I know this may be a little bit of a different tone for this column but it needs to be said: the city — our nation even — is at a major tipping point.
We’re just about a month away from an all-important mayoral election in Birmingham. My focus is not on the candidates because the candidates will do what the candidates will do, but my focus is on you, City of Birmingham.
We are facing unprecedented times in our country. And my question to you is: What will it take to get you to get up and move and cast your vote in the upcoming municipal elections on August 26? Because inevitably, what affects one in the city eventually affects all of us. This is no longer a time to keep turning our heads and keep ignoring things “just as long as it doesn’t affect me.”
And while I’m at it, let me go ahead and encourage you to make sure if you didn’t cast your ballot in this last presidential election, make sure that changes the next go round as well.
But locally, let’s make our voices known on August 26. We can do better than not showing up to vote. The numbers from the last mayoral election in 2021 are absolutely appalling — 36,791 of Birmingham’s 145,564 registered voters appeared at the polls, for a turnout of 25.3 percent. That meant almost 75 percent of all registered voters who live in the community didn’t show up to vote in the last municipal elections for mayor, city council and Board of Education.
I truly don’t understand how a city known as the cradle of the Civil Rights movement has become lulled into inaction, complacency and laziness. And listen, I haven’t always been this vigilant, but time has brought about a change to where I say now “just get up and go vote. The city needs you.”
Please, no more excuses; no more apathy; and no more indifference. I know this column may be a little bit of a different tone, but at the end of the day, just know I’m always cheering for you as we face unprecedented times in our country.
