NSBE - January/February 2008 - (Page 11)

From the NationalChair Using Our Power By Darryl Athos Dickerson NSBE National Chair O n Feb. 3, 1870, nearly five years after the end of the Civil War, Iowa became the 28th state to ratify the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving the measure the three-fourths majority it needed to pass, and marking the first time African Americans were able to vote in large numbers. A brief period of expanding, hard-won political power followed for blacks in this country, especially in the South, but that had ended by 1880 with a severe racial backlash. The next 85 years were characterized by the denial of the vote and other basic human rights to African Americans, as institutionalized racism persisted. A number of legal measures were enacted during this time to prevent blacks from “qualifying” to vote. Blacks who attempted to vote were often threatened with physical harm, and black citizens would often risk their lives to be a part of the civic process. It was not until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that federal protection was granted to ensure that this constitutional right remained intact for black citizens. There are still significant barriers to the success of blacks in the U.S. However, according to a report on the 2006 midterm elections from the organization Project Vote (www.projectvote.org), only 14.4 million of the 23.6 million eligible black voters in the U.S. were registered to vote, and only 9.8 million actually voted. This trend of disengagement from the electoral process does track across all of the nation’s racial and ethnic groups. However, we, African Americans, do not have the privilege to set aside our right to vote in such large numbers. The stakes are too high for our future. If you have the opportunity, have a conversation with an individual who lived through our nation’s civil rights era. Your parents, grandparents, neighbors and friends may be able to share with you the true struggle that took place to give you the power to vote. To impact the community truly and positively, we must not only work at the local level; we must be effectors of policy change. And to do that we must be active in elections. I implore everyone reading this message to engage yourself and the folks around you in political discourse. Understand who all of the candidates are across the country and what they stand for. Understand the issues that are hitting the ballots, including the anti-affirmative action legislation. Help inform others, and propel them to vote. We must do more than use our voices to express our desires. We must use our votes. It is our civic responsibility. It is our cultural responsibility. NSBE, we must mobilize for voting action and ignite the torch for political and social change. ■ “…We, African Americans, do not have the privilege to set aside our right to vote in such large numbers. The stakes are too high for our future.” www.nsbe.org • january/february 2008 • 11 http://www.projectvote.org http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - January/February 2008

NSBE - January/February 2008
Contents
The Pursuit of Excellence
Using Our Power
The Power of Belief
Saying It Well
Premier Profile: Owen Weston of U.S. Steel
NSBE Protégés Receive White House Honor
Regional News
International News
Fostering Competitiveness Through Innovation and Diversity
'Netting a Job
Why Graduate School?
NSBE Love
NSBE Calendar
"Igniting the Torch: Engineering in Action"
NSBE Golden Torch Awards
The AE Niche
Thinking Green
AE Members On the Move
CE Cover: Rough Road, Fun Ride
Join NSBE's Journey to Mars!
Advertisers Index

NSBE - January/February 2008