Yes, I voted!

Congratulations to the 219,101 and 28,986 D.C. and Ward 5 residents respectively that carried out their civic duty. Whether you braved the cold and rain, voted early or by absentee ballot, you deserve to give yourself a pat on the back.  If “Yes, I voted” wasn’t a declaration you could make this morning then don’t dare criticize the results.

Voting is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal. For the African American community it stands on the backs and bloodstained bodies of our civil rights heroes. The cornerstone being the Voting Rights Act of 1965. If you realize how tenuous this right is – consider that not all parts of this act are permanent. In fact, the most recent example can be seen in Shelby County v. Holder.

We will dig deeper into the numbers next week, but for today, “Good Job!” to those that participated. To those that didn’t vote keep in mind that you definitely can’t change the narrative when you don’t vote.