Looking Back for a Better Future

by Shana Black

February is Black History Month. It’s the month we look back at the successes and obstacles our ancestors made since arriving on this continent in 1619. With our most recent moment in history taking place only a few weeks ago with the inauguration of Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United State, we have decided to spend the month of February looking back at what worked at the local and grass-root levels to get our community engaged and active in this past election.

“The election’s been over…” Why it matters?

We celebrated, we worked hard but now is not the time to forget about voting or politics. 2020 taught us that many people only vote when they feel there’s a lot at stake. We know that many people only exercise their right to vote during presidential elections. We also know that many people believe that nothing really changes regardless of who’s elected President.

The unfortunate part is that there is a misunderstanding of the importance of local elections and midterm elections that hinders the movement of change in our daily lives. Why the 2020 presidential election is over, now is not the time to forget the lessons learned or extinguish the momentum that was built up in this record-breaking election.

On the contrary, this is the perfect time for us to take an inventory of what we want from our politicians and courts. This is the time to identify changes we want and to explore how other communities are organizing and continuing the fight for democracy and equality. Simply put we applauded the efforts of Stacy Abrams in Georgia for mobilizing people to vote. But let’s be clear that work started years before the 2020 election cycle and before Joe Biden entered the presidential race in 2019. Her work took years of being involved and understanding how our government works as well as a consistent effort and I believe we have to do the same starting now.

The 20202 Election was an SOS was about saving our democracy

In this series, we’re going to share with you the lessons learned from local organizations that worked hard to get us out safely to make sure our votes were cast and provided support to make sure we did not fall prey to voter suppression and disinformation tactics. `We’ll also talk about the factors impacting dissemination of news in our communities and present what solutions other metropolitan communities did to keep their communities informed.

While this series of stories is part of Hearken’s Election SOS coverage, we at Black Girl in the CLE have learned that there is a need to continue to inform you on legislation being introduced and your advocacy rights. We have to help you stay in the know about legislation and actions you can take to ensure your voice is heard on issues impacting you and your family. We will continue to amplify the work of community organizations as well as keep you informed on issues and advocacy opportunities throughout North East Ohio. It is our pledge to continue to bring you unbiased information and to provide resources to help you do your own research to help you make informed decisions.

Be sure to check back next week as we explore the organizations that helped spread the word, clear up confusions, and got us to the polls in November. You’ll also learn what’s next for the organizations and how you can support or help continue their work.