by Carib News Staff
As many minds and hearts are focused on the upcoming presidential election, institutions of faith and academia have become an area of focus when it comes to educating voters –and potential voters – about the importance of civic engagement. This is especially true when it comes to Black voters.
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A recent report from the Pew Research Center highlights “Black eligible voters stand out for turnout rates that are higher than among Latino and Asian eligible voters”. The report further offers: Black Americans are projected to account for 14.0% of eligible voters in the U.S. in November. The percentage of eligible voters who are Black has risen slowly in the past two decades . . . Black voters could play an important role in determining the outcome of key 2024 elections, including for U.S. President. (Krogstad, J.M., and Moslimani, M., January 10, 2024).
On Sunday afternoon, September 22nd, nearly 300 attendees filled the Costantino Room at the Fordham Law School’s Lincoln Center campus, with a few dozen attending virtually via Zoom webinar, as the University hosted the first event of a new series titled Faith, Education, and Civic Engagement Conversation Series. The event was free and open to the public, thanks to the generous support of The Office of the President and Anthony Berry, a 2024 Fitzsimons Fellow.
Included in the discussion were renowned faith and education leaders Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins, a former Presidential Appointee, National Director of Faith Outreach for the Democratic National Committee, and Principal of The Raben Group, a top public affairs and consulting firm, and Rev. Dr. S. Raschaad Hoggard, Executive Chief of Staff to the President of the Borough of Manhattan Community College.
“I am thrilled to continue working with Fordham University, from which I earned a doctorate, on important conversations concerning faith and education, and to now extend that dialogue to include civic engagement during this critical time in our country’s history. It’s been the driving force of my work as both an educator and a faith leader,” says Dr. S. Raschaad Hoggard. Dr. Derrick Harkins continues, “I have had the opportunity as a faith leader to be on the inside of what it looks like to have productive, positive and informed civic engagement, both via the Obama-Biden and the Biden-Harris administrations. Inclusive civic engagement not only means progress, but it also means freedom. And that’s what we hope to impart in these conversations.”
Also on the panel were Rev. Rashad Raymond Moore, PhD, Pastor, First Baptist Church of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, and Tanya R. Kennedy, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division and an Adjunct Professor at Fordham School of Law. Jamila Ponton Bragg, Founder of JamRock Productions LLC and Manager of the Broadway Women’s Fund, moderated the panel.
Upon reflection of the discussion, Rev. Moore wrote, “Sis. Jamila asked a question that has stayed with me: How do I encourage leadership among the younger generation? As such, I recalled wisdom from the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre: Moral traditions decay, disintegrate, and disappear while others are sustained and strengthened… A living tradition—a tradition that is vital—embodies continuities of conflict. Traditions are sustained by those who challenge and agitate for change, who ask critical questions, raise objections to unjust practices, and speak truth.”
The discussion’s foundation was built upon the Black Education: Faith, Race and Educational Equity (BE: FREE) research initiative. Driven by Dr. Phillip A. Smith, Assistant Professor at Fordham’s Graduate School of Education, BE: FREE showcases innovative, culturally rich educational practices, leadership, and community engagement, towards sustained outcomes for students, schools, and communities.
“The 2024 presidential, congressional, and local elections represent a historic season of decisions for our generation to be civically engaged. This is a moment with profound implications for all communities, and especially so for those from race-marginalized backgrounds,” says Dr. Smith. “It’s more important than ever that these communities are energized and motivated to be involved in the process, not just for what’s happening this year but also going into the future. These conversations will be designed to continue to build on the excitement of going to the polls in November to vote for the next President of the United States but to also understand that we all have a role, no matter what political party you may affiliate with, if any political party at all.”
Renowned vocalist C. Anthony Bryant performed musical selections, and award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance provided closing remarks.
Organizers announced that there will be a second event on October 20th, also to be held at the Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, at 2:00PM; doors will open at 1:00PM. Confirmed panelists for the October 20th event, alongside Dr. Harkins will include Rev. Dr. Eboni Marshall Turman, Published Author and Associate Professor of Theology and African American Religion, Yale University; Joy Bivins, Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, as well as Afrika Owes, a recent Fordham Law School graduate and an extraordinary emerging attorney whose social media post about passing the bar on her first attempt went viral. Bragg will also moderate the panel next month.
An important, but separate, part of the afternoon was the on-site voter education and registration drive provided by The Pi Kappa Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Volunteers were on hand for anyone who had questions about their voter status or those who need to register to vote. The voter education and registration began once the conversation closed.
Advance registration will be required for both in-person and virtual attendance for October 20th and can be completed by visiting: http://bit.ly/3zzr4ko
