By LaKeshia N. Myers
Representative LaKeshia Myers
“Hello, LaKeshia?” “Yes”, I said as I wiped the sleep from my eyes. I don’t normally answer the phone early on a Saturday morning, but when I saw it was my friend Santita, I knew something was going on. “Reverend is coming to Milwaukee and he needs you…”, I interrupted Santita mid-sentence and said, “let Rev. Jackson know whatever it is, I’ll take care of it.” For me, that was the only response. When Rev. Jesse Jackson says he needs you; you make time to make it happen. In this instance, Rev. Jackson mobilized his Rainbow/PUSH team to travel to battleground states to encourage voter participation. As part of his mission, he wanted to visit with high school seniors and college students to ensure they were registered to vote and activated to do so.
Traveling with Rev. Jackson to visit students at Brown Deer High School and hearing him impart his wisdom into another generation was not only inspiring, but it was also a testament to his commitment to the cause. Jesse Jackson first ran for president the year I was born; his two presidential runs greatly impacted the makeup of the Democratic Party, how we select delegates, the party’s platform, and how we conduct the business of the party. It was because of him (and his many pledged delegates from 1984 & 1988) that I have been able to serve as a delegate at two Democratic National Conventions. The reason caucuses have so much leverage in crafting the party platform, and the reason we try to ensure that the democratic tent is representative of the entire United States.
Rev. Jackson will be eighty-three next week. His body is now showing signs of the many marches, protests, negotiations, and political fights he has had to withstand. What was evident to me this past weekend, is that he intends to use his platform to light a fire in young people to carry on his legacy. That legacy is to defend democracy at all costs.
Rev. Jackson’s goal is to register 50,000 high school seniors before the November 5th election. As an educator, I am committed to ensuring this goal is met. I am encouraging all high school seniors, who will be eighteen years old on or before November 5, 2024, to register to vote. Visit your local election commission to register in person or visit. www.myvote.wi.gov to register online.
There is immense power in the vote. As a community, we must encourage everyone who can to cast their vote. We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.