Related Videos
Video Transcript
To get started So I'm connecting us thanks Nigel. Hey, Tamika Tamika ready, Thank you for joining us. We are actually live now, but do not start just yet will assign Vanessa is host and then you guys can get get started. Hello everyone. My name is Vanessa Gonzales and I am with the leadership conference civil and Human rights. Thank you so much for coming to turn up Tuesday. This is your first and you've never heard of us. the leadership conference on civil and Human rights is an old Organization with about 200 plus organizations who members. We are the coalition who centers civil in all all of work and so Turn Up Tuesday. We're gonna be focusing in particular on the state of what. Want to make sure that we honor and that we too burial Houston, Texas much too soon too early as well of his family feeding their loss. So we send our wishes and our strength to them. We will continue to to not only for mister Floyd, but Brianna Taylor and for the numerous black men and women and children who have been lost too soon and there's too many to name. so thank you. everyone everyone being here. you for somebody in the strength to come forward today. Thank you of voters who are still waiting waiting in line in Georgia. so appreciate you and and in today's turn up we really wanna match that power and strength because we want you to keep in mind. We want you to be able to stay and vote. So today we have Georgia had elections. We also had the Carolina's South Carolina and West Virginia, the latest update that we have from Georgia, which will be speaking to you is that now the secret. State has called an investigation into for so long and why there is is not enough voting machines so my wonderful guest today are gonna are gonna down into a really happened. They're all coming in from Georgia and from different perspectives and they voted so first. I to welcome to the stage Aker, who is our Georgia State Director all voting, is local Galen Toodle, who is from the National Whoops. toodle who's with the the National Federation of the Blind. yes, Handy Burris, who's our entrepreneur entertainer, and then Adkins. who's with pro So first, I'm gonna turn over to clean up because I saw you on Instagram today where you are delivering food and water and goodies to folks who are standing out there. So can you tell us a little bit about what happened today in Georgia? And today, I provided some to Georgia project. I myself with several other organizations on the ground in Georgia, including Georgia and other coalition partners have been supporting volunteers who go out the polls to stand with our voters and support them and encourage them not not to walk off the line today seen prior to seven AM lines that we're of people or more in certain areas right now, we're seeing people that are waiting for in line you see people that had to go to work that only have a limited. I wish to vote feel discouraged by the because is so long. a lot of the lines were because of our polling machines. Our Our voting machines weren't working a lot of places did not have paper to print the the ballots out on and we saw a lot lot of locations did not have proper staffing of coworkers and did not have enough provisional ballots to pass pass along everybody. So today was just a more so of support to the wonderful volunteers and the wonderful group of New Georgia project that has been standing with our voters that has been encouraging folks to continue to wait on that long line. It's hot today though rained today, even though they're getting all sorts of messages about the way just being hours hours, we we have so many fantastic people that are out here, encouraging with bottles of water with punches with snacks and ensuring that voters feel empowered and equipped to vote today. We're doing our but we can absolutely still need our government officials to do their best. We need our Secretary of state to step up to support our elections right now. Thank you. And I wanna make sure sure that folks understand that lot of what we're seeing seeing what's particular in in black communities and other communities color. So when we talk about voter suppression through partnership with in our campaigns with all the is and I vote, we really wanna be intentional about showing folks. is voter suppression. There's no no reason shouldn't be working. There's no reason people shouldn't paper to print ballots. You know the election is coming and especially right when we have folks out marching in all 50 States marching. So police violence on black bodies and so we're ready we're up to go and to appreciate everybody's out there doing this this work out there in and beyond. so I wanted to turn it over to Tamika Tamika. If you can tell us a little bit about what you're what you're seeing and also the been avoided. Thank you, Vanessa and thank you to all the other panelists. I'm honored to be on this panel with you all so I this the first time in in maybe five years that I have actually not been the field as one of the election protection volunteers I mean you know we saw lines from 630 morning before polls even opened right. We are are seeing are determined to vote even if it takes four and a half hours five hours we are receiving so. Calls to the Election Hotline that at certain points of the day, the has be paused so that we could could just kinda catch the live calls and then come back come back and go through all I mean for sheer quantity of complaint is just it's just it's a lot you know and right because we have to make to make sure that we the full story people wanna vote people making a connection in their body in their souls in their mind between the. And the rights went to yesterday and coming to to ballot box today and there's an energy of like we're gonna of people are getting messages to other folks line. you know to like encourage them to stay as long as there is more of a community and camaraderie in long line. This was avoidable right. Burn shouldn't be be on the community rain. You know, sticky humid heat you know. Long lines You You know we we're running into it. just so many we just you know purchased several chairs for seniors and people with disabilities others who may not be comfortable and available at able to stand in line for four four right. Some of the the polling are turning people away. They don't have Mass that is actually their choice and not something that's mandated law right and so we just partners going out to these locations handing out as many masks as possible we distributed. 3000 miles to the public in voting and today, and all of this is a strong coalition who've been doing this work together for nearly a decade. I was President didn't yesterday. It didn't start in in 2016 right, let's just take this back to when we had to count to count jellybeans African Americans to be able to access our right to vote. so there are know, massage and sneak ways disinfecting voters to trick us and to not knowing and believing valuing the power of our vote. Absolutely and thank you for for that tremendous work. Do have can you the election protection number. Just in case folks are still out there in line right line right now, as the number is eight six. our vote is 660 U R V O T T E N I Ofer is wearing the shirt with the phone number on it. We are encouraging everyone to call this number so we can have documented complaints and concerns and it is. That Braden or current Secretary state had to launch an investigation what went wrong Well, that will be interesting. I'm sure sure some of us can already outlined a couple of things that have gone wrong. as you said. this isn't the first year this has happened generational and I want to introduce mister Alan who has is a photo with limited vision I'd love to hear from you about how is this impacting your community? particularly as you? National Federation of the What are some of the ways that you are advocating for folks within your community. Hey, okay, Good afternoon and thank you for allowing me to be on this this panel well. well, you can only you only imagine the chaos that is that it's it's it's impacting blind voters. I refer to myself as a. Individual even though I don't, I do have some residual a blind and as guys know the process has been inaccessible from the very beginning. so with that being said, we're having people they're just they're just they're just going through. I I it's already it was already at point where they weren't able to successfully successfully navigate the voting process independently. With this going on have people there the MOM stands for the ability to ability to be able move around independently on on their the large long lines that impacts their to get a successfully independently. so they have the frustration there. There's a frustration with the the stuff not being set up machine I've I've had voters to go I've heard today they went in the machines weren't ready to have to set up the the quote special. For the disabled voters there are are precincts where have voting machines designated or or disabled voters, and that that is a start actually so that's a problem that we will will be with it's just a mess for my for our people and when I say people I'm referring to not only the those people who are blind, but other disabled folks who may be ambulatory challenge or or whatever again as. We've all said it mister Roberts solve this company. He knew this was coming because we told him these machines were not the machines to to you. we said that these weren't accessible. They're not ADA with the first of all that's the low and shouldn't have been rolled out anyway because that is the gas so it all goes back to the voter suppression thing it all goes back back to the fact that guys are pros at it. it goes on. it also goes back to the fact that Simply don't care there's section the population is gonna be totally in by this as far as having an that we're having today and what's so bad about it as we look out and we see all of the protests that are out out there guys and and it is obvious that they're not getting the message because these are the things that those guys are out there protesting something about this in. treatment injustice and simply going alone so ah people have a heart attack and we have been burning up office land and I want to give that number of well because they were called they have any issues that number is one two three two or four zero 498 zero nine, we need to advantage of this. I I mean we need to use these numbers and we need to also let our people know if we have to to stand if in line 70 'clock. and if that means we got to stand out, There's a 12 o 'clock and that's what that's what we need to do because the importance of this election without saying and I'm probably older than most of you guys. I'm 60 years old. so I The for the right to vote my parents we live. We grew up in a small South Georgia, where bonus' alive and well they will have to deal with that. like to me. it was the accounting and all that kind of stuff. so if so if you could ask for so it's because as I I look this it back role of suppressions still alive and well. It's just a high-tech now. so Yes sir. but. You and everybody on this panel as well for that for that fight and that information and and yes, that's really important message if you are in line stay in line and if you have have please call the Election Protection Hotline, I wanna turn it over to Candi Burris now who her I voted sticker on I voted today and so you are known around the world. People know your name. They know face and they probably think they know you and while I'm not and. we just love to hear you you have Why are you using your platform for this reason in particular and why now well? I've always used my platform to try to to make sure people get out and vote and I'm always preaching and preaching and to everybody who's listening that we need to get out and vote. not. It's just time to to vote for President but at all elections and I personally feel that the local. Are the ones that affect us the most you know and especially you for myself, you know, I'm I'm a a business Well, you know television. So for me, like everything you do at the level is gonna affect your business. It affects your your community. everything and so a lot of people don't even think about that. A lot of people think to go to the poll when it's a presidential election and so I'm just constantly preaching about it. I have to say a lot of friends today they they did experience long lines and it was a lot of people well, a friend of mine said they had broken machines she was where she was voting at. but unfortunately for me, my experience was not the same when I went to vote today. wasn't long at all and it was very disappointing to me because I live in an area where there's a majority of African-Americans and so personally was hoping to get there in the line will be all the way down the Street out the door, but it wasn't. And so even though I feel this year, are more serious about getting out there and making their voices heard. I need them to be really making their voices heard at the polls as well. Yup, 100 percent. Thank you for that and thank you for your continued advocacy on this. I wanna really hone in point, but we are seeing what we're folks fighting for police budgets right, those are things that are decided at the local level and so while you're. See the ads on presidential fights while always always gonna some congressional and Senate ads, local level is where some some of the really need need to be checked. And so your city budget comes from right. That's how we decide education funding at local level. So just just to echo's really, it's it's that muscle and knowing what you're gonna go to vote lower where the resources are know where to go and you have an issue which you've a couple of resources today. so thank you so much for lifting up that important point and I. Turn it back over to Kleine is local is again, a sister Organization Organization of the leadership on civil and Human rights, and one of the things that you all are charged with in each of these States is working to electoral system. system. So can you give us a little bit of insight into some of the stuff you're working on and that continue for Georgia. Sure we will continue to work with our coalition partners to ensure that we hold the Secretary of State's office accountable for our elections. I think a really and continuing theme throughout that all of these were avoidable along with other coalition partners. We We have been have been pushing we have been asking for the Secretary of State's to implement common sense strategies that could have been in effect for this election and we are going to continue to push to make sure make sure that they are effect for November. One common theme that theme that I think is clear that's happening is that this is a symptom of institutional racism that we're seeing in play Georgia. This is where where this is coming from. We are seeing a lot of these issues, a lot of the backlogs a lot of the long lines predominantly black and Brown communities if we to take Fulton an example, Sandy Springs, that is the part of Fulton County White community. do not have long lines today, but we we see so many other black and Brown communities Welton and and County with lines that around buildings for people to vote. We see that they do not have enough machines to accommodate. Voters that are voting there. We see these issues as just remnants of an institutional racist policies throughout our election systems. That's what this is. we will continue to work coalition partners like pro the Coalition for the People's Agenda, like all of these other groups that are out here on the ground, making sure that we hold our Secretary of state's office accountable and again I cannot stress enough for those of you out here that can hear my voice. There are still standing in line that are uplifted. To continue to vote, please do and if do encounter any issues, please call the hotline 18 six our vote Our election Protection hotline. I am also on call today. so if you do have any issues, please reach out, we will be there to answer your call and to encourage you to keep your voice and your vote matters. Thank so much that's amazing. let me get. can you tell how folks locally get more involved. I think a lot of people are. Trying to search for how they can hear voices magnified and really make an impact on the local level and oftentimes is working with groups such as Georgia and others that you all have mentioned. can you just let let people know how they can start to in absolutely so I think one thing that it matters matters to me and it's important for long term sustainable organizing people need an organizational home. voting is one act. Voting is a part of an overall strategy for building power for black and communities right but it's the only only app and it has to be over and over over again that means I think exactly like miss Candie said voting every year right, importance of local and city elections municipal elections really directly impact their you feel that right away. We're talking about district attorneys seats. We're talking about excuse me Board of elections. We're talking about you know. I'm talking about sheriff like you feel that. Right away and you know, then there's going to state Capitol and holding the people accountable right to the platform to your to the messaging they put out there when they were running for office and then if they don't hold the line if they don't meet your needs, then you them out. and so and so that's what mean about. this is an ongoing integrated civic engagement work that it becomes a practice in everything that we do and it's really difficult to do that as an individual right, really there's. Not just the numbers right cuz that's just meant, but the strength of community right and is how we operate as a and a tribe. So we just lean into that heavily so Pro Georgian organizes large scale registration civic engagement efforts with 38 partner organizations across Georgia and issues very very a across the state from advocating for immigrant rights, LGBT housing security, economic Justice, reform or reproductive, and. Right, what we we all have in that all have an integral belief that voter registration and voting has to to be of all of the organizing work that we're doing like we can't have big plans to campaigns that do not include registering our folks folks to vote. you can out more more information about all 30 - eight partners. We nice little quicker along with you know with drop box location on if you have an absentee ballot that you did not turn in, you can still drop it off Drop box have any ques about voting go GA dot Org. Thank you so much. That's fantastic. I hope everybody is taking notes. We'll also be posting things chat with the wonderful organizations that you join I wanna wanna make sure again leadership conference on and human go to voting is local and go to and still vote and sign up on any of those websites, which are all all under our umbrella. You'll information. all voting is local. It'll have a listing of States that folks also working in and you can plug in directly including. Work with Lima so we're to time, but I want to finish off with question that we have started asking since my sister-in-law Allison started this and I'm gonna kick over to you. Tamika first, The final question is what gives you hope. That's for me for Tamika and we'll go okay. what gives me hope most immediate moment one is the protest that are happening not just across the country but around world. what gives me hope is the people that are leading protests in their authentic self and unapologetic about their rage and about about demands and the last thing that gives me hope you know very frankly. Four year-old my nine my nine year old are very anxious and eager to join protests. We're making some signs you know the children they know they know they know they know they're much smarter. I feel like this generate coming generations. amazing. Galen you talked about how your parents all plott for the right vote and all the things that you've seen in your lifetime of advocacy. So can you give us some inspiration and tell us what gives you hope? Well, yes, piggy backing what Tomi said. First and foremost, It is is the mindset and the mentality and the energy of those those protesters I have been in thing a long time so I love it. I love that energy. I love the spirit and it's the right thing to do What me hope also is that the fact that this is undying and it is ongoing. It is it is live it is and it's so it's a. Now back get it it was more you know with more Brown more Brown there. there. is a great cross-section, multi diverse group of people who are saying simply we're not gonna take it anymore so that probably is is is the biggest thing it is is a multi-pronged It's a systemic racism, and with that being said with all of those folks involved in the movement, we can't lose. That candy, what gives you hope I to be an an Echo and keep repeating what they just said, but as soon as you you said the question immediately, I thought about protest and I I constantly think about how many young people that I'm seeing seeing out there who really leading this movement. I personally like now that we have people of races all around the the world that they just they just they just wanna see an end systemic of periods. I think that's how we're gonna make more change. And I think now that actually a lot of companies out there saying how can we can we help? I think we need to get out demands but more of a list of demands that we wanna see for diversity in their executive staff and when we started sending more voices being able to mix in the room of the of the people who are actually making decisions, feel like that's when we're gonna continue to see change and by making so much noise right now, those people are listening and we need to demand that we wanna see more diversity in those rooms. Yes. So much and we know that matters, it makes a a difference who's at table. You have to be heard you have to be heard or else you just have even if people wanna be helpful and they wanna you know show that they care if they don't know what to do then, how can they help? We have have our voices in those rooms so that we can be the ones saying Hey, this is what needs to be done and then the action get the right action taken or else. You're just gonna have a whole bunch of bunch of people throwing at a problem, and they don't even know what they're doing, 100 percent 100 percent. I thank you. I appreciate that and I'm gonna turn it over to clean up, which gives you hope. Everybody on this call everybody. that's here protesting everybody that understands that we have a problem in this country that understands that doesn't look the way that it works now everybody who knows that we have to turn out to vote that we have to dismantle barriers to voting racism is a problem in this country, and it must be addressed all of these people that have have together in this moment. Give me hope I feel so very uplifted by all of the people that are willing to be here doing this work and that are willing to show up. Make sure work has consequences so I appreciate everybody. that's out here watching this right I everybody on this call. I especially appreciate all of our voters that are are still waiting in line they understand that it matters because they will not be deterred because they know know is just one step just one dismantling a system that has done everything to push them out. So I'm so thankful for each and every voter out there today and can't wait to see what we do in August for a run offs and we'll see you again. Yes, Thank you so much. Thank all so much for all of energy for all of your passion for for dedicating your lives and your voice to fight so everyone standing in line is listening. We're still fighting for you. We will all continue to fight for you. Please in that your voice and your vote matters to a couple of points that some some of our guests made voting is step. It's not a magic and so we need to continue to exercise that muscle local organizations, school board chief of you name. Keep voting all the way to the President and then then we also need to make sure that stay engaged right. What is the policy look like? what is the structural change? Look like what did it like and again. While urging everyone, please stay on the line please vote if if you the opportunity to vote from home, please do that. But please just vote again. Thank you all so much. Thank you to all of our appreciate you and we'll see you next Tuesday for Turn Up Tuesday. Thanks everyone. Thank you. Thank you. Hi everyone. Bye.