PRE-MORAL MONDAY MARCH EVENT
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Film showing at WSSU
draws huge crowd before
Moral Monday march
bytevinstinson
t^r chronicle
On Thursday, July 9, over 150 filed into the Student
Activity Center on the campus of Winston-Salem State
University to learn more and about the N.C. 2013 voter
law and the Moral Monday March.
The turnout has sparked plans for more such meetings
atWSSU.
During the town hall-style meeting, a documentary
titled "Ferguson. A Report from Occupied Territory" was
shown, followed by an open discussion mediated by
members of WSSU Student Government Association.
The film, directed by Tim Pool, examines the prob
lems of racial injustice in and around the town of
Ferguson, Missouri. In the documentary, Pool turns to the
residents of St. Louis County to tell viewers what it's like
to be racially profiled.
After the film showing, community members and stu
dents from WSSU talked about how the struggles of the
people in Ferguson relates back to the Moral Monday
March and all it represents.
WSSU Student Body President Kyle Brown believes
it is important for a younger generation to take charge and
make a difference.
"The film was very powerful," Brown said. "It is time
for our generation to take charge of the movement. These
laws that are set in place
will affect us the most."
The law being dubbed
the "Monster Voter |
Suppression Bill" by the
N.C. NAACP attacked
young people's right to vote
by eliminating pre-registra
tion for eligible 16- and 17
year-olds.
"I want young people to
participate and get
involved." Brown said.
Linda Sutton, member and organizer for Democracy
N.C., said the film showed her that this is not just about
politics but quality of life.
"If nobody says anything, nothing will happen,"
Sutton said. "We have to wake up and make a change not
only with politics but quality of life as well."
Democracy N.C. is a nonpartisan organization that
uses research and organizing to increase voter participa
tion and reduce the influence of big money in politics. For
over 20 years. Democracy N.C. worked to protect democ
racy in the state and promote citizen ownership of govern
ment.
After the town hall meeting, Demonte Alcord, first
vice president of the N.C. NAACP Youth and College
Division, talked about the schedule for the rally and how
important it is to be educated on the case and get involved.
"We can't just sit by and watch our rights be taken
away from us like this," Alcord said. "We will not just sit
by and just watch times change. This is the new South,
and I believe we can make a difference."
The event was so successful that throughout the
upcoming school year, the SGA of WSSU will hold simi
lar town hall meetings to continue the discussion on racial
suppression in the state and ways to extinguish it.
"I want to keep this going," said Brown. "We will
write down everything that was discussed here today and
keep it for later discussions we have late in the year."
Photos by Tevin Stinsoo
Over ISO people filled the Student Activity Center on the campus ofWSSU on
Thursday, July 9 for a viewing of the documentary Ferguson: A Report from
Occupied Territory, and to discuss the Moral Monday March for Voting Rights.
Events
from pageAl
Voting Rights Act of 1965; and the strug
gle that is still ongoing today for voters'
rights and the impact that it has on African
Americans. Holmes-Johnson urged the
crowd to be strategic as part of the move
ment and to continue the struggle to the
fight.
The session proceeded with words
from the opening speaker, Attorney
Theodore Shaw, who is also director of the
UNC Center for Civil Rights. Shaw dis
cussed Vernon Dahmer, who was killed in
1966 fighting to register voters. He dis
cussed Dahmer's saying that he quoted
during his lifetime, "If you don't vote, you
don't count," which was why he lead the
struggle that he led. Shaw then discussed
the importance of voting, for he explained
how the Right to Vote is sacred, and that
one has to fight or one can't win. Shaw
then followed it up by saying, "Life has
meaning only in struggle; let us celebrate
in the struggle."
The Teach-in also contained a video
viewing of "This is Our Selmawhich
was followed by panelist speakers Tyler
Swanson. nolitical
* I
action chair of the
N.C. NAACP Youth
and College; Vashti
Hinton, N.C. A&T
student and
arrestee; Isela
G u i t i e r e z ,
Democracy N.C.
Swanson dis
cussed his overall
concern about hav- .
ine the risht to vote.
c -~o ? * *
which is slowly being taken away.
Swanson also urged everyone to be
involved in every election.
Hinton discussed the effect H.B.
(House Bill) 589 has on the college stu
dents, such as not having the right to vote.
She also expressed the importance of being
able to vote.
Guitierez discussed H.B. 589, also
known as the Monster Bill, and the tour
that is used to help educate the people
about the ramifications within the law that
ic til'ir?rr ou/otr ru?r?_
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pie's right to vote.
Guitierez also dis
cussed the dangers
that are contained
within the law.
Sessions on the
agenda also includ
ed: "Racial
Violence and
Criminal (In)
Justice: From
jcuiia IU
Charleston"; "The Fight for Economic
Justice and Living Wages"; and "Building
Coalitions to Sustain a Social Justice
Movement."
City Council Member Derwin
Montgomery was at the teach-in. He dis
cussed his hope in the court responding to
the N.C. NAACP position and expressed
his concern with the law. Montgomery
expressed doubt that he would currently
have his position if the law were in place
when he was elected, for he is a product of
early/same day registration. Montgomery
believes that voting rights should be made
as easy as possible for the people.
Montgomery said he is trying to help in his
own way by educating the people about
what is exactly going on, and how it affects
more than a few individuals.
University of North Carolina at
Greensboro student and Ignite N.C. mem
ber Femi Shittu hopes the N.C. NAACP
wins, for she expressed the struggle she
has seen firsthand when trying to vote.
"Last time I voted, half of the students was
not able to get to vote," Shittu said. Shittu
ultimately expressed her concern about the
voting laws affecting the overall livelihood
of people, for she feels it affects living
choice and trying to get established.
Shittu
Montgomery
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