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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 2014)
Page 6 ^lortlanò (Observer September 17, 2014 New Prices Effective May 1,2010 Martin Cleaning Service HÔ4 TvaOUVY TooV you OMJ HAAAM&R-, E s/epy PROBLEM STARTS’ -To VOOK Uxe A NAT- H W Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services } ?AODAt^ A PROBAe/A , IRAQ TO NOW "TH AT IRAQ I ? C o m g r a v obeyed , 'n '2 STÏU- A PROBLEM- \NUAT Do W P o ? 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M orial Less than a year from now, on Aug. 6, 2015, the nation will celebrate the 50th an niversary of the Vot ing Rights Act of 1965, considered by many to be the most significant American civil rights legislation ever signed into law. During the past half-century we have seen major increases in the number of black elected officials across the country, including Barack Obam a’s election and re-election as America’s first black President. This year, the National Urban League’s State of Black America found that with a Civic Participation Equality Index of 104.7 percent, African Americans are engaged in their communities and voting at higher rates than whites. But pockets of voter apathy and political complacency coupled with both overt and covert voter sup pression efforts continue to nega tively impact voter turnout in some parts o f the country, including holds its elections in the spring of many of those protections. But the places like Ferguson, Missouri. odd-numbered years, and the most right to vote, regardless o f when The Aug. 9 shooting death of recent comparisons between its 2012 elections are held during the year, is Michael Brown, an 18-year-old un and 2013 election turnouts tell a a sacred obligation and our most armed African American at the revealing story. powerful instrument o f change. hands of Darren Wilson, a white In the 2012 presidential election, I’ve often heard people express Ferguson police officer, has led white turnout was 55 percent and dissatisfaction with the pool of can many of us to wonder whether black turnout was 54 percent. In the didates on a ballot and use that as a things might have been different if 2013 city council elections, white reason to “sit out” certain election the city’s leadership was more turnout fell to 17 percent, while black cycles. However, voting is not like representative of the racial makeup turnout plunged to 6 percent. buying popsicles - when, if we don’t of the population. While a case can be made that see a flavor we like, we leave the In a city that is 67 percent black, election timing is one culprit in de store. the police force is 94 percent white. creased voter turnout - as the far he ongoing social, racial and eco The mayor is also white, as are five ther off-cycle elections are held from nomic justice that we work toward of the six city council members. In presidential ones, the less media everyday mandate that we be civi- 2013, Art McCoy, Ferguson’s first coverage, attention and awareness cally engaged and actively partici African American school superin are generated around them, espe pate in electing leaders who will not tendent, resigned under duress af cially in low-income communities— only represent us, but who will fight ter only three years on the job. Fur the reality remains that we must all, for our interests and rights. ther, only one African American as a community and as individuals, Ferguson is yet another example currently serves on the seven-mem exercise our right to vote in every that when we say no to voting, we ber school board. election. We simply do not have the turn our backs on our communities. It is generally true that when local option to not vote. Voter suppression has no place in elections are held off-cycle - mean One year ago, the Supreme Court our democracy, and neither does ing, when no state or national of dealt a crushing blow to voting rights voter apathy. Ferguson should be fices are on the ballot - voter turn by removing important protections the latest wake-up call that we can out across the board is significantly for voters who had suffered - and not afford to let anything keep us lower and white voter participation still suffer-historic disenfranchise from exercising the extraordinary is notably higher than black voter ment. The National Urban League power of our individual vote. participation. has been a lead supporter of the Marc H. Morial is president and For example, like many munici Voting Rights Amendment Act now chief executive officer o f the Na palities across the nation, Ferguson before Congress that would restore tional Urban League.
