Voting Is a Down Payment on the Cost of Freedom

Lest we forget, the restrictive race, class, and gender control of voting was part of the national oppressive development paradigm that included [1] the theft of land along with the murder and incarceration of the original landowners; [2] the implementation of chattel slavery; [3] the use of rugged capitalism by aristocrats; and [4] xenophobia. Commenting on the significance of voting, the NAACP noted that "White men, age 21 and older, who owned property were given the right to vote in 1776. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution removed racial barriers to voting in 1870, but states continued to practice voter discrimination and continued to deny Black voters a chance to participate in elections. The right to vote was extended to white women in 1920. It wasn't until 1965, after years of intimidation, murders, and advocacy that the path to the voting booth was cleared for Black people with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965…"

“Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won; you earn it and win it in every generation.”

— Coretta Scott King

Today, the right and freedom to vote remain under attack by those who yearn for the "yesteryears" of White, male, race and class-based discrimination. That is precisely why, similar to many others, Coretta Scott King reminded us that "Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won; you earn it and win it in every generation." Thus, for example, one generation of Black Americans after another [1] participated in the victory over chattel slavery; [2] after the Civil War — during Reconstruction — began to participate significantly in government as well as engaged in various forms of self-determination; [3] fought valiantly to overcome Jim Crow laws, other forms of de jure and de facto segregation; and [4] steadily progressed under the political/judicial banners of "affirmative action" as well as "diversity, equity and inclusion." Fundamental to all Black progress in America has been the ebb and flow related to Black voter participation in local, state, and federal processes.

Presently in America, in significant part because of who "we the people" did or did not vote for, [1] we are engaged in an illegal war with Iran; [2] higher education is under serious attack by the federal government; [3] educational attainment remains structurally uneven according to race and class; [4] housing is increasingly unaffordable; [5] masked men roam American streets rounding up people as if they were stray cattle; [6] hate crimes are increasingly prevalent; [7] childcare is, for the most part, unaffordable; [8] women have less control over their bodies in general and reproductive justice in particular; [9] ridiculous tariffs have been placed on America's most friendly nations; and [10] some people face a choice between purchasing gas instead of groceries.

If you want [1] intimidating, armed, masked, ICE officers out of your neighborhood; [2] readily available, high-quality Head Start; [3] new school board members; [4] better garbage pickup; [5] a decrease in hate crimes; and [6] greater planning for Data Centers, then you must vote! If you are tired of embarrassing but consequential POTUS banter regarding "New America," "Lake America," and Canada being the "51st State," then send POTUS a message via your vote. Similarly, if you are "sick and tired of being sick and tired" of Senator John Fetterman's conduct, then send him a message with your vote. On the other hand, if you endorse the behavior of progressive member of Congress Summer Lee, then send her a message with your vote.

Of special importance for equity and social justice are major decisions by the Supreme Court whose members are selected by the POTUS to whom "we the people" give our votes. Starting in 1896, for example, the Supreme Court ruled that "separate but equal" was unconstitutional. In 1954, the Brown v. Board decision began the process of school desegregation. Conversely, in 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against "race-conscious" college admissions. Most importantly, who we vote for in the next elections will have profound impact on who is appointed to the Supreme Court — a Court that clearly does not administer justice in a blind fashion.

If you want, sooner than later, to have a country that ceases being a systemic racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, caste-like society — with resulting health, housing, and higher education disparities — then vote! In sum, voting is perhaps the most significant power embedded in "we the people." One person who understands the foregoing is the current POTUS who, on September 9, 2026, engaged in the dishonest and possibly illegal process of grifting when he promised to give $5,000 to every adult citizen if the Republicans win the midterm elections.