About 70 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. The Board of Education dismantled the barriers of racial segregation in schools, profoundly impacting many African American students, including my grandmother. In the fall of 1965 in Ocala, Florida, 12 Black children, including my grandmother Lillie Tuggerson, bore witness to the transformative impact of this landmark decision as they desegregated North Marion High School. As a courageous ninth grader, she stood amidst a sea of prejudice, with only eleven classmates willing to accept her. Despite facing daily threats and needing escorts to ensure her safety, she pursued her education with unwavering determination, driven by the relentless pursuit of a brighter future for her family.
“Students need to vote because this election is about freedom and liberty,” Tuggerson tells GU. “In the ’60s, I was firm with civil rights because it was unfair for people to make cultures inferior and feel better than the other. That is slavery. That is bondage. What I see now is authoritarianism. It is not democracy, and it feels like a bad dream. I started voting again because I didn’t want my grandchildren to go through what we went through. We were picked on every day. We had to use different broken down restrooms and went in back doors to restaurants and businesses. We don’t want that again.”
Now, here we are, nearly seven decades after the Brown case decision, wondering about the role Black Americans play in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Trends indicate that public schools are resegregating, and a conservative victory could reverse the Supreme Court’s decision. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, during the 2020-2021 school year, over a third of students (about 18.5 million) attended schools where 75 percent or more of the students were of a single race or ethnicity. This issue is exacerbated by school district boundaries, which often dictate student enrollment and perpetuate segregation along racial and ethnic lines.
Read ‘Beyond The Ballot: Everything To Know About The 2024 Election Season’
For many young Zillennials who may be voting for the first time, many can’t help but wonder if the challenges we face today are a troubling echo of the past. With assaults on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, reproductive rights, and affirmative action, this upcoming election feels more pivotal than ever before. For students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), civic engagement is not just encouraged; it’s part of our institutional fabric. In the 2020 election, Spelman graduate Stacy Abrams orchestrated a historic voter turnout in Georgia, a feat that significantly contributed to the Biden-Harris victory.
Additionally, her efforts led to the election of Democratic U.S. senators from Georgia, marking a historic moment as Morehouse alumnus Raphael Warnock and the first Jewish senator from Georgia, Jon Ossoff, were sent to the Senate. The significant influence that Kamala Harris and female voters had on my decision to pursue my illustrious institution cannot be overlooked.
Vice President Kamala Harris, whose journey inspired me to attend Howard University, epitomizes the transformative impact of education and representation. I vividly recall committing to Howard on her inauguration day, confident that this esteemed institution would equip me to excel and leave my indelible mark on history. Students across the country had the same passion for choosing their institutions, not knowing that throughout our college years, we would deal with policies that attempt to minimize our people rather than maximize their mobility.
Howard University alumna Julianna Boye said that navigating a world with changing policies is not easy, but attending an HBCU gave her the space to advocate for important issues. “Navigating the intersectionality of being a Black woman in America is no easy task when every day, it seems as if people in our country are trying to take away our freedoms,” Boye tells GU. “HBCUs provide environments where Black students can form an identity rooted in activism, and they are crucial bastions of empowerment by merely existing.”
Read ‘Passive Politics: Have Memes Desensitized Us In Terms Of The Election Process?’
The federal government’s money is undoubtedly used to support important programs at these schools. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University student and Chief of Staff of the Florida Student Association Elijah Hooks said that the DE&I policies have affected programs at FAMU. “Recently, with the new policies regarding DEI, FAMU Student government was no longer allowed to have our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department,” Hooks says. “This has affected our process in ensuring our school can keep its diversity, be equitable, and promote inclusion campus wide on behalf of students. As well as other various funding lines throughout the University that handled DEI.”
In contrast, on March 1, 2024. The University of Florida closed its Chief Diversity Officer’s office, eliminated DEI roles, and terminated DEI-focused contracts to comply with Florida Board of Governors regulations. With our rights on the line, there are things, as HBCU students, we cannot ignore, like the funding of our schools and attacks on reproductive rights. President Biden announced during his speech at the Morehouse College commencement ceremony that his administration had committed $16 billion to HBCUs. In contrast, Trump’s pledge to these institutions amounted to only $1 billion over the span of four years. North Carolina A&T student Kylie Rice emphasized the importance of HBCU student voting, highlighting its critical role in supporting their institutions.
“I believe students at HBCUs must be involved in the political process,” she says. “Specifically, [North Carolina A&T] is a public state school, so lawmakers and elected representatives directly influence state legislation and funding. If we do not vote and get involved in the political process, decisions are being made on our behalf without our input.”
With 64 percent of the students at HBCUs being women, it’s evident that they will likely align with the many women who prioritize reproductive rights issues. In today’s political landscape, abortion stands as a deeply polarizing issue between presidential candidates. Progressives typically champion abortion rights, emphasizing women’s autonomy and access to safe procedures. Conversely, conservatives often prioritize restrictions on abortion, citing concerns about the sanctity of life.
The emotionality and historicity of women’s advancements have evolved surely and have come with painstaking sacrifices. The November election must be weaponized as a chance to salvage Roe v. Wade. As students, we can shape history and demand equitable voting rights from our state authorities. If we remain comfortable, we relinquish our opportunity to influence democracy. Let us remember Frederick Douglass’s statement, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” No doubt, for today’s generation, that means voting.
About the Author: Asia Alexander is a student at Howard University, working on all things pop culture, politics, entertainment and business.