This Time, It Would Be Shame On Us

BY LOUIE OVERSTREET

I last shared parts of this column back in October 2016. As things turned out, they fooled us — and it was shame on them. If it happens again in November 2018, it will be shame on us.

We have got to plan our work — and work our plan — of five things to do.

Preamble: The plan has a fundamental A, B, and C purpose: A) to preserve and protect the constitutionally guaranteed right of all citizens to cast votes in special, primary, and general elections free of all efforts that in any way result in the suppression of this right; B) to reverse in one election- cycle the historically lowest voter participation percentage since 1942; and C) to restore the direct link of faith to the legacy of the struggle of persons of goodwill who were willing to risk everything, during the middle decades of the 20th century, to have our nation live up to the precepts embodied in some of the most beautiful words ever written.

• Pastors of black churches big and small should provide the means for obtaining voting rolls from the last election from your local Board of Elections — and match the rolls with their membership rolls to determine who needs to be registered and along with those who did vote in the last election.

• Conduct voter registration drives on historically black college and university campuses. Presently over a third of a million students attend HBCUs.

• Conduct voter registration drives in senior health care, assisted living facilities, and Department of Motor Vehicles locations.

• Ask the owners of popular venues to ask for voter cards as a condition of entry. On weekends, arrange for voter registration on site.

• Build coalitions with groups who have similar missions to those herein listed.

November 6, 2018 will prove to be as consequential as November 8, 2016 turned out to be. Don’t let it be “shame on us” this time!