MY TRUTH: It’s that time of year again

By Cheryl Smith

Wednesday morning, I was a guest on a show talking about voting and how we can get folks to the polls.

Prior to the show, I was thinking about what the heck I was going to talk about. What could I say that would be considered as intelligent, thought-provoking, profound and actually having an impact on potential voters?

I knew that host Stacy Brown, of Let it Be Known, the show representing the Black Press of America, would be addressing the key issues and races across the country. I just wondered what could possibly be said that would make folks rush to the polls like in the movie, Head of State, featuring comedians Chris Rock and the late, great Bernie Mac.

In the scene, reporters announced that the polls were closed on the East Coast and there was a chance that a Black man could become president. Next thing you know the camera switches to scores of white people running from their homes to the polls.

Oh if there is something we could say or do to get that response from our audiences!

Which brings me to my truth.

I am going to be on the phone every day for the next week. I am going to call people
I know and ask them to get up and go vote. Every conversation that I have with anyone is going to include some dialogue about voting.

This is the least I can do.

I have already voted.

Did I vote the entire ballot?

Yes, I did!

Was I challenged with some of the races where I had to make a choice?

Sure was!

Were there some races where I wished the person had a challenger?

Heck yes?

Did I write in names for some races? For the first time in ages, yes!

And sadly I chose whether or not to vote for some people who look like me but have not done much to make life better for people like me.

You get the picture?

I need people to understand that voting is critical, that each vote matters and can make the difference — just like a non-vote can do.

What we do today will have a definite impact on generations to come.

We want them to be proud of us.

Not voting will do nothing but embarrass them and they’ll be lying like other descendants who try to deny their history.