TALLAHASSEE, Fla., — Ahead of the next elections, media executives and pundits are urging Black voters to reject voter apathy and see the ballot as an essential tool of strategic self-defense and policy leverage.
Jason Reed, CEO and co-owner of Image Lab Media Crew, described voting as an essential part of community progress and recognition.
“The Black vote matters because if we don’t vote, we don’t get what we deserve or what we want,” Reed said. “Black people built this country. … We need to stop taking it for granted, especially the Black vote, because we’re always the ones being forgotten and left behind.”
The warnings come amid ongoing legal battles over voting access across the country.
Journalist Joy-Ann Reid emphasized the critical role that Black electorates play in deciding national political outcomes, warning that federal protections are still under serious threat.
“The Black vote is the swing vote,” Reid said. “They’re trying to literally end the Voting Rights Act. Y’all see they’ve stripped it down to the bones. They’ve taken the skin off of it, the muscles off of it — they’ve stripped it to the bone.”
Roland Martin, a journalist, directly addressed the growing skepticism among young
voters, rejecting claims that individual ballots have no impact on daily life. Martin cited direct policy impacts on college students, such as federal loan caps and health insurance provisions in the Affordable Care Act that allow young adults to remain on family plans until the age of 26.
“Politics impacts every facet of our lives, whether we’re talking about city council, school board, county commissions, state legislature, or congressional races,” Martin said.
He mentioned that while Generation Z and millennials stand for a massive voter percentage, older generations voter turn out is at a higher rate.
Martin urged voters to focus heavily on local down-ballot races, noting that regional officials have direct control over critical issues.
“If you are in a dark room and there’s a lamp that’s unplugged, you have no light,” Martin said. “When you plug in that lamp, you now have power.”
Martin, author of “Black Forward: Marching Orders for the Fight Against Jim Crow 2.0,”emphasized that civic engagement should go beyond Election Day. He urged historic Black organizations, such as the Divine Nine, Prince Hall Freemasons, and The Links Inc., to mobilize, present a unified Black agenda, and consistently lobby local governments.
