56:32So I think that's, that, that's my main option right now.
00:56:36Some encouragement, positivity, and push to action.
00:56:39Derek, how about you?
00:56:41As you talk to your friends and your colleagues, what are the issues that they're raising most often?
00:56:47You mentioned earlier that you want to have these conversations now, because you may find out later that someone is voting against your individual
00:56:55interests, how do you get to that place where you're shifting it from the individual to the community within your circles?
00:57:02And then more specifically, what are the issues that people are raising with you?
00:57:07Yeah.
00:57:07I really, I really want to tackle this from a point of having conversations, you know, as you mentioned before, and I said, you know, I have made sure in my circle, my people, my family, my friends, everyone around,
00:57:19we're having conversations about what's happening, what's best for myself, but also what's best for you.
00:57:27And hopefully if we're all on the same page, great, but there are going to be times just like big brother, people are not going to be on the same page with you.
00:57:35And you just have to have those open conversations.
00:57:39I will say this, I'm going to take an example, you know, and I'm not throwing anyone's business out there.
00:57:44I had a conversation with a gentleman who I really was like, like really close with.
00:57:52And, you know, when we had a conversation and I found that he was the opposite of me, it kind of took me back.
00:57:58And I was like, whoa, what's going on here?
00:58:00I wasn't expecting this from you.
00:58:02And we had a very adult conversation, but I had to also kind of, if you're my friend, I just wanted you to understand, number one, I'm a black man.
00:58:12Number two, I'm a gay man.
00:58:15Number two, number three, I grew up in a single parent home.
00:58:19There's a lot that comes with it.
00:58:20And when we had this conversation, just like big brother, I just wanted him, I'm not trying to say what I want you to do, but I also just want you to understand where you're voting is really against me as a person.
00:58:34And I had to help him understand that.
00:58:37And this is all about conversation, just like a big brother, you have to sit there and have conversations with people.
00:58:42And these competition shows in general, you have to have these uncomfortable conversations in order for people to understand awareness.
00:58:49But even if that person is not going the way that I want to go or people around me want to go, I want them to still understand.
00:58:57You still have a voice in what's important, and this is important for the future.
00:59:03So just having conversations is the most important thing, but they are going to get uncomfortable.
00:59:08And we have these conversations sometimes with people, we might have just stabbed them in the back.
00:59:14Just stabbed them in the back and they're back and you're like, hey, you're here.
00:59:18But I need you still.
00:59:19I still need you, but listen, this is what happened.
00:59:22We together.
00:59:23And the same thing is going to happen with this election.
00:59:27Somebody is going to lose.
00:59:28Somebody is going to win.
00:59:29But at the end of the day, we have to understand that us as America have to work together.
00:59:36And this divide that we're having, it's just getting bigger and bigger every year.
00:59:40And we need to come to a place where we can work together.
00:59:43Because no matter who's sitting in that seat, we still have more opportunities.
00:59:49We have Congress.
00:59:49We have local.
00:59:50We have other things that we can control that can at least help some of us.
00:59:55So just don't think about the big person, the head honcho.
01:00:01Also think about the people around you, the people in local.
01:00:05Yeah.
01:00:05And the people that actually cast the vote for the president, which is not us as Americans.
01:00:09What has surprised you the most in having these conversations with friends and colleagues?
01:00:15We've heard things like, you know, reproductive justice and the cost of food, housing, certainly,
01:00:21gun violence prevention.
01:00:24We've heard some of those issues have been, based on polling, to be some of the top concerns
01:00:30among Black people here in the United States.
01:00:32We've also here, I've heard about increasing political attacks against inclusion and diversity
01:00:37and economic opportunity.
01:00:38What has surprised you the most in these conversations with colleagues and friends where you've seen
01:00:45a disconnect?
01:00:48I can say as someone who works in the program management space in corporate America, there's
01:00:56a DEI component to what I do.
01:00:58How many general Americans just do not realize that this country has been established formally
01:01:08since, what, 1776?
01:01:10So we've had about a little less than 250 years as a country.
01:01:15We had slavery for a chunk of that time, like 100 years of that time.
01:01:22So, you know, we've only had about 150 years of saying Black people are actually humans.
01:01:29You know, Black people are not cattle or property or something like that.
01:01:32People with melanin are actually human beings.
01:01:36And then beyond the point of being human beings, we've only had about 60 years since the Civil
01:01:42Rights Act of saying, you know what?
01:01:43Black people are not only human beings, but deserve to have equal protection under the
01:01:48law and equal rights under the law.
01:01:50And there are people right now leading departments, leading initiative companies that are 60 years
01:01:58or under.
01:01:58And they have no idea that in just their lifespan, rights for Black people are just that new,
01:02:08right, in this country.
01:02:09So that's the scary thing to me about this attack on DEI and those type of initiatives.
01:02:17It was only when the federal government started creating these types of laws, regulations, checks
01:02:24and balances to say, you know what?
01:02:25We have to treat people as equal.
01:02:28That was the only, that was the catalyst to us having opportunities, right?
01:02:36So now that there's this repeal on things, the fact that people don't understand that
01:02:41we're going back to a place where things weren't equal, where there was an opportunity for all,
01:02:49right, where the Constitution did not apply to every American, right?
01:02:55That's the scary part.
01:02:56And the fact that just people are not educated to speak about these things and don't feel
01:03:00confident speaking about these things.
01:03:03You know, there's DEI departments, but the people inside them can't take a stand and say,
01:03:07this is why we do this.
01:03:08This is why this is important.
01:03:10It's gone to this.
01:03:11It feels good.
01:03:12And we should.
01:03:12And it's like, no, there's a business value to this.
01:03:16And there's a true value to this beyond how you personally think and feel, right?
01:03:20Like, that's the interesting thing, but also that's the exciting thing for me is to be able
01:03:26to say, hey, I can educate myself and I can be the person in those rooms and I can be the
01:03:31one to start those conversations.
01:03:32And I can also be compassionate and intentional and leverage my relationships with people so
01:03:40that that conversation is not harsh or, you know, pushy or abrasive.
01:03:44But it's one that really comes from my heart as a person.
01:03:48And so that other person who thought that DEI stood for, what did they say, doesn't, didn't
01:03:54earn it, right?
01:03:56The folks that think that that's the acronym for DEI, we can talk about that and how do
01:04:01we get here and how unfortunate it is that they think that way and what can we do moving
01:04:07forward, right?
01:04:08So that's an interesting thing to me.
01:04:11But anyway, I could talk about that all day.
01:04:13Derek?
01:04:13No, Michaela, you know, I also want to piggyback off what you said.
01:04:16Don't forget about women couldn't vote too.
01:04:18So don't forget.
01:04:18I know, right?
01:04:19So that's another part of, you know, where we're at with these hundred years of us getting
01:04:24into this.
01:04:25You know, it is very interesting to see where we're at, but I do agree with Michaela.
01:04:31I know I talked about friends and family business-wise, you know, luckily, the place I work, I will
01:04:37say, I feel like it is very, we're all on the same page, if that makes sense.
01:04:41And luckily, you know, when we do have those conversations, it's never, I've never had to
01:04:49deal with the awkward part of being on opposite ends and things like that.
01:04:54Now, when I used to work as a director at a military school, that was completely different.
01:04:59I was definitely kind of on my own island, but I still made sure to have those conversations
01:05:04because it's important to understand what somebody else is thinking and what their reason
01:05:09is.
01:05:10Because even when you take all these competition shows into play, we also have to understand
01:05:15what is, what are you thinking?
01:05:16Where are you going?
01:05:17And what, why are you doing this?
01:05:19So you can understand and then see how you can come to a common ground, or guess what?
01:05:25You might not ever come to a common ground and that's okay.
01:05:28But when it comes to the world of politics and where we're at, like, like Michaela was
01:05:33saying, we're getting back to the point of, we're, we're going backwards.
01:05:39We're definitely heading in the backwards way.
01:05:42And then nobody is seeing it.
01:05:44And I know we get distracted by social media and all these other things and all these crazy
01:05:48things, but this is important because for me, I don't know what it is, but with this
01:05:54election alone, this really feels like if we're going to make it or we're going to, we're
01:06:00going to break, we're going to fully break if we don't, if we don't get this together.
01:06:04And that's the scary part that we live in.
01:06:06That's why it's important to vote.
01:06:08I know some people sit there and think, oh, I ain't got to worry about it.
01:06:11Hey, you know, there's enough people or I'll get it next time.
01:06:15Or, you know, no, every vote counts and we have to do it.
01:06:20Derek, why do you, why do you say that you think that it's either make or break for this
01:06:24election?
01:06:25Because we, you know, the pundits sometimes say that for every election, why for you,
01:06:30do you feel that this election is a make or break?
01:06:32I, I would say this, um, you know, being an African-American, um, you know, male, being
01:06:40a, uh, gay male at that, um, a lot of the policies, and I will say this on the side that
01:06:49is on the other side are not for me.
01:06:52And there's a lot of us.
01:06:54And, um, you know, I grew up in a single parent home.
01:06:58I grew up in, you know, trying to find out where my next meal's coming sometimes.
01:07:04Also trying to find out exactly, um, what's, you know, where, where's, where's, um, our
01:07:11next roof going to be sometimes that happens.
01:07:15And I believe in always helping one of the other, you know, helping one of each other.
01:07:19Another thing is that if you think about women's right, we're talking about telling women what
01:07:24to do with their bodies.
01:07:25Like that stuff is crazy to me.
01:07:28We're going backwards.
01:07:29So it's like, I can't imagine if we put somebody into play and I'm going to speak freely, a
01:07:36criminal into play.
01:07:38Okay.
01:07:39We're putting a criminal into play plus everything else and expect everything to be hunky
01:07:45dory and everything's going to be okay.
01:07:46I don't see that happening.
01:07:48I see chaos.
01:07:50I see a lot of people like me that look like me that come from the same community of me,
01:07:55women like Michaela and the rest of them.
01:07:57I see them also having issues and problems.
01:08:00It's, it doesn't, it just doesn't feel right.
01:08:02Usually some elections it's like, okay, it happened.
01:08:05It's okay.
01:08:06We'll take the loss.
01:08:07We'll try to get through this.
01:08:08But for some reason, this one feels like make it or break it because we saw what happened
01:08:13before.
01:08:14That's what makes no sense to me.
01:08:16We saw it happened before.
01:08:17And then us as America, what the issue is and the problem that I also see if this, if
01:08:25this man's able to be a criminal gay and run for president at this point, basically everybody
01:08:30who's a criminal in the prison can run for any type of position they want at this point.
01:08:35And I feel like there should be rules and regulations.
01:08:38And then we, I feel like also when it comes to the court system, we twist and bend rules
01:08:43and make things certain way.
01:08:44Like, it's just, it's, it's not good.
01:08:47We need to really clean it up because right now us as America, everybody in the world is
01:08:54laughing at us.
01:08:55And they think, I know me and Kayla played on a reality show, but they think America is
01:09:00a reality show.
01:09:02Okay.
01:09:02They think it's a reality show and they're laughing at us.
01:09:05And we're over here like, uh, we're not a reality show.
01:09:08This is our real life.
01:09:09But the way everything's going, it seems that way.
01:09:12Kayla, what about you?
01:09:13Um, what are your sentiments on this year's election and what does this mean for you personally?
01:09:20Yeah, I, I think the, the quote, you know, united, we stand divided with ball comes into
01:09:26play a lot when you have a campaign that pushes division and separation and distinction between
01:09:38this group and that group constantly, I think it is, um, it doesn't bode well for the majority,
01:09:47right?
01:09:47And the majority is the American people, any way you split it.
01:09:51Um, so, you know, again, like I said, we've seen one of our candidates come into power and
01:10:01we've seen the chaos of them exiting power, right?
01:10:06We've heard comments of, you know, if I'm in there, you won't have to worry about reelecting
01:10:12me again.
01:10:13We, we, we hear a lot of things that are not in alignment with democracy and peaceful transitions
01:10:21of power.
01:10:22Um, and we've also seen a lot of bad behaviors being condoned, um, being swept under the rug,
01:10:31being turned a blind eye to.
01:10:33Um, and so, so if, if for nothing else at this point, it's like, we want to go the way
01:10:41of peace, if nothing else, we want to go the way of peace.
01:10:47And then we want to say, okay, again, if we don't like the options that we see today, what
01:10:53do we need to do starting at the local level to create some accountability, to get the right
01:10:59people in the pipeline for, for the head of this country, for the future.
01:11:04Um, but, but as for now, we want to make sure that the person who ends up in that position
01:11:09of guiding this country, while they're not going to be making the laws per se, right?
01:11:14But they will be represented in the United States, that local front, and they will have
01:11:18the power of veto and signing things into law, right?
01:11:21We want to make sure that that person is not, um, setting us back and repealing the things
01:11:29that have, that, that due process has already put forward, um, for, for this country.
01:11:34So that, that, that's what I would say, why this is such a big deal.
01:11:38It's the opportunity to have the opportunity to change things for the future versus going
01:11:44back to something that we know, um, was chaotic and was, was not, uh, peaceful for the majority
01:11:52of Americans.
01:11:53So in addition to talking about voting and its importance, uh, tonight, we are talking about
01:12:00early voting specifically.
01:12:01So, uh, I would like for you both to, to leave us with your message, um, that you want
01:12:07to share to all of the voters out there who are considering whether or not to vote and more
01:12:13importantly, or just as important, whether or not to vote early.
01:12:16Um, can you, and maybe we'll start with you, Derek, to talk, what is your message to the folks
01:12:22out there about why they should vote early and how are you going to encourage them and your
01:12:28friends to vote early as well?
01:12:30Yeah.
01:12:30Um, I would leave, I would leave it with this.
01:12:34It is so important to vote.
01:12:36Um, if you have the means to vote early, vote early.
01:12:40So you don't have to worry about waiting in the line, maybe a longer line, dealing with
01:12:45traffic.
01:12:46You never know what can happen.
01:12:48Something can happen and you can be like, I can't make it at least get it done.
01:12:52So it's done.
01:12:53And this also will allow us to know where we're at.
01:12:56Okay.
01:12:57And what we need to do to whatever side you want to win.
01:13:00Okay.
01:13:01Another thing I will say voting, even if you vote early, you vote later, your vote matters.
01:13:07Okay.
01:13:08Okay.
01:13:08The one thing I will learn and Michaela will agree with this on survivor, you don't want
01:13:12to lose your vote because it matters.
01:13:14Okay.
01:13:15Um, but it is important because even if you're someone who's like, I'm good.
01:13:21Um, cause you know, a lot of us now in America, we just, we just push things off.
01:13:25You know, that's why we, you know, just like Michaela said, it's important to get the people
01:13:29in the local.
01:13:29If we don't want these candidates, we got to get more people up there to run or have more
01:13:34changes so we can get more people for options.
01:13:37But it is important to vote because think about, if you're not thinking about yourself, think
01:13:42about someone that, you know, someone you care about a mother, a father, a son, a best
01:13:47friend, a cousin, anybody think about them.
01:13:50And why it's important to vote, whatever your reasons are, make sure you vote.
01:13:57Michaela, you have the last word.
01:13:59Yeah.
01:14:00And I will say, if you're thinking about why it is important for you to vote, I want you
01:14:05to just go to YouTube and type in Fannie Lou Hamer, Democratic Convention 1964, and listen
01:14:14to the most dramatic four minutes of your life, of the experience that someone went through
01:14:23in 1964 just because she chose to vote.
01:14:30That's your reason why you need to do it.
01:14:33Because that was the experience that Black people in this country for many years to give
01:14:39you this opportunity.
01:14:41So that's your why.
01:14:42And then your what and your how, that's where the early voting piece comes in.
01:14:47We're busy.
01:14:48We have families.
01:14:49I don't have kids.
01:14:50But some of y'all have kids, right?
01:14:52Most of us have jobs.
01:14:53I have one.
01:14:54We've got bills to pay.
01:14:55We've got things to do.
01:14:57So many things are going to take place on election day.
01:15:00You don't want to stress yourself, right?
01:15:01I'll tell you, being in Texas and in Dallas, sometimes they make it so hard to figure out
01:15:06who all is on the ballot, what all we have access to vote for.
01:15:09So go ahead and walk in there, look at the ballot, walk away, and do your research.
01:15:14And then go back in when you're ready and make your intentional selections.
01:15:19So your why is Fannie Lou Hamer, period, point blank, right?
01:15:22And if you listen to her story, you'll feel very compelled.
01:15:26And then early voting is just going to make sense.
01:15:28It's going to give you the chance to establish a ballot, go anywhere that's convenient for
01:15:33you, regardless of where your voting location is, and then get it done so you don't have
01:15:37to rush on actual election day.
01:15:41Michaela, thank you.
01:15:43Derek, thank you for spending some time with us tonight.
01:15:46Thank you for your words.
01:15:50To all of our speakers, thank you so much for joining us this evening.
01:15:55We hope that for all of you who've been watching, you have more information.
01:16:00We hope that you have registered to vote.
01:16:02There are some states where you can still register to vote, and we hope that you vote.
01:16:06We say this every week, and we think it's worth saying.
01:16:09You just heard the reference to Fannie Lou Hamer.
01:16:12If you have not seen the YouTube video, you should watch it.
01:16:15Our right to vote is sacred, and our ancestors died for our right to exercise this right to vote.
01:16:21And I often say that if you don't exercise your right to vote, someone else is going to
01:16:26be voting away your interests.
01:16:28So we hope that this series continues to serve as a meaningful resource for all of you.
01:16:33I want to once again thank the Sundial Group of Companies, and that includes Essence and
01:16:37the Global Black Economic Forum, Girls United, Afropunk, Refinery29, BeautyCon, and the New
01:16:44Voices Foundation for continuing to support this town hall.
01:16:48This is the sixth of eight town halls that we are going to be hosting.
01:16:53We will have another town hall next week that will be focused on election protection.
01:16:58What we mean by that is when you show up at the ballot box and you face obstacles, what
01:17:02do you do?
01:17:04Please tune in next week, and we're going to have some experts who will walk us through
01:17:08all of the resources that are available.
01:17:11And in the interim, please visit paintthepolls.com.
01:17:14Please visit Essence, the Global Black Economic Forum.
01:17:17We have a lot of information that's available for you.
01:17:19Go to vote.org as well if you have not registered to vote.
01:17:23Thank you again for joining us.
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