To Be Equal: A message to my fellow Black men on voting

Getty Images Stock Photo (TriceEdneyWire.com)—“The history of the United States is a story about the disenfranchisement of millions based on their Blackness. More than a hundred years of violent voter suppression, poll taxes, literacy tests, and gerrymandering have created a climate that is nothing shy of hostile towards Black men that choose to stand up and be a part of the electoral process.”—The Black Male Voter Project In a presidential campaign that has been overwhelmingly centered on the issues of women’s reproductive rights, immigration, and taxation of the ultra-wealthy, it would be understandable if we—especially the younger ones among us—didn’t feel the same sense of urgency about voting as other groups. Former President Barack Obama last week drew criticism for pointing out, “we have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running.” & But& a poll released this week& backed him up: only 64 percent of Black voters and 49 percent of voters under 34 are enthusiastic about the election. Compare that with 93 percent of Black voters and 83 percent of young voters who said they were enthusiastic when Obama first ran...