Political activists and Democratic elected officials in South Florida are stepping up efforts to energize African American and Caribbean American voters, hoping they’re a potent and decisive force in November’s elections.
A strong turnout among Black voters is crucial for Democrats. Without it, the party has little hope of winning the marquee contests — for governor and U.S. Senate — and could suffer setbacks in close contests farther down the ballot.
“It is critical that every person that can vote register and make sure they use their power by casting their vote,” said state Sen. Rosalind Osgood, D-Fort Lauderdale.
Osgood helped organize a Monday evening voting rally aimed at increasing political energy in the Black community. More than 200 people heard from religious leaders, political activists, politicians — along with a student lamenting political moves that he fears could muzzle the teaching of Black history, an undocumented immigrant, and heart-rending accounts from children whose parents were killed by gun violence.
One girl told the audience that her father was killed before she was born. When she was 8, her mother was killed with a gun.
The event, put on by Faith in Florida Action Fund, was held at New Mount Olive Baptist Church, one of the preeminent Black churches in northwest Fort Lauderdale, where Osgood serves as an associate minister.
The gathering — and anything else that can encourage Black voters to get to the polls — was essential, said attendee Sandra Blackmon-Lane, of Fort Lauderdale.
“This is actually very important. I do think that democracy is on the ballot this time,” Blackmon-Lane said, adding that she’d like to see more to heighten awareness. “I think the Democrats need to stress it more. Midterms are just as important as the presidential. I don’t know if they’re screaming it loud enough.”
Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam, who attended but didn’t speak at the event, said efforts to reach African American, Caribbean American and other communities are critical for Democrats. “Those who feel disenfranchised, if they’re not motivated, they’re not excited or haven’t seen a reason to turn out to the polls, those are votes that will be lost or unfulfilled — and it could be the votes that are needed to win.”
‘One system’
Aramis Ayala, the Democratic nominee for state attorney general, was the first Black elected state attorney, serving in Orange and Osceola counties from 2017 to 2021.
“Change is coming, because I don’t owe anyone anything,” she said.
Ayala said she wants to equalize the way people are treated by the law, and scrutinize corporate practices.
She called for “one system of justice. I want to make certain whoever is committing crimes — you’re terrorizing communities, I don’t care what color you are — you will be held accountable.”
Ayala said the standard applies to all. “We also need to make sure that a former president who’s threatening our national security is held to the same standard,” referring to former President Donald Trump, though not mentioning him by name.
Ayala vowed to “hold corporations accountable for destroying our communities. I want to look at all of these insurance companies who take your premiums — they take it and they let you know when they charge late fees when you don’t give them — and then guess what? When it’s time for a hurricane, they’re out of business. They’re bankrupt. One of the jobs of the Attorney General is to investigate that to determine whether or not there are issues with regard to that.”
James Williams, a retired executive chef, who plans to vote for both Democrats, was one of several people in the audience who said he had hoped to hear from the Democrats’ top two 2022 candidates: U.S. Senate nominee Val Demings and gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist. Organizers said both canceled because of weather and travel difficulties.
“It’s very important because Governor [Ron] DeSantis, he’s living in a dream world. He needs to be replaced. I’m here in support of Charlie Crist to unseat him as well as Val Demings to unseat [Republican U.S. Sen. Marco] Rubio,” Williams said.
Organizing efforts
The Rev. Rhonda Thomas, executive director of Faith in Florida Action, said the organization is registering voters up until the Oct. 11 deadline.
Osgood said pastors in Black churches have been “preaching for the last three months about justice and the importance of voting. We believe that it is a part of our faith and it’s a moral duty that we, as great American citizens, that we go to the polls and vote.”
Coming, she said, is a push to get people to use early voting, and what’s become a tradition: Souls to the Polls events the Sunday before Election Day, the last day of early voting.
And state Rep. Daryl Campbell, who represents central Broward, said he’s devoting time to door-to-door campaigning for Democratic candidates. He doesn’t have a Republican opponent, so he won re-election in the August primary, and has time to devote to other campaigns.
Messam, who is an active surrogate for the Crist campaign, said the efforts from outside the official campaigns are essential. “Each of the respective campaigns as well as the Florida [Democratic] Party have to meet the people where they are. I know that it’s a challenge when there’s limited resources, but that’s why it’s important for community leaders to be that voice. We have to empower ourselves. We can’t wait for the cavalry, meaning the campaigns, to do everything,” he said.
DeSantis factor
Black Democratic elected officials have vociferously opposed key DeSantis initiatives, especially the new map of Florida’s congressional districts that reduces from four to two the number of Florida districts with boundaries drawn to enhance the chances of voters electing Black members of Congress.
Democrats also opposed a DeSantis-crafted “Stop WOKE” law that restricts the way race-related issues are taught in public schools and in private workplaces in Florida, banning lessons that might make some people uncomfortable.
DeSantis has said he wanted to combat the teaching of so-called “critical race theory,” something that alarms conservatives and educators said isn’t taught in schools.
DeSantis has sought to make inroads, most notably with his appointment of Renatha Francis, a Jamaican-born circuit court judge in Palm Beach County, to the Florida Supreme Court, earning the wrath of many Black Democratic leaders, but the support of some.
The governor’s re-election campaign is currently airing a TV ad featuring Kiyan Michael, a past member of the advisory board of Black Voices for [former President Donald] Trump and current Republican candidate for the state House of Representatives in northeast Florida.
It’s an emotional ad from a woman whose son was killed in a car crash by someone who was in the country illegally and had been deported twice, strongly backing the governor. “To see the compassion in his eyes and I saw the concern. He wanted to make sure other lives were protected. And as a Governor, he truly has been upholding the oath that he took, which is to protect Floridians. He not only talks a good talk, but he walks it,” she says in the ad.
Democratic optimism
Despite all the Democratic complaints about DeSantis, turnout for the party’s gubernatorial primary in August was slightly lower than 2018. Thomas said interest is increasing. “I think that they [voters] are more engaged and energized than they were during the primary,” she said. “We will continue to push this message [about] how important and how resilient we are as a people, especially people of color, that we will go out to vote by any means necessary.”
Osgood, Messam and Campbell expressed optimism that African American and Caribbean American voters would turn out in November — though all conceded that it’s not a given.
“We’ll see people getting more engaged as we get closer,” Campbell said, describing the gathering at New Mount Olive Baptist Church as “a beautiful showing of community engagement.”
Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @browardpolitics
