In the 2004 election I spent two weeks on the ground alongside union organizers from California registering voters in Portland. I didn’t realize how serious these elections were at the time, but I did find it odd that someone would skip work to come to Portland to register some voters. The 2000 elections were kind of messed up too, where in Florida, problems with the punch cards occurred conveniently in predominantly Black areas and voter intimidation was also reported. Florida ended up deciding the election after Jeb Bush ruled the victory to his brother. In 2004 several organizations planned to kick Bush out of the White House by organizing large-scale voter registration campaigns, including an even greater commitment to organizing black and brown voters.
“Vote or Die,” the motto for Puffy’s organization Citizens for Change, appeared at Rock the Vote concerts and on MTV in 2004, preaching a message of voting. The slogan “Vote or Die” seemed like some kind of sick joke, but it had some truth to it. Maybe Puffy meant that black and brown voting has always been stacked with violent consequences.
Lynchings prevented black voters from the polls in the past. And perhaps the most blatant examples of other violent consequences are the murders of black political leaders in the 60’s. MLK’s murderer wasn’t just a racist and separatist. No, he was part of a plot to take down the political leader. King was the living embodiment of the power that black and brown people can have if they unify politically around righteous issues. The memory of political assassinations keeps the black vote suppressed, turning many into skeptics of America’s political system. But as Chuck D says, voting is something you just have to do; it’s like wiping your butt. If you don’t do it, you can’t complain when it stinks.
This nation’s racial demographics are changing rapidly. Building a foundation to organize political unity between black and brown people should be a collective goal of our communities. A more fitting phrase for Puffy’s campaign in 2004 election would have been “Black and Brown Unity”.
The hip hop generation can play a major role in organizing black and brown voters nationally. It is not enough for us to just vote anymore, there must be a collective effort to organize around issues. hip hop can be a venue to help convey messages of unity and educate voters.
The band Ozomatli kicked off the school year with a crazy concert on our front lawn last week, a vibrant combination of Latino rhythms and hip hop vocalists. The band is an example of a growing genre of music that intertwines the two styles. And as band that uses a cross-cultural connection to preach positively, it is responsible for bringing many black and brown people together.
Hip hop is emerging as one of the most influential political forces to unite black and brown people.
Hip hop is an effective method to organize people, however it should not be the only method. Voting drives, policy think tanks, poll watchers and many other organizations are still needed to combat the opposition’s efforts.
More candidates of color are running and winning top political positions in states. People like Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Rep. Grace Napolitano and Sen. Barack Obama in states like California, Illinois, and Maryland are giving black and brown people political representation that they’ve never had before. However, these leaders should not automatically get votes just because they are black or Latino. They should represent what is good for us proletariats. These leaders have it more difficult because they have an added pressure to represent their communities.
I am excited to see more hip hop artists getting involved in the politics of their communities by supporting candidates publicly. It is really helping the efforts of the ground workers and organizations trying to make things happen for black and brown people. The stakes are high for these up coming elections, so voting and organizing are the ways you can do your part.
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