Quiet No More

From Family Traditions to Civic Duty: Honoring the Legacy of Voting Rights

• Carmen Cauthen

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Growing up surrounded by stories of the past, I couldn't help but be inspired by the vibrant tales of democracy's power. 

Journey with me on "Quiet, No More," as I reflect on the rich tapestry of my youth, where my family's fervor for voting was as cherished as any tradition. From the unforgettable 1968 presidential election that echoed through our homes to the profound significance of the Voting Rights Act, this episode unravels the threads of history that bind us to our civic duty today. 

Through the lens of North Carolina's political landscape and the landmark Ralph Jingles lawsuit, we examine how key events have shaped the fight for fair representation and highlight the ongoing necessity of voting.

We delve into the heart of civic responsibility with unwavering conviction, reminding us all that our voices are our most potent tool for change. As I passionately convey, neglecting to vote is akin to relinquishing the right to shape our collective future. From the moment we reach voting age, our participation in elections, no matter their size, becomes a defining act of citizenship. 

Join me as I implore each of you to embrace the power of your vote, ensuring that our governance truly reflects our shared values and aspirations. Let's commit to being "Quiet, No More," and make every election count.

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Carmen Wimberley Cauthen is an author, speaker, and lover of history, Black history in particular. As a truth teller, she delights in finding the hidden truths about the lives of people who made a difference - whether they were unknown icons or regular everyday people.

To Learn more of Carmen:
www.carmencauthen.com
www.researchandresource.com

Speaker 1:

Unseen, unheard. We've lived like that far too long. I'm Carmen Coffin and this is Quiet, no More, hi. So we're back again and it's almost the election time in the US and I just want to talk about voting because it's important. You know, I think everything hinges on life and history, and so for me, I grew up in a household where we talked about voting, even though my brother and I weren't old enough to do it, but we heard the conversations, we heard about things that were important in our community not just our local community, but in our national community and because of the time we were growing up, it was important to vote. I registered to vote before I was old enough to vote. You could register your senior year of high school, able to walk up to the lady who was registering people and being able to fill out all of my information and being told I could vote that fall when, after I had turned 18 and I was in college, and that was just important because it was important to vote. It's still important to vote, not just in a national election, but every election that comes, because every time you are voting for people, those people are going to affect your life, whether you think they are or not.

Speaker 1:

I remember in 1968, when I wasn't old enough to vote, but I remember when Hubert Humphrey was running for president and I remember sitting in it was Mr Reed's English class talking to the other kids about who I would vote for if I was able to vote, and it would have been Hubert Humphrey. It was interesting because there were only a few Black kids in my class, but we were talking about things that were important to our lives and they were things that our parents were talking about to our lives, and they were things that our parents were talking about, and so you just never know how your life is going to turn out. But I will say this I have not missed one time voting since 1977. Because I know that whether I'm voting for the water and sewer commissioner, or whether I'm voting for a city council person or a county commissioner or a state legislator or a congressperson or a senator or the president of the United States, that person that is elected has the ability to change something about my life. In 1968, the Fair Housing Act was passed. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed. And did you know that the Voting Rights Act was passed with a 25-year term, and so it's been reenacted twice since then. Now I would have thought in 1965 that the Voting Rights Act wouldn't have to be reestablished, but it has had to be. Wonder why that is.

Speaker 1:

Some of the same ways that people have tried to keep minorities from voting have not changed. They have gotten more sophisticated. Things have happened, like people telling people the wrong days to vote. That's going on today. It's just an important thing to know the facts for yourself and to be sure that you have taken care of your responsibility, and it is your responsibility to vote, not your. I'll decide to do it if I want to, because everything you do from the taxes that you do or do not pay at the grocery store or the convenience store or on your gas that you do or do not pay at the grocery store or the convenience store or on your gas that you put in your car, right up to whether or not you're going to be able to vote. So 40 counties in the state of North Carolina are still under the Voting Rights Act, which means that their election process has to be pre-cleared before it's okayed by the federal government.

Speaker 1:

Most people don't know that. I know that because when I worked at the legislature. We would have to record. We would have to have a stenographer come in and not only record the sessions, but they would have to be certified by the principal clerk that they were a true and accurate copy of what happened during the legislative process for changing redistricting, which happens at least by every 10 years by federal law. But if there is a lawsuit brought against the redistricting process, that has to change. That has to happen again.

Speaker 1:

And when I first went to work at the legislature, we had a redistricting session four times in two years, because at that point, when I first went, in 1981, there were only three blacks in the House of Representatives in North Carolina. By 1983, that number had almost quadrupled. 1983, that number had almost quadrupled, and that was because of a lawsuit brought by a man from Gastonia named Ralph Jingles. His lawsuit was won and the legislature had to redistrict in order to make sure that the Black vote was not diluted in the state of North Carolina. And so that's how the North Carolina General Assembly ended up with more than three Blacks in the House and more than one Black in the Senate.

Speaker 1:

But it's still, because of the Voting Rights Act expiring every 25 years, has to be revisited. So the people that you elect have to make those decisions. You don't get to make them yourself. So then it's important that the people that you elect are going to look out for your interest and not to say oh well, 50 years have passed since the Voting Rights Act was passed, we don't have to do that anymore. We can see that voting is important and that it has to be taken care of. So if this is out before November 5th, be sure you vote. If you haven't early voted, be sure you go, get in the line on November 5th and make sure that your vote counts, that you have placed your vote, cast your ballot, and I'm not telling you who to vote for. I'm just telling you it's important to vote. If there's a special election, go vote. If there's an election two years from now or one year from now, go vote, because voting is important.

Speaker 1:

And it's one of my pet peeves when I hear about people who don't. Now, I'm not saying that I want to hear who people are voting for. That I don't agree with, and I think they're crazy when they're voting for some of the people. But it's a pet peeve of mine for somebody to say, well, I didn't vote at all and have a complaint about what happens If you don't vote. As far as I'm concerned, you don't have any right to complain because you didn't make your wishes known to begin with. So be sure that you vote, be sure that you take care of your business. Do it when you turn 18 and do it every year after that, until you can't vote anymore. And you know why it's because we're not going to be quiet anymore at wwwcarmencawthoncom.