Bethune-Cookman students, faculty march to the polls in Daytona Beach for early voting
DAYTONA BEACH — As a criminal justice major at Bethune-Cookman University, David Bartee has spent time in the classroom studying the politics of elections nationwide.
On Wednesday, however, the topic came into focus in the real world, as Bartee joined nearly six dozen Bethune-Cookman students, faculty and staff members for a “march to the polls” to participate in early voting and shine a light on the importance of being part of the election process.
“Everybody gets to understand how voting is going to affect them,” said Bartee, 24, a senior from West Palm Beach. “It’s a reminder for everyone to get out and vote, to know exactly what they are voting for and to understand the candidates, their values and ideals. It’s a movement to me.”
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Students met at the White Hall Chapel on the B-CU campus for the roughly half-mile march from the university west along Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard to Keech Street, where marchers headed north to an early-voting site at the Midtown Cultural & Educational Center on George W. Engram Boulevard.
The event was organized by the university’s Student Government Association, Political Engagement Committee and the Center for Law and Social Justice.
“The goal is to mobilize our students to get engaged with the civic and democratic process,” said Frank Wood, a B-CU professor who helped organize the event. “We want to motivate and energize the student body when it comes to civic engagement and voting. This election will have a huge impact on the state of Florida, their well-being and everyone’s well-being.”
While the motivation for many students was tied to the current political season and the upcoming Nov. 8 midterm election, the roots of the march were deeply entwined with the values and activism of the university’s founder, Mary McLeod Bethune. More than 100 years ago, in 1920, Bethune led another march to the polls in defiance of threats from the Ku Klux Klan.
That historical connection was reflected in the words of an opening invocation by the Rev. Randolph Bracy, a long-time pastor, dean and distinguished professor at B-CU.
“You are doing what was done by the university’s founder over 100 years ago,” Bracy told the students.
'Our votes do matter'
Along the route, students waved signs with the message “#BCU Votes” and chanted slogans — “Hey, hey, ho, ho, B-CU has got to vote!” and “Whose lives matter? Women’s lives matter!” among others.
In the parking lot of the Cultural Center, the marchers were greeted by a gauntlet of sign-toting political candidates in races for seats on the Volusia County Council as well as the Daytona Beach City Commission.
For many students, however, the event was more about the importance of the right to vote than allegiance to any candidate.
For Black voters in Florida, that right again has faced some challenges.
A federal judge in March struck down portions of a Florida election law passed last year, saying that the Republican-led government was using subtle tactics to suppress Black voters.
The law tightened rules on mailed ballots, drop boxes and other popular election methods — changes that made it more difficult for Black voters who, overall, have more socioeconomic disadvantages than white voters, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker wrote in his ruling.
“It’s really important for us to get out and cast our ballots,” said Alleah Dallas, a B-CU senior. “When you see how difficult it is to vote in some places, it makes it seem like our votes don’t matter. This lets people know that our votes do matter, and our votes do count.”
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That sentiment was echoed by Cynthia Slater, Volusia County-Daytona Beach NAACP President, who also participated in the march.
“We got the students out and that was the main thing, to raise awareness of the importance of voting,” Slater said. “This election is more important than any election I will see in my lifetime.
“It’s important to this state. As an African American young person, there’s so much on the table, so much on the line.”
Nearby, Rev. Bracy expressed the same feelings.
“People who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it,” said Bracy, 77, who witnessed the struggle for voting rights in the 1960s.
“This university has a legacy of speaking out against those who would suppress or stymie the vote,” he said. “That’s why this is so important. We’re reliving history. We’re standing on the shoulders of those who bore the heat of the day.”
For Bartee, the B-CU senior, the scene was inspiring.
“Seeing everyone out here, it’s a beautiful thing to see,” he said. “Everyone chanting, holding signs, showing that our votes matter. It’s a great thing.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: BCU students march to polls for early voting in Daytona
