Police called on local black fraternity while trying to help community with absentee voter inform…

ORGANIZERS WHO SAY RACE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. DO YOU BELIEVE BELIEVE THE POLICE WERE CALLED ON YOU GUYS? AS YOU WERE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN, THEY HAVE SOME TO DO IT AS WELL RAY ANDERSON DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION FOR THE MUSAI LAMBDA CHAPTER OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY SAYS HE AND SEVERAL

OF THE FRATERNITY BROTHERS WERE IN HUEYTOWN HELPING FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THEIR ABSENTEE VOTER BALLOT INFORMATION. WE WANT TO COME BAT VOTER SUPPRESSION VOTER. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TO VOTER RIGHTS ARE HEARD AND ALSO THE COMMUNITY IS EDUCATED AND INFORMED ON VOTING.

HE SAYS WHILE HELPING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THE POLICE SHOWED UP. I THOUGHT IT ONE TIME THAT THE WERE TRYING TO THREATEN AND START WITH DOING ANDERSON SAYS HE IMMEDIATELY TOOK OUT HIS PHONE AND WAS SHOCKED AT WHAT POLICE TOLD THEM. OH, YEAH.

HE SAID SOMEONE CALLED THE POLICE AND TOLD THEM THEY WERE UNLAWFULLY ALLOWING PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE VIDEO PROVIDED TO US BY THE ORGANIZATION. YOU CAN SEE THEM SHOWING OFFICERS PERMITS TO BE THERE. IRRITATED IRRITATED TO THE POINT THAT OUR PROCESS GOT STOPPED FOR A SMALL SECOND.

ANDERSON SAYS HE LEAVES IF THE GROUP DIDN’T KNOW THEIR RIGHTS, THEY COULD HAVE EASILY LEFT AFTER THE POLICE CAME MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR OTHERS WANTING TO REGISTER TO VOTE.

WE MAKE SURE THA ALL OF OUR MEMBERS KNOW THEIR RIGHTS THEN WE ARE ALL OPEN TO MENTOR YOUNG PEOPLE AS WELL KNOWING THEIR RIGHTS SO THEY CAN BE OPEN TO SPEAK ABOUT ADVOCACY AS WELL.

HE SAYS THEY SUCCESSFULLY HELPED SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOT INFORMATION AND WILL CONTINUE TO HELP OTHERS BE PREPARED

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