Diverse Coalition Kicks Off ‘Take Your Souls To The Polls’ Campaign

Says blacks will determine the winner

By Chinta Strausberg

With the mayoral and aldermanic run-off elections just 15-days away, a coalition of faith and community leaders Monday held a press conference at the historic Quinn Chapel AME Church, 2401 So. Wabash, to kick off their “Souls to the Polls” campaign designed to beef up voter turnout on April 7^th.

The coalition is also pushing forChicagoans to early vote, which started today and ends on Saturday, April 4^th. One of the first voters was 96-year-old Beatrice Lumpkin from the Fourth Ward who braved up to six-inches of snow to attend the press conference. “I wouldn’t dare come here without voting,” said Lumpkin who is a Hyde Parker.

“I am with the Steel Workers organization of active retirees (USW/AFL-CIO). They are trying to touch our pensions. We need jobs for our grandchildren. Our area is polluted and the pollution continues to this day. All of these issues are on the line. I voted today because I just want to be sure because people have given up their lives for that right, and in my opinion since the 1980’s this is the most important city election we are facing,” Lumpkin said.

Rev. Marilyn Pagan-Banks from A Just Harvest, was joined by Rev. Leonard DeVille, former alderman of the 21^st Ward, Rev. Booker Vance, Lumpkin, Rev. Dr. Janette Wilson, from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jitu Brown, a community organizer from the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization and many others. Forty other organizations including the Service Employees International Union – Healthcare are also working with this coalition. She said Chicago needs “real solutions for working families such as an elected school board, creating good jobs and reducing violence.”

“We are in a vital and important election….. to provide transportation to make sure our disenfranchised, our marginalized….,” said Pagan-Banks. “Your vote counts. It is never to late…. We are taking folks down who have never voted before…”

“There is too much on the line to sit this one out…too such on the line to fall for the hype that my vote doesn’t count. There’s too much on the line to say things will go as they always have. It’s too much for money to win in politics this time around….

“Our votes matter. When we say they always win it is because they vote on what matters to them. We say in our community will vote on what matters to us,” Pagan-Banks stated.

Rev. Vance said, “We want to call again for our people to go to the polls. Early voting started today, and we even had one sister (Lumpkin) who has already gone to the polls…, but we realize that after the last election that there is still a sense of discontent and a sense of apathy that we need to address amongst our people and our community.

“Ten percent less going to the polls is an egregious insult to the lives to those who sacrificed on the (Edmund) Pettus Bridge, and we must stir the hearts of our people that we have a moral responsibility to get out and vote…. Get up, Get out and get to the polls and dare to take somebody with you,” said Rev. Vance.

Dr. Wilson said, “When a 96-year-old can weather the snow, we encourage everyone to vote.” In reviewing a report compiled by Frank Watkins, public policy director for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Wilson said, “There are 20 wards in this city that had the highest voter turnout of which 14 were in the African American community.

“As part of our early voter and voting effort, we realize that the African American voters are the key to this election so we will be encouraging all of voters in those particular 20 wards but especially the 14 high turnout wards to turn out in even higher numbers,” said Wilson.

“We also know that we had15,000 fewer voters in 2015 than we did in 2011 so we will be targeting those areas where we’ve lost turnout so we can up turnout,” she said.

Explaining, Watkins said,“The 20 wards that have the highest voter registration, 14 of them are in the African American community. That is the good news. The good news is that there are 15,000 more registered voters in 2015 than there were in 2011. The bad news is that there were 130,000 fewer voters who turned out in the election.

According to Watkins, the wards with the highest voter registration were in the 34^th Ward followed by the 21^st, the 8^th, 9^th, 6^th,29^th, 11^th, 28^th, 3, 27, 18^th, 37^th,4^th and 17^th.

“The challenge is to get people to come out and register and vote. Your vote is your voice,” Watkins said. “In politics…, the money is in the vote.” “The black community will determine who the winner or the lower is on April 7^th.”

Quoting Jonathan Jackson, the son of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Watkins said, “If you vote, you will deserve what you get. If you don’t vote, you will get what you deserve.”

Wilson said PUSH will lead an early caravan this Friday including having buses on hand to help students vote.“We are going to have a high turnout and we will have a great victory as a result of our high victory on April 7^th,” said Wilson.

Jitu Brown, a community organizer from the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, said, “Voting is a justice issue. For us, every right that we have has come from our ancestors pushing the envelope…saying that the status quo is not enough.

“We heard that many of our seniors are being told that if they get their absentee ballots in the February 24^th election, that they won’t have to vote this time,” Brown said. “Stop it. We have to say respect…. Don’t use civil rights as a talking point if you are not prepared to honor the legacy of civil rights.”

Referring to the death of Mayor Harold Washington, Brown said the first time he voted was in 1987 whenWashington was re-elected.

“I remember the sense of disappointment after Harold Washington passed and what happened in the subsequent election,” Brown stated. “To those who have been disengaged since that time, you are already in an historical moment. We have the first runoff in the history of Chicago.

“I encourage everybody to reflect on your experiences over the last four-years and make a decision…reflect on what type of future you want for your child,” said Brown. Referring to his 6-year-old son, Brown added, “I’m worried about his future. I am worried about where he will go to school…. Ask yourself which candidate gives your child the best opportunity to stand on your shoulders. We are in an historical moment, and you have an opportunity on April 7^th to make history. Grab the moment,” Brown said.

Before attending he kick-off of the “Take Your Souls to the Polls” campaign held Monday, March 23rd at Quinn AME Chapel, 96-year-old Beatrice Lumpkin voted and urged others to follow suit. She said too many people have died for this right. (Photo by Chinta Strausberg)

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.