“Getting the Good Done”: An Evening With Voting Rights Activist Stacey Abrams
By: Isis Amusa, KPU Strategic Communications Specialist
In 2018, I looked down at a ballot for the very first time on my own and saw the name of the first Black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in the U.S. Though she didn’t win, I not only felt like I was participating in a huge historical moment when I cast my vote for and put my faith in Stacey Abrams, but it was one of the most outstanding moments of pride I have experienced as a Black woman growing up in Georgia. This past summer, I looked down at a ballot once again to see the late Representative John Lewis’ name, and I was filled with that same pride. Later, in December, I checked the boxes for senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, and my pride was further solidified.
Now in 2021, that pride has only continued to grow as I’ve watched the political landscape and access to voting in Georgia change before my very eyes. After historic presidential and senate runoff elections bolstered by a large coalition of BIPOC and women voting rights advocates, the Kennedy Political Union and Founder’s Week team could think of no one more fit to speak to the true gravity of these efforts. As a part of our Black History Month series and to kick off American University’s Founders Week, we hosted Ms. Abrams for a conversation on voter suppression, the recent elections, and her own experiences as minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, the founder of the Fair Fight non-profit, and a champion of voter rights advocacy work.
Regardless of party, there’s no doubt that the efforts of Ms. Abrams and this vast coalition of voting rights advocates over the last three years must be considered a monumental step in the right direction. Disenfranchised Black and brown communities are beginning to have greater access to democracy and as Ms. Abrams said, when this occurs, “the voices that you hear are extraordinary.” As I’ve heard these voices become louder and louder in my own communities, I’ve noticed a newfound sense of invigoration and determination surrounding voting among all people, especially youth. Many local Georgia universities have started their own Fair Fight chapters and are carrying forward the very same work that Ms. Abrams failed to garner support for as a high school and college student. Now, as an undergraduate student myself, seeing Georgia go blue in November was a welcome shock to my system.
Ms. Abrams was quick to clarify, however, that voting won’t be the end all be all to our nation’s systemic problems, despite the fact that she feels it is one of many ways to “cement democracy as truth.” She highlighted voter suppression as just one of the many things that Black and brown people in the South in particular are subjugated by, and she recognized the limits her own work has in dismantling these oppressive systems. But as Ms. Abrams later went on to explain, there’s no one way to do good, what matters is “getting the good done,” regardless of the position you hold in society.
At such a political, incredibly “wonky” school that sometimes feels like it loses sight of grassroots efforts, it was refreshing to hear this perspective from arguably one of the most influential political leaders of our time on the role that we can all play as students and beyond. One of my favorite quotes from Ms. Abrams last night was the idea that “just because I didn’t have the title didn’t mean I didn’t have the responsibility.” She further clarified that positions you hold should never compete with or work to reduce who you are and the values you have.
As a journalism student still struggling to find my own strength, navigate my own constantly brimming frustration, and my yearning to find the solutions to the issues I care about, I was incredibly grateful for Ms. Abrams’ insight and her recognition that this work has never been done alone and it always, always takes time.
Despite her incredible prowess, Ms. Abrams remained humble yet firm, reasonable and hesitant to be idealistic, yet hopeful all the while. We couldn’t have had a better event to begin rounding out Black History Month and our programming series or a better kicking off of AU’s Founder’s Week. The Kennedy Political Union is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to bring speakers that our student body values, and we appreciate you all for making this one of our most successful events this year. We can’t wait to see you all at the rest of the Founder’s Week events!
For live tweets of this event, check out our Twitter, @AUSGKPU!
For more from Ms. Abrams and Fair Fight CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo on turning states blue, check out their New York Times opinion here!
