Voter Mobilization: Barber pushes college students to the polls
A civil rights leader urged students in Mississippi to vote in Tuesday's election, citing high rates of food insecurity and rising costs for young voters.
By Ariana Flores ·
For many students at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, the upcoming Tuesday election represents their first chance to cast a ballot in a political race. The Rev. William Barber II, a former president of the North Carolina NAACP, addressed the group on Thursday to encourage them to participate. He told the students, "We’re not bowing, we’re voting."
Barber argued that the new generation must vote if it expects to see change in government. He cited a statistic from the previous election, noting that 90 million people did not vote. He pointed to the current Congress, which he said voted to reduce health care coverage for more than 20 million people and cut SNAP benefits for a similar number. Barber said that war and immigration enforcement spending now exceeds funding for health care and food.
Students at the college shared their own economic concerns, focusing on the cost of attending school and the price of basic necessities. Qasim Abdul-Tawwab, a student from Jackson, identified food insecurity as a primary issue. He noted that Mississippi has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation, particularly in the Delta region. Abdul-Tawwab said, "I feel like that’s an issue that needs to be solved as fast as possible."
Terry Rogers, another college student, linked various economic struggles to the concept of affordability. Rogers said that high gas prices and grocery costs are hitting young people hard. He observed that young voters are beginning to understand that elected officials play a role in these price increases. Rogers said, "A lot of young people are starting to feel the brunt of high gas prices and grocery prices."
Barber is traveling on a 100 Days of Voter Mobilization tour. He is organizing nonviolent marches to polling places before Election Day. On Thursday, he urged students to support Scott Colom, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat. The gathering aimed to inspire students to make a difference in their local community.
Following his speech at Tougaloo College, Barber is scheduled to speak to residents in Meridian that night. He will continue his effort to encourage voters in that area to participate in the November 3 election. The tour marks a multi-day effort to engage voters in the state ahead of the general election.
