Dear Joint Center Journal:
The reception for Sen. Barack Obama Tuesday (Jan. 22) at S.C. State University (in Orangeburg, S.C.) was filled with excitement, hope, and inspiration. It was evident that young people are committed to his vision for change; many of them waited in the rain, just barely gaining entry into the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. To see my peers standing in line for something other than a party, refund checks, or a concert shows that someone has “the audacity to hope.” This event only highlights the excitement that students have for Mr. Obama versus the other Democratic candidates. The inspiring message that he has to offer -- along with the celebrity surrogates -- brings something fresh and new. I served as the coordinator for “The Justice Speak Out” sponsored by Black Youth Vote, a project sponsored by the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. This was my first major test as an organizer. Working on a tight time schedule, I collaborated with the “movers and shakers” on my campus including the Student Government Association, (SGA), the NAACP and the Pan-Hellenic Council presidents. We also connected with SGAs at other, neighboring HBCU’s including at: Claflin University (in Orangeburg, S.C.) and Voorhees College (in Denmark, S.C.).We canvassed the campus, knocked on doors, did e-mail blasts, posted flyers, used Facebook and made announcements in various classes. In spite of the rain and a last- minute change in location, the turnout for the event was wonderful. More than 150 college students from various schools in South Carolina were represented, as well as a group of students from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Even some the members NCBCP drove from Atlanta.
All who were in attendance were empowered by the words of S.C. Rep. Bakari Sellers, BYV! Co-Chair Chancee Lundy and BET’s Jeff Johnson. Students left feeling empowered and excited about making a difference by having their votes count in the upcoming primaries.Right now, we are in the process of making contact with those in attendance to make sure they go out and vote on Saturday; we are using the information on their pledge cards to reach them. These cards were signed by each person in attendance as a pledge to go out and vote and to make their votes count. Students are approaching this presidential campaign with a different perspective since South Carolina is a key early primary state. There is universal understanding that South Carolina has the power to influence the nomination for either party because of the diversity of South Carolina, with half of the voters being African-American. I believe that the political atmosphere can be sensed on our campus, so many students have no choice but to give some thought to becoming politically engaged due to the many stops made by various presidential campaigns. Even if they aren’t talking about it everyday, there is at least some knowledge on the importance of this upcoming election.
There are some students who volunteer with the local campaign offices; many of them are a short walk from the campus. I think the candidacy for Sen. Obama has inspired a lot of young voters not only because he is African American but also because he brings that same youthful passion that young people felt during the time of John F. Kennedy and when they heard the masterful rhetoric that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used while moving our people towards freedom.Sen. Obama so far has had the best presence on this campus. One of his regional campaign offices is located across the street. His wife has been to our campus and Mr. Obama has visited our campus twice, along with many of his notable surrogates. The other candidates haven’t visited campus except for their participation during the 2007 Democratic Presidential Debate sponsored by NBC. Sen. John McCain has been the only Republican candidate to visit our campus, with little excitement from the students.Political activity on campus is taking a different direction because we are the largest HBCU in the state as well as the only HBCU that is a public institution. A lot of attention is placed upon our school by those who are seriously courting the black youth vote. I think that students finally understand the importance of being politically engaged and the level of political activity is improving. A lot of students from S.C. State participated in the “King Day at the Dome” rally (on Jan. 21).
Despite the extreme cold, many of our fraternities and sororities turned out in large numbers to celebrate the dream while continuing the fight to remove a symbol of hate and bigotry off the grounds of our State Capitol. Few students attended the (Democrats’) debate (in Myrtle Beach, S.C.) because of the distance as well as inability to gain entry into the event because of not having a ticket. While those who volunteered with various campaigns were in the area, many students watched the debates in their rooms
The reception for Sen. Barack Obama Tuesday (Jan. 22) at S.C. State University (in Orangeburg, S.C.) was filled with excitement, hope, and inspiration. It was evident that young people are committed to his vision for change; many of them waited in the rain, just barely gaining entry into the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. To see my peers standing in line for something other than a party, refund checks, or a concert shows that someone has “the audacity to hope.” This event only highlights the excitement that students have for Mr. Obama versus the other Democratic candidates. The inspiring message that he has to offer -- along with the celebrity surrogates -- brings something fresh and new. I served as the coordinator for “The Justice Speak Out” sponsored by Black Youth Vote, a project sponsored by the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. This was my first major test as an organizer. Working on a tight time schedule, I collaborated with the “movers and shakers” on my campus including the Student Government Association, (SGA), the NAACP and the Pan-Hellenic Council presidents. We also connected with SGAs at other, neighboring HBCU’s including at: Claflin University (in Orangeburg, S.C.) and Voorhees College (in Denmark, S.C.).We canvassed the campus, knocked on doors, did e-mail blasts, posted flyers, used Facebook and made announcements in various classes. In spite of the rain and a last- minute change in location, the turnout for the event was wonderful. More than 150 college students from various schools in South Carolina were represented, as well as a group of students from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Even some the members NCBCP drove from Atlanta.
All who were in attendance were empowered by the words of S.C. Rep. Bakari Sellers, BYV! Co-Chair Chancee Lundy and BET’s Jeff Johnson. Students left feeling empowered and excited about making a difference by having their votes count in the upcoming primaries.Right now, we are in the process of making contact with those in attendance to make sure they go out and vote on Saturday; we are using the information on their pledge cards to reach them. These cards were signed by each person in attendance as a pledge to go out and vote and to make their votes count. Students are approaching this presidential campaign with a different perspective since South Carolina is a key early primary state. There is universal understanding that South Carolina has the power to influence the nomination for either party because of the diversity of South Carolina, with half of the voters being African-American. I believe that the political atmosphere can be sensed on our campus, so many students have no choice but to give some thought to becoming politically engaged due to the many stops made by various presidential campaigns. Even if they aren’t talking about it everyday, there is at least some knowledge on the importance of this upcoming election.
There are some students who volunteer with the local campaign offices; many of them are a short walk from the campus. I think the candidacy for Sen. Obama has inspired a lot of young voters not only because he is African American but also because he brings that same youthful passion that young people felt during the time of John F. Kennedy and when they heard the masterful rhetoric that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used while moving our people towards freedom.Sen. Obama so far has had the best presence on this campus. One of his regional campaign offices is located across the street. His wife has been to our campus and Mr. Obama has visited our campus twice, along with many of his notable surrogates. The other candidates haven’t visited campus except for their participation during the 2007 Democratic Presidential Debate sponsored by NBC. Sen. John McCain has been the only Republican candidate to visit our campus, with little excitement from the students.Political activity on campus is taking a different direction because we are the largest HBCU in the state as well as the only HBCU that is a public institution. A lot of attention is placed upon our school by those who are seriously courting the black youth vote. I think that students finally understand the importance of being politically engaged and the level of political activity is improving. A lot of students from S.C. State participated in the “King Day at the Dome” rally (on Jan. 21).
Despite the extreme cold, many of our fraternities and sororities turned out in large numbers to celebrate the dream while continuing the fight to remove a symbol of hate and bigotry off the grounds of our State Capitol. Few students attended the (Democrats’) debate (in Myrtle Beach, S.C.) because of the distance as well as inability to gain entry into the event because of not having a ticket. While those who volunteered with various campaigns were in the area, many students watched the debates in their rooms
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