Our true colors purple and gold um good morning everyone we are excited and delighted to welcome you to the National Coalition of the black civic participation to Benedict col uh for the power of the ballot uh national campaign campaign tours to get out and vote campaign tour today we have the
Privilege of hosting the incredible campaign Tour on our campus it is a true vote for of confidence for our young Benedict College Scholars our college educated voters here on our campus Benedict College Scholars I want you to know that your voice matters the fact that the power of the ballot tour has
Chosen our campus as a stop on the national tour is a testament that the importance of the engagement and the power of your Collective vote I want to take the moment to express my Heartford gratitude to Melanie Campbell president and CEO of the National Coalition of black civic
Participation for her leadership and her dedication to empowering black communities having Civic engagement Melanie thank you for entrusting Benedict College which are incredible opportunity I would also like to thank CIA Brown for a I’m sorry CIA Brown of the A Philip Rand Institute and Trudy Lucas of the National Action Network in
South Carolina thank you so much your organization plays a vital role in advocating for the social justice and equal rights and we are honored to have your support in this campaign at Benedict College we believe in the power of Education the transform the transformative impact and that it can
Have on the individual and its communities the power of the ballot campaign aligns perfectly with our mission empowering students and equip them with the tools they need to become active and informed citizens I encourage every Benedict College student and Scholar to take full advantage of this incredible opportunity if you aren’t
Registered vote cast your vote and engage in meaningful conversations with the leaders and activists who are in the room today as we embark on the journey let us remember the importance of unity in collaboration let us use the power of the ballot to shape our future to
Dismantle barriers and create a social a so I’m sorry a society that values and respects the voices of indiv every individual thank you once again to the National Coalition of black civic participation in the A Philip Randolph institution and the National Action Network for joining us here today
Together let’s make a difference and show the world the power of the young black vote thank you and welcome to there [Applause] college thank you to Jacob uh for those of you who know me you know generally I don’t shy away from the Mike uh Mr our vice president of student
Affairs was nice enough to stand in for me today students I sound a little funny I just got out of the denti chair having oral surgery but I’m here looking like the Joker because it matters because your vote matters because I’m so happy to welcome my friend Melanie Campbell to
This campus who has been a warrior in the struggle to ensure voter rights across this country for years not just this year not not just last year but for years has demonstrated her commitment not only to the power of the boote but to black people in this country and I
Want you to honor her with a round of applause right now please I also want to acknowledge Mas uh the incomparable Miss jota EDI who’s here with us today she is a South Carolina native I graduate at school down the street but we love her just the
Same and to acknowledge that the power of the ballot is yours the power of the ballot is yours now I’m not in uniform yet CU of course I just got here but secondly because it’s going red today um let’s think um let’s raise our voices to ensure healthy futures for black people
We know that heart health is important we have felt it here on this campus let may I have just a moment of silence we lost a student to a cardiac event two weeks ago so can we have just a moment of Silence to honor him please thank you I appreciate each of
You heart health please healthy choices healthy decisions healthy food exercise I know I don’t model any of that for you students but I’m going to we’re going to be a healthier campus from this point forward uh and now back to the business at hand we got to get out the vote so we
Are so happy to have our special guest on C camp today again thank you uh to vice president Kon for standing in for me so that I didn’t slobber all over the microphone reading a longer script but I I wanted to personally acknowledge my friend and new friend uh that are here
And all of our guests we’re so happy to have you and thank you for what you are doing for I don’t mind saying it’s a black college campus for black people in this country the power of the vote is absolutely essential to black people and
It is a sin and it is a shame if you do not exercise it how many young people in this room are registered to vote all right how many of you plan to exercise the right to vote all right raise them high raise them high we’re committed We Stand Together whoever you
Vote for that’s your business but you have to vote without question young people without question now I’m going to stop slobbering and get back to my seat so I can hear from our guest today who I know are going to inspire and Empower you and encourage you to exercise the
Power that so many of are ancestors down for God bless [Applause] you was I supposed to do a drum roll was I supposed to do a drum roll or something we didn’t get this girl is on fire like DJ I mean we don’t get no theme music or nothing I guess I could
Have given you a lead up it’s not too late we need something fitting for this queen who has been working and laboring in the vineyard for Generations what we got we no pressure I mean you’re only at Benedict where we you know all right we feeling better
Now all right y’all all right out there know this song they know this song do y’all know the song Yeah all right stand up G stand up let’s stand up it’s long day let’s stand up yes it’s all about the power of the balance I can’t say she’s a bad man tell your neighbor bad Manama male or Female thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you Dr thank you so very much I met you uh with Thomas W doors Jr that lift him up um many many many years ago you were in South Carina yet might my in our home
State of Florida when I met you but I followed you and I just want to thank you for just being just a bad man Jam say say but just thank you for your leadership and your commitment to our future and really our future is right
Here um but the future is now and so one of the things that we believe and I want to ask ask a couple of Our National Coalition board members that are here Joan Crawford clar Brown come up here with me uh so before I make the remarks you know we wanted to
Make sure that everybody that comes every four years to South Carolina for those who’ve been around because it’s the primary it’s the first in the nation when we when when the South Carolina pres presidential primary takes place it’s the first time we know really what our people think it is because South
Carolina is a melting po it really represents the diversity of the nation and so people go to other states which their names I’m not going to call right and say that’s once they make a decision it’s got about two or three people living in it that by the time we get to
South Carolina the decision has been made but this time you all are truly first in the nation to send the message what we want for that vote and who we want for that vote y’all have two primaries one now and one later in the month and as the president said
We’re not telling you we’re nonpartisan we’re not here to tell you who to vote for but what we wanted to do was make sure we left just a little token that’s right of our appreciation for you uh Dr ARs and your students to present some just a little seed funding so that you
Can continue to work um to the SGA come up SGA come up and we wanted to present just a little token of our appreciation for you all to do whatever you want to do uh with a little money for civic [Applause] engagement so it’s not a whole lot but a
Little something look $5,000 and then you know Urban Le in yall come stand because you all are part of the board even if your P your principal’s not here thank you okay and so that’s a little bit of something so it’s nice to have this little envelope but we have a real
Envelope next to that so it’s really really there you w have to wait for it to come so want to say thank you all and just giving this uh funding from the National Coalition on black civic participation to just say keep keeping on and owning that power who want to
Leave a little something so thank you oh yes sir one more our young thank you and so Daryl Kohl’s is come up here with me Daryl Kohl’s is our young person who’s over our black you vote program and so and then uh Cara Tartine who’s our project manager come on
Up and she’s in the room so um I want uh I finished an HBCU Clark uh college now Clark Atlanta University so we HBCU family um and uh as much as I would like to believe it’s been SE several decades since I’ve been sitting in your chair so
We always want to make sure that you all meet our young leaders that are at the organization so Dar I want you to just say a couple words before I finish hey good morning Benedict my name is Daryl Co National project assistant for black you vote and
Black you vote is a signature program under the nccp umbrella and we go state to state we get communities and um campuses engaged in voting we have um food drives door knocks we had we host protests rallies in front um government buildings like the Board of Education
And other government buildings and we do anything you guys can um think of to help get our community engaged in voting and I see a couple of you guys you know not raise your hands when your president ask you was you um engaging with you going to exercise your voting um use
Your voting rights and I saw a couple of you guys not raise your hands and we honestly here today I was just few years ago in y same position discouraged misinformed and we just really here to truly tell y’all you guys are the future you guys are really changing this
Country you guys are really are the reason presidential presidents are being elected into the office and seriously um you guys are the few future you see in certain States they getting rid of Dei programs to really discourage you inging beautiful people not to um run for office not to really
Live in y true powers and and transform this country and do everything y’all can do so seriously I’m not up here to really really try to tell y’all voting is the only way to change this country but and this democracy is really the number one tool we have and that’s why
You see your Presidents out here going on things like the breakfast clubs that’s why y’all see um domestic and foreign threats going on engaged on Twitter sending boss trying to miseducate our brothers because man it’s really a war out here for our brothers Minds for our our young women’s bodies
And so while you don’t go out here and vote I’m telling y’all the enemy is out here because we out here in these bowling poofs these B these po we out here every day they lining up the to vote against all you guys issues things you want the Supreme Court to do look
Look why the Supreme Court look who why you guys didn’t get um student loans um pass so I know we like to we could um research All the gossip tea and all the other stuff that’s not important but we I just really want you to chance you
Guys to really do your own due diligence and see why we’re not getting certain laws passed that’s really gonna benefit us so am um please when we leave here we be in the back connect with us anyway we can and we be looking forward to help y
On y Mission and like again we have civil rights leaders people that worked on many presidential campaign so anything you guys need any questions you have we this is the people um to answer them so thank you for being here there a couple years ago he would
Never have done that so thank you Daryl thank you thank you so very much I’m going to be brief we have um hey my S never uh Dr sioban arene Bradley just walked in the door president CEO National Council of girl women and I need a little help with the run a
Show to help with the runner show um yes thank you yeah I’m good yes okay I’m do thank you that’s right let’s start with uh we have more students here visiting from Howard uh brother Abdul with uh Y block young black lawyers organiz organizing Coalition the
C part that’s what I forgot sorry that’s it thank you thank you so much first of all thank you Melanie for always including us and for your leadership and for your inspiration clola um thank you to our president for for having us here Dr Bradley good to
See you um repeat after me everybody black ballots black Futures black Futures black ballots black ballots black Futures one more time like you mean it black ballots black ballots black Futures black Futures my name is Abdul dunu I’m the founder and executive director of the young black lawyers
Organizing Coalition how many of you might want to be lawyers one day anybody okay all right so so we have U the great privilege of organizing black lawyers and law students who are just a few years ahead of where many of you are going to be soon right to do Civic
Organizing work in our communities and to articulate the importance of the ballot how many of you have change you want to see in your communities any change you want to see in your communities I I want to hear from the students just briefly somebody tell me what one change you want to see
In your community one student right right here I want to see more emphasis placed on education and black empowerment that’s powerful give it up give give them a round of applause the reason I wanted you all to hear that education and black empowerment is that that is directly
Connected to the votes that you will cast in this primary and in the primary that will happen later this month it’s directly connected to who sits at the table of decision making we have member who says that if you are not at the table you’re probably on the menu right
And we don’t want to be on the menu we want to be at the table and so in order to encourage you all to be part of this process we actually flew in several law students where I oh here they are right here all right several law students from
Howard University School of Law they came and they took time out of their busy schedules they’re law students y’all they got a lot to do but they decided that they wanted want to be here with you all today to help encourage you to vote and to articulate the importance
Of the vote so I’m just going to briefly let them introduce themselves and then we will sit down all right good morning um my name is Courtney mccubbin I am a first year oneel at the Howard University School of Law um I’m a double bison I went to
Howard for undergrad as well um and I really wanted to come out here because voting is such important right that we all have access to if we’re not voting then we’re not at the table because they’re not going to give us a seat unless we take it because you want to
Talk about voting we talk about Shirley Chisum they’re not going to give you a place at the table you bring up a folding chair hello um my name is ton Jeter I’m originally from Richmond Virginia I’m also one Ohio Unity University School of Law I’m also a double bison love Howard
Um so I came out here because voting is really important it’s all right and as everyone has been saying this little table um hypothetical I just want to say if they’re not gonna give us a seat we gonna bring our own table that’s right Benedict College how y’all doing
Good morning good morning you know I was just telling I was just telling them you know I’ve been trying to make it to all the HBCU across the country and I finally made it to this one so I’m glad to be here um my name is Spencer Jones
Again I’m a first year law student at the Howard University School of Law I did not have the pleasure of being a double bison but I am a double HBCU graduate a graduate of Dill University down in New Orleans um also shout out to this SDA
And Royal Court too because I had the opportunity to serve as a 17 Mill University and through that role I was able to make Civic engagement and voter participation a big part of my reign because I knew the importance of it I knew the importance of getting out of
The vote and the importance of black voters specifically um because one thing I’ve noticed while you know studying the law you know the short time being in law school you know the laws that we’re learning make it apparent to me that our voices are near at the table way more
You know some of the things that we’re learning like you can tell that some of these laws were not made with the intent of black people being included them that’s why we need our vote at the ballot we need our power at the ballot
To make our voice Hur and to make our um Constitution and our laws benefit us so get out the vote and do something somewhere soon thank you thank you so much thank you all right can we get wock [Applause] hand um my hashtag is Coalition Builder
And there’s nothing that we uh can’t do when we come together uh in this show of not of not uniformity but a show of unity and power there’s a sister I met not not long after I left undergrad uh where I was down in Selma Alabama uh for one of the Bloody Sunday
Anniversaries and I met these bad folks in the labor movement and there was this one sister happens to be a Delta who happens to have graduated from fam you HBCU who happen to have been one the highest ranking black women in the labor mov movement for 304 excuse me 54 years
Yeah she happens to be a native South Carolinian from Charles home home is Charleston Charleston but what’s the neighborhood off theke off the hike off the hike uh I learn like don’t mess with folks from the hike so I bring bring up one of our board members partners and
And a leader who has fought to make sure that we have not just um economic justice but we can prosper we can make the money and be paid for our worth she has dedicated her entire life to fighting for us sister clol Brown come on [Applause] Up you know what oh and there’s music too huh all right DJ yeah good morning good morning good morning I am so what is the word height y’all don’t say that anymore come on give me the new one don’t make me look stupid standing up here what’s the new
Word I’m lit this morning okay okay that’s what I’m talking about there is nothing that gives an old woman like me the Jazz to feel happy yeah like taking a look at all these young faces and hearing you speak about the things that are in your heart I see you
Sora it is so so good I’m 54 years in the labor movement but 75 years on this side of the dirt okay but knowing that there are young people like you who have picked up the mantle and will carry it even further I ain’t ready to sit down
Yet come on I just want to be strong enough to follow you to be able to lift you up and help you whenever you think you’re getting tired I don’t want to do it anymore but I want to say to you Mas Sora Madam president Lord have
Mercy it took a whole heap inside of who we are too to recognize that the sisters can bring the juice as well as the brothers all right I’m very proud of you very proud of you that sister where’d you go Mel that sister right there if
She calls you you know you got two options of what’s going to happen to you you will either learn something that day or you going to jail anytime Mel brings you forward you nod your head you’ve been there with us too if the cause is worth fighting it
Certainly is worth going to jail for as well but make sure you carry your bail money because staying overnight ain’t no joke either but you look amazing in the place where you are right now but you look even better in the head of someone like me where I can see you down the
Road where I can see what you would do to bring about change where I can hear in your voices and see in your smiles that you don’t play cuz you would not have had your family to lay out the money to bring you to school just so you can look
Good the various fraternities and sororities that you belong to rejoice in those that’s right but remember how you got to where you are standing on the shoulders of those who took the courage to stand up and vote and say that an education is ours too that’s what you
Must do it’s a wonderful thing to be a part of something that means growth it’s a wonderful thing to dedicate yourself to growing that piece that you’re proud of as well I’m not going to talk long cuz old people talk way too long but where’s the young brother from the
Lawyers that went to Dillard where oh there you are my grandson just graduated Dillard huh you know my grandbaby that’s what I’m talking about and he graduated kada that’s right that’s right but when I got out of school it was thank you lordy so there is a difference now you
Guys are doing it I look at your face young sister that’s why I turned around and looked at you and took your picture you have that special sauce that Mill talks about where you don’t look around people or look somewhere else when they’re speaking to you you look me dead
In the face like yeah take your picture sister cuz I’m here and I made business you’re here now I got you I will pray for you and all the rest of you that I got a chance to talk to because you are the reason that we keep pushing forward
You are the reason that we can be proud you are the reason that makes us wake up every single day and say Lord have mercy thank you Jesus for what’s coming down the road thank you all for being here today Lord you make us so proud thank you Mel thank and
So Madam President we want to also listen and learn from your young leaders so my understanding I’m bringing up the sbaa as well as the court tell us what we need to hear from you all I don’t know why I’m going first but um oh thank you thank you Dr arish thank
You um to speak about the importance of voting as I was talking to my colleague NAD earlier there’s power and polarity and oftentimes we think about voting as hard work and that everything takes hard work hard work this hard work that relationships take hard work everything takes hard work but the narrative around
Work is that it’s difficult annoyance a chore if we look at things as an opportunity the opposite side of that poll we begin to humanize internalize the issue and care about it further and so if we look at voting as an opportunity as the law students mentioned to uphold the Constitution and
Uphold our own values we can ultimately make some more change so that’s my piece on that everyone uh I think it’s still morning so I’ll say good morning or good afternoon um for me voting is a of course it’s a matter of choice um we’re all put in
This world uh with the point of Free Will so if you’re given the option to exercise something why not use it um a lot of times we see that a lot of young people don’t vote because they just don’t follow politics uh that was a struggle for me growing up I just wasn’t
Interested in it but sometimes it’s better to ask not uh what you don’t know uh because you can make a difference for the people that uh you want in your life and the people that’s still there and those who lost their lives um Unfortunately they don’t have that
Choice to vote so you got it so use [Applause] it good morning everybody good afternoon um I guess for me voting is something that’s definitely new to me the importance of voting is something that’s new to me um I’m starting to realize that knowledge is power if you
Don’t know something if you don’t um have not confirmation but if you don’t understand what the importance of something is you won’t know how to use it you won’t know the benefits of what comes after it I know that we live in a world where us the black community has
Faced oppression we have faced racism we have face social injustices that we did with every single day and we live in a free country but we’re not free yet because of the different things that we face every day and I’m a social worker right now I’m a social worker right now
And I’m learning a lot of things about the system and how broken it is and so what I want to do with my vote with the power to vote is change make change and create change through the power that I have through the ballot thank you anybody want to speak Hallelujah good
Good good day again everyone uh my name is Nal gusar I serve as the business manager for the student government Association uh to me voting it seems like you know you’re just making a decision but it’s so much more you know it’s something that you believe in it’s
Showing that you are for a cause much greater than yourselves and I think it’s it’s important what the schools the universities are doing when they’re instilling the student governments associations because it shows students that even at the University levels there’s there’s a there’s an opportunity
To make a change it shows them that they can get involved in the democratic system from such a young age and I think we should encourage our students to be more involved in these organizations because these are the students that will be the next presidents and will serve in
These roles that will make decisions that will better this beautiful Nation thank [Applause] you how y’all doing my name is Levi Rose um I feel as though voter should be taught at a young age I don’t feeling as though we get too much in depth to it at
A young age so we don’t fully understand how uh important voting is um being though I wasn’t taught it in middle school or Elementary School I finally gotta really dep into it into middle my senior year I said middle I mean High School my sen years so I think she just
Get taught at a younger age and then brought all the way up into so we fully get more more in depth hello good afternoon well morning good afternoon I’m sorry um I feel like voting is very very important I know for me I’m not very familiar with it because quite honestly
I haven’t done my research on it I haven’t looked at who’s running who are the people that want to make that change that we want and I feel like for a lot of young people as myself and other peers I feel like we’re not educated enough I feel like with simple events
Just like this it truly helps open my eyes and hopefully everybody else’s eyes that the it is so important to vote because we want that change we want to impact everybody else but how are we going to do so if we’re not the ones taking the step first to actually make
That change but thank you that’s how [Applause] right good afternoon everyone um so growing up I have always been expressed the importance of voting um and as a young black woman wanting to be an advocate for black women in the healthcare field I realize that that is directly connected to voting and being
Able to exercise our votes so like we’ve been saying all day today we need to be the change that we want to see Hi how are yall doing first let me introduce myself my name is Darius ruin and I have the pleasure of serving as Mr Benedict College here for the 2023 2024
Academic School year a little bit more about [Applause] a little bit more about me I am from maretta Georgia and you know being a part of the Great r l area currently um with the buzz the area I have notice the gentrification of my communities right and I think it’s time that we you know
Become more engaged in the system to make it work for us you that’s all I [Applause] [Applause] that’s drop the M we have a few more of our national part thank you all yeah y’all got to come here we got we got a treat for you all and this is the next group our our national some of our national partners that are here I’m
Just everyone bring up and then uh uh speak I have uh Reverend sh sioban Ali and Bradley she’s the president and CEO of the national counc of negro women um our brother Dwayne Crawford executive director National Organization of black law enforcement executive our sister jota Ed founder wi with black women uh
Brother James T M Lawhorn Jr uh who’s the president and CEO of the Urban League of Columbia South Carolina but also um um represent his national uh office uh under the leadership of Mark moriel if you guys come up and speak as you as you please
Sure because I know we gotta be out of here right and y’all got St right good afternoon everyone I am sioban Arline Bradley and I’m the president of ncnw and let me just say it is good to be on the soil of my people my family is originally from Akin South
Carolina uh and we grew up in New Jersey would come down south often and my little cousin is here Vivica McBean is my mother’s sister’s daughter and so it’s so good to see my my family on campus to Madam president and all that are here listen ncnw is excited to stand
With you uh is did she come in yet where is she where’s my ncnw folks and Janice there she is come on up Janice Janice Mattis is here this is my cousin here that’s my family listen we are uh here because of two things Dr Mary McLoud Bon was a
South Carolinian right she founded the National Council of negro women if you are a member of a black sority you are a member of ncnw so one of the things that has been so aligned for all of us is that this idea of black power and black liberation
Has been in our blood for centuries and 2024 is no different we come from ancestors that knew that their freedom was essential and I’m saying to you in 2024 our freedom is essential and what does it mean to be free it means want to have the ability to have agency over
Your own choice the ability to be able to go to whatever school you want to go to the ability to be able to see your history in your curriculum but most importantly it’s the ability for you to have access to the most fundamental constitutional right there is and that’s
The right to vote and as young people America is afraid of you that’s right you are America’s worst nightmare you are bad black and beautiful and you are educated and so what I’m saying to you now let’s make America’s nightmare come true black educated young people in position ready
To take over this world it is because of you that we do this work I was given the Reigns to sit at a seat where Dr darthy height had the chance to Le and I’m 45 years old I’m just 20 years from what you all did and I’m telling you I’m
Looking at the next leader the next president of the United States is in this room the next KLA Harris is in this room and at the end of the day my my brothers and sisters listen we can’t do this without your vote I’m married to a
Sigma I see all the sigas in the back I see all the Divine n all over the place and I’m telling you they cannot win this election without young black people so let’s take the pose by storm we love you God bless you and know this this too
Shall pass we’ve seen this movie before we have already won because the victory is ours God bless you all well good evening good morning Benedict College it’s always a honor to follow my good soror Reverend sioban Arline Bradley and first of all I have to take
A moment for you all to get on your feet and give a loud Round of Applause for one of the best and baddest University presidents in the nation your president my friend my Sor Dr rosin artist you should know that she represents Benedict College across this nation you
Should know that everywhere she goes she carries your name she carries your legacy she lifts you up she makes sure that your name and that your legacy is spoken in rooms that you might not be in that is the measure of a college president who knows who she is and whom
She is is let’s give her a loud Round of Applause I just will be brief with you as you heard I am a child of South Carolina how many of y’all got a 843 in your phone number PD I’m from Johnsonville South Carolina what y’all know about Johnsonville yeah you know about
Johnsonville where you from Brother Florence we’ll be in Florence South Carolina tomorrow with mayor Teresa Meers Zing first black woman mayor in the history 100y year history of Florence South Carolina I grew up on a dirt road how many of you grew up on a dirtt road what y’all know about these
Dirt roads these good strong trailers in South Carolina that’s where I’m from now I went to the other school University of South Carolina some 20 years ago where I had the honor and the pleasure and the privilege of being elected the first black woman in the history of the
University of South Carolina to be their first black woman student body president in this 22 year history and even though I went to the University of South Carolina I know a whole lot about Benedict College in your campus so I’m a I’m an honorary Benedict
Tiger too but what I want to say is that I’m so honored to be here with the power of the ballot tour because I’m in my home state as my good sister soror shoban said being back home it just hits different because what we’re doing here
What you are poised to do by voting and exercising your right to vote is doing something so fundamental that they are spending millions of dollars to try to suppress your power I want you to look at the person beside you and say power power power power this election is about
Your power now this is a nonpartisan effort and who you vote for that’s your business as Tabitha Brown says but you need to make it your business to vote now I want you to stand up if you know anybody that lost their life due to co look around
Leadership and who was elected to office made a difference in how this nation dealt with the co pmic I want you to raise your hand if you know anybody that has lost their life due to gun violence I want you to look around those who are elected into office
Make decisions about how we deal with those cases day to day I want you to raise your hand if you know some one who’s had an uncomfortable experience with law enforcement I want you to look around because who’s elected into office decides on the rules for how they have to
Engage every single day we have an opportunity to vote we have an opportunity to be the change that we want to see in our community and we know our elected leaders they’re not going to always get it right but it is on us to hold them accountable and every time you
Go to The Ballot Box that is your opportunity to hold them accountable and that is what we have to be in the business about because these elections as my good sister Latasha Brown will remind us it’s not about the candidate on the ballot it is about us it is about
You and this is what I’ll say to you 20 years ago when I was at the University of South Carolina and even before then some 30 years ago when I got to watch clola Brown come to Johnsonville South Carolina and organize workers bringing people like Janice mattisse with
Reverend Jesse Jackson to remind us that I am somebody I was eight years old and I was moved in Johnsonville when I saw that and some 20 years ago at the University of South Carolina I sat where you sat and I saw leaders like sister Mel Campbell like Reverend sioban Arline
Bradley like your great president people like Janice Mattis and I said to myself one day I want to be like them well let me tell you you don’t have to sit here and say one day I want to be like them you are us right now there’s space and room for
You right now take your rightful space because it is for you to take we need you this movement needs your voice and your criticism you are the leaders that we are all waiting for and so I thank you in advance for the power that you will
Continue to take to the ballot b a dick I can’t wait to see what you going to do CU I know y’all some bad memo jamas here thank you very much I didn’t do this my State president showed up for me today I got to shot this out biss Williams stand up South
Carolina’s state president ncnw daughter of South Carolina travels the state to make sure we’re voting in the State I love you and I’m grateful I’m so sorry I didn’t say my girl’s name so love you shout out to you oh I know this one good afternoon
Everyone afternoon I just want to say it is amazing to see leaders here who are the first the youngest and the finest that are trailblazing away for us to know the importance to vote the power of the ballot tour is nothing short of amazing we have come here today that we
Are the voices of the future we are the voices of right now so I hope that you are inspired you are motivated to lead your community not just here but at back home thank you some of y’all and that P my name is zica McBean I’m a senior business administration marketing major
From Gloucester City New Jersey and I am member of a Collegiate 100 at Benedict College talking about good afternoon power to the people power to the people power to the people but I was at anent in the 60s hey that was my to when I was at ENT in the 60s we were
Marching I ended up in jail that’s it’s no fun to be in jail uh when I was at anent I understood the sacrifices of our ancestors and I salute them today we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors you know I met a a charian he was the first one who
Desegregated public schools in South Carolina Harvey Gan oh yeah Harvey Gan was my professor I finished I was AA fin an State University I was a Ford fell I went to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill to become an urban city planner and while I was in class talking
About the ballot of the book while I was in class there was a professor there there were two African-Americans in that class one for Livingstone college and me from ENT 15 students in the class he called our names I said Mr Bernard Mr M
Law St up stood up said you all need to drop this course so because you all don’t have the intellectual capacity or experience to do this class now this was a class that was required to graduate and so we went to the head of the department we said to the head of the
Department we’ve been put out of class we’re not going to be able to graduate he said well I can send you back to this professor but you’re going to flunk he got tenure so let me try to find someone to teach this class and Over Yonder because of education and the
Ballot of the bullet was Harvey G harant got into school because of the power of the African-American folk back in 1963 wow before they passed the 1965 Voting Rights Act and Har became my professor and and my mentor wow but I want to say to you voting is an
Imperative you know someone say I can’t breathe that a lot of people can’t breathe because of pollution and pollution is going to be addressed because of your fol how to the people because your V that’s right and know I have people come up to me and say
This m la I can’t find a job m m La I can’t find a right house for myself I said have you voted voting it like I’m speaking a foreign language and if we don’t vote vote is imperative it is our Lifeline God is able now now God has given us the vision
The intelligence to use a vote we can’t place replace the vote with God but we we got to do better people now telling me they don’t vote anymore and they’ve been doing research on black men around the country on said black men aren’t voting and you know Brothers we thank
God for women I going just be honest with you praise God for [Applause] women praise God for women I I was I was married 52 years till later from South Carolina and uh she was from Maran County place called Fort for Mar at antique State University I thank God for
It because you know throughout my life you know I I would get weary at times you know I worked in bank and a whole lot of different places and that racism sometime will wear you down and you feel weeks sometimes I walking with a bent back home and I said
She said why you moving so so slowly baby I said I don’t know I said but you know it’s tough and she would look at me praise God for her she’ll look at me and say you get your eight ass ass out of here and fight and fight so I’m here to
Lift up black women I my tired today I’m red Tire black women we we thank you for all you’ve done and I just want to close with this we got to talk to people about voting yes you know National has a 3D is that you know we we have the demand
Democracy and you demand democracy through the vote democracy mean power to the people that’s what democracy means and secondly we we got to make sure we have diversity and Equity everybody pushing back you know I was so happy I said they doing something right after the death of
George Floyd pushing back diversity and Equity that’s right and we got poverty you know poverty slips then it comes back when President Obama came in you know you know the the median income of wealth of African-American people shut up had a housing crisis everything fell down to the bottom we got to defeat
Poverty your vote would do that power to the people God is good all the time it’s honor to be here my name is Dwayne Crawford represent National Organization of black law enforcement Executives let me first start off by recognizing Melissa Thompson from our staff who’s coming into South Carolina
Today also going recognize our law enforcement community so uh I get a first so I love this one this a know account and we go back a lot of years and when she told me she was coming to South Carolina she I need you to get your law enforcement Comm to come out
And I’m all bold on the phone like not a problem not a problem like how am I going to do that so I go to our national president Rodney Bryant couldnot be here he’s the former Chief of ATL police department and I said I need to get your
Advice on the best way to mobilize our members and law enforc community in the state of South Carolina he makes one phone call calls your Chief in this town chief Kell Kelly melon Kelly and they talk now I’m sitting next to the phone like you know take the notes and I want
To thank your Chief melron Kelly we started with him he then got us to the Chiefs over in uh Charleston both North Charleston and Charleston uh Chief Walker there then then led us to the state of South Carolina we have a major up there then it got us to your your
State Police head uh Williamson uh reason I say all this is that that call from her to our national president and I just want to thank your state for making sure there was a strong Public Safety presence to make sure that these amazing organizations and your amazing campus
And all that be involved in this bus tour felt what safe safe now I’ve said to the Biden Administration multiple multiple times this issue of voting ain’t really political to us this is about what too much blood was spilled for the right to vote it’s the Holy
Ground and you young people I’m going Graduate hord University I’m getting old now I’m about 60 I remember the stories I heard in the 80s I was at hampon though we have 102 HBC my mom was say from Livingstone College we all are one University we’re
One and you stupid let me tell you something I know y’all Young I get all that you all have been blessed with a basic scripture to much is given much is required y’all are being blessed you GNA see you get a little older in life you’re being blessed with an amazing
Education I’m G I’m begging y’all to pay that thing for it now vote go to your class space ask them to do what vote but get them understand people say why does it matter if it’s only because of the blood that was spilled you get a chance read your history go on
The internet Google this stuff there are men and women that look like you and others of other races that died just for a basic constitutional right the right to vote but it’s an honor to be here we’re going to work with this whole tour throughout uh this election year but me
To say this God bless you or mam president I’ve heard about you over the years you’re doing an amazing job I Can Only Imagine the work that takes I was at Hamp University on Saturday uh with our president there I’m known forever darl Williams and he W me right now I’m
A graduate but when he showed me I’m like I gotta do better for Hampton thank you mam presid when you’re working host against here but God bless you but folks look and you all got all the see I was there we had no Kings we we had the
Women all that we didn’t have these Kings and stuff y’all got now you you your brothers out there um too many times I I think I’ve asked our women to carry that pillow water now and and we want you to still do that but
We as black men and when I saw this pen this 100 black men pin and I used leave this organization another lifetime you Brothers tell the brothers on this campus we need them we need them we’re begging them I’m hearing numbers like 25% 30% of black may vote in a
Little bit of a different way tell our men we I don’t care what they vote for ask our men to please please try and vote I’m non I’m non I’m nonpartisan too tell our black men I need them to go to those polls look thank you for your time it’s been a
Pleasure all right and we know you are here for your education and not just be I hope this was uh that you feel the power in this room and that’s you so look at your neighbor say you are the power and put this and hold hold like
This I am the power I am the power God gave me the power use it much has been said and so we are going to close out Madame President thank you all so much I’m going to ask all of our Partners to come up and um if it’s okay we want to take
One big group group shot as many people we can get cuz we are family hey J A South Carolinian from Greenville South Carolina um but we have a couple more things to say uh we have um Cara tantine who’s a Southern girl too it’s a little Southern how many Southern is in
Here I want how many Northern we not going any West in the midwest we are one and anyone from the uh from other nations other countries rather all right we are one family the last thing I want to say is there something that says we will not be erased and that
Ballot would demand that we’re not but if we don’t use it we’re being erased y’all you I can look at y’all know what when I say we won’t be erace y’all know what I’m talking about right don’t want us to have black history don’t want us to be able to put
The pay for our own Freedom don’t want us to take our own money and put money into our own black businesses there’s a lot so I thank you so very much I want to get emotional but it’s just when I look in y’all’s eyes we going to be all
Right but I’ve been on this thing a lot longer than I want to say see try to get that second husband for so tell your age I got totally digressed but I want to bring up my sister I sister who our project manager just to give you a little quick flavor
About what are this is a national tour this is our phase two we spent a 30 days on the ground in Florida my home state where I grew up uh from M Florida where they’re taking a whole lot of Rights and Freedoms away we spent 30 days down
There this is phase two we’re going across the country so give a little information and then we want to also do some acknowledgements uh on before we close pth okay thank you give it up for Melanie Campbell our incredible president of the National Coalition on black Civ participation I am excited to
Be with you I got a chance to greet a lot of you on the way in I’m Cara turn time I’m proud to be the project manager for the 2024 Unity campaign I give you greetings from the Tennessee State University so HBC you love in the house
And I just want to tell this group of people I have just been so expired myself I want to remind you that you are the largest voting Block in the electorate that’s right you are the most powerful voting Block in the electorate 18-34 you are the reason the 2022 El
Elections went the way they did and so when you show up in 2024 on Saturday tomorrow February 3rd you will give a signal across this nation on what matters to black folks the issues we care about and how the rest of this country needs to get inspired and
Motivated to vote I just want to remind you that you right now are the most powerful and largest voting block of every single person in this country that can vote everybody in college right now with you all everybody in your age bracket is the most powerful electorate
In the nation so I ask you to exercise that and I want you to know that your power extends far beyond this campus and outside of this room because this tour is going to Georgia and Michigan and Louisiana and we are going to Mississippi and Maryland and
Pennsylvania and so we invite you as you think about your social media and you think about your family and you are working across the year on your coursework and you’re encouraging your sisters and your cousins that are in school with you also to get involved and engaged wherever you are in the country
Because you are to make the difference in 2024 once again we thank you for being here I’m so excited to be with you and thank you for being the most powerful voting Block in the country and I’m going to ask our team just coming up just to come up and stand
The team come on up everybody Al Mustafa all y’all just come up I want yall just to see this is the this is our road team coming up could not do this without them you you yall Ro team too on the bus everybody that’s on the bus right all
Right and u i sister see your cheeks want to thank you right for taking taking this on she’s you know she’s uh uh helping us uh lead helping lead our CS in a couple of places uh uh one of which I I would be remiss uh if I did
That Dr Dr FR Jun I was supposed to say sending uh greetings I talked to him late last night he said you need to call I said no she got us straight I don’t need you to call her we do have an Institute named after my mentor Thomas W
Dors Jr at Clark Atlanta University and so she helps us there and too many other clients and she said I want to come help you all with this and her and uh where’s hares uh Johnson who’s a Miles College uh graduate former SGA president andna Alpha right she’s a Delta just because I
Know you’ve been working with your team and just give um acknowledgements thank you thank thank you how do you follow that um the incomparable Melody camel um I’d like to give my heartfelt thanks to Mr Mr Jacob and Mr Cedric love could you please join me up here
Please please please so I know I wore this this young man out bless his heart um but he was so gracious and so accommodating and on point for represented uh Benedict College very well um Dr Artis thank you so much for um having us and for allowing me the
Opportunity and the privilege to work with Mr love he was a a godsend so thank you Mr love for coordinating everything for the beautiful um your court Royal Court thank you thank you very much um Lieutenant Sherman is Lieutenant Sherman or a representative from campus police um on
In the house thank thank you very much um Lieutenant Sherman immediately uh motivated or excuse me mobilized her team or his team to work with Mr Crawford um upon arrival and um Mustafa um thank you sir um our security team here so I just want to say thank you I
Can’t say thank you enough if I’ve forgotten you please blame it on my head and not and Dr or I apologize Miss ver or Dr or please join me up here as well Chief of Staff to the president thank you um thank you so much for making sure
That we were able to host this um and of course for to help facilitate um the um uh the presence of Dr artist thank you again um again if I’ve missed anyone blame it on my head not my heart is that uh Lieutenant Sherman Lieutenant Sherman [Applause]
Yes yeah as as Melanie would say the movement is moving okay um I think that’s it for me again thank you and I’ll turn it back over to you Melanie thank you um uh Dr Aris did anything we wanna okay thank thank you so much thank you and we don’t want to take
A group picture with you and whoever wants to come up we like to take a family shot so logistically we’re going to ask that you all stay where you are because from a lighting perspective it’s better and it’s easier to keep you all where you are so we’re going to do the
Group shot on this side as opposed to this side so um let’s go ahead and call to order DJ what you Got turn it down just a little Hold on hey hey guys our DJ our DJ name DJ puff I am so sorry on the Wheels of Steel he is also a Ben college graduate yes and he is um DJ on Hot 107 103.9 tune in to DJ puff thank you so much hey I got I got I got
You look great All right y’ ready sir College on three on three one two three okay that was weak say it DC DC B
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