The Bloomington-Normal branch of the NAACP held a “Rally for Democracy” Sunday afternoon to draw attention to the upcoming general and municipal elections, and to raise awareness about the importance of voting and community engagement.
In a news release, organizers described the event was designed to “share the importance of voting, elections, and community galvanization.”
The event was originally scheduled to be held in the parking lot of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Bloomington, but was moved to the church basement due to inclement weather.
Attendees were given “passports” to fill out with their names, some information about themselves, and stamps showing they went to each booth at the event, including those organized by the West Revitalization Project Book Bike’s Karen Schmidt, representatives from the McLean County Health Department and the Laborers International Union, and local activist Nikki Williams.
“We’re here… trying to get ahead of the game as far as educating individuals about democracy and how it works, and the benefits of it,” local NAACP chapter president Linda Foster told WGLT. “And so we’re hoping that individuals who come today will learn that, and then will leave here more informed and more educated and able to tell others about it.”
Foster added it’s important to have events like this in advance of the Nov. 5 presidential election to “ensure that [everyone] gets accurate information.”
“Even though we are small and mighty because of the rain… the ones who are here are in for a treat,” she said.
Food was served about half way into the event, shortly after Foster spoke to the crowd.
“We want to make sure that [voting] is a priority for you,” she told those gathered. “Your values are on the ballot, your mission is on the ballot, who you represent and who you are is on the ballot.”
Foster made sure to impress on those attending that it is not just the upcoming November election that matters, but the municipal elections next April, as well.
“There are some major positions in Bloomington-Normal that are on the ballot,” said Foster, referencing McLean County Board races in November and the upcoming mayoral elections on both sides of Division Street in the spring.
While the event was non-partisan, Foster said “non-partisan doesn’t mean that you don’t vote for somebody… Today we’ve got to do what’s right, and in order to do what’s right, we’ve got to be all in!”
The crowd joined Foster in cheering “all in” at the end of her speech.
“My message is about the philosophy associated with being all in,” NAACP chapter vice president Carla Campbell-Jackson told WGLT about what she wants attendees to get out of the event. “And we’re not only all in for democracy, but we’re all in when we talk about eliminating racism and discrimination, we’re all in with making sure every citizen feels empowered.”
“The NAACP is non-partisan, but obviously we’re engaged in the political process, as we should be,” she added.
“It started out with talking to African American men ages 18 to 35 or 45,” the branch’s political action chair Georgene Chissell said about the origins of the event. “That’s how it started, but it then changed into something bigger.”
What the NAACP branch is trying to do is, Chissell said, “help people understand the importance of democracy, because we get so many of our African American men saying, ‘I don’t vote, I don’t do politics, I don’t want a woman in office,’ and so we thought we would do something like this.”
Chissell said the main thing the NACCP wants to get from attendees is to understanding what prevents them from reaching their goals. This is why representatives from the trade unions and the health department were at the event, prepared to answer questions and get in contact with attendees in need of information.
A woman named Deanne who attended the event told WGLT she was inspired to come because she’s grown frustrated with friends and family who complain more than anyone else she knows about politics, but don’t vote themselves.
When she was young, she was “oblivious” to politics, adding, "most of us are oblivious.” She said she didn’t really start paying attention to politics until she was around 30.
“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain later,” she said.
