Coming of Age through Grassroots Organizing
Hector Acevedo
Making sure that young people have opportunity to express themselves through social activism has become one of my greatest passions.
It is important that young people become politically active; recently I was able to take young people out in Cambridge to register people to vote. This would allow them to experience the same struggles that Robert Moses faced during the 1960’s while he was registering people to vote. Though we didn’t have to worry about the Klan, while registering people to vote, Jessica a MLW sent me a text that read: “This is so hard, people are rude they are just walking away from us I think it is because we are black”.
When I read her text message I was overcome by sadness. Her text became a reassurance that race is still a major factor in this country and a “liberal” city such as Cambridge. The young people did lot let anyone’s bad attitude bring them down, they understood the importance of their work. I felt like an extremely proud father. They reached out to many unregistered and uneducated voters and created change.
It is unfortunate that people take their right to vote for granted. Voting is not only a right it is a responsibility. I often hear people complaining about their elected officials or public policies. However, they refuse to vote in order to create the change that is needed. Every vote counts, one vote is not more important than another.
Voting allows individuals to express themselves; every vote is equivalent to a thousand voices chanting for equality. Every vote is equivalent to the everlasting strength given by Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. or Ella Baker.
