The Dunn-Oliver Acadome banquet room came alive with campaign decor, live music and enthusiastic supporters as they gathered for a pivotal event to mobilize voters ahead of the upcoming elections Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The event was hosted by Tyrin Moorer, a senior finance major and president of the student NAACP chapter. Moorer welcomed a lineup of political speakers, including U.S. House of Representative Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and the Democratic candidate for Alabama’s congressional Second District Shomari Figures.
“This lineup reflects the wave of this moment and reminds us of the power of young people when we stand up, speak out and lead with a purpose,” Moorer said. He addressed the critical decisions facing the younger generation, from education to healthcare and voting rights, emphasizing that “the issues on the ballot affect every one of our lives.”
Jeffries expressed his honor to be at the university and thanked Sewell for her hard work and Reed for his leadership.
“Montgomery is, once again, at the center of all the action that will determine what kind of country we will have,” he said, emphasizing the stakes of the upcoming election. He urged the audience to support Figures, praising him as a prepared leader who will represent their interests in Congress. “With your support, he will be your next District 2 representative,” Jeffries added, rallying the crowd.
He added.
“Democracy, as we know it, is under assault. When you elect Shomari Figures to Congress, he will join us to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and the rights of working families,” Jefferies asserted. “He will protect the middle class, the lost and left behind, the sick and afflicted, children, seniors, veterans and women’s reproductive rights to make their own decisions. It’s not hype; it’s happening right in front of us. If Roe v. Wade can be reversed and fall, anything can fall. Social Security can fall, Medicaid can fall. Just yesterday, the House Speaker said he wanted to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. We are not going back!”
Reed expressed his appreciation for the strong turnout and the honor of having all the candidates present, especially Jeffries, who is running for Speaker of the House.
“Instead of calling him Minority Leader, let’s show our respect by referring to him as the future Speaker of the House of Representatives,” he said, prompting cheers from the crowd.
Reed emphasized the importance of collective action, saying, “It’s going to take all of us to make this work. We must use our platforms to amplify this message over the next few days.”
He addressed critical issues like women’s reproductive rights, gun reform and student loans, urging the audience to recognize what is at stake in the upcoming election.
“This isn’t a handout, it’s a hand up,” he asserted, emphasizing the need for leadership that prioritizes policy changes to support communities. He also spoke about climate change, home loans and reducing the racial wealth gap, encouraging everyone to embrace their role as influencers regardless of whether they are paid.
The atmosphere was charged with hope as Figures approached the mic.
“Now, this is what a rally looks like!” he exclaimed, eliciting cheers from the crowd. Figures acknowledged his wife and university leadership, reinforcing the significance of local support.
Figures passionately discussed the need for healthcare improvements in Alabama, emphasizing the importance of having representatives who will fight for issues like Medicaid expansion and the reopening of hospitals in rural areas.
“If you were Eddie Robinson Jr. or Nick Saban, you could not close a recruiting pitch with, ‘We don’t have a hospital,’” he noted, echoing concerns about the status of local healthcare facilities. He highlighted that “this is a collective investment for our futures,” reminding the crowd that their vote on Nov. 5 will determine their communities’ health and well-being.
Figures addressed the challenges posed by inadequate health care and education, emphasizing the urgent need for change.
“Who is going to be in Washington D.C. making the decisions and pushing the policy for us? We have a choice to make on Nov. 5 to see what that investment looks like.”
Congresswoman Sewell emphasized the importance of voting and holding the state legislature accountable for how federal funds are spent.
“Old battles are new battles, so be prepared,” she warned, referring to voter suppression efforts in America. She pointed out that African Americans make up 27% of the voting age in Alabama but hold only one seat where they can elect a candidate of their choosing.
At the end of the event, candidate Figures was asked if he believes there is a deliberate effort to erase Black history to control the narrative around the future of Black Americans with the rise of anti-critical race theory legislation and other social and political changes.
Figures answered, “There are truly segments here in America that do not want the true history told to people, and I’m a big believer that our history informs who we are. Nobody here blames people who are alive now for things that happened certainly before they were born, but we have to understand that for every one side of society that benefited from actions in the past, there were many cases where they were not the beneficiaries of those actions.
He continued.
“So, it informs who we are and the pathways we should take as we go forward. If you don’t understand your past, don’t appreciate your past and don’t respect what has happened, then you’re bound and destined to repeat it in the future. Many of the acts that we see happening right now, whether it’s attacks on voting or attacks on women’s rights. These are battles that have been fought in the past before, and we are seeing them reemerge again, having to fight them all over again. I think it is incredibly important to teach students our history, our accurate history, our unfiltered, unadulterated true history. I think it’s something that all education systems should be able to do.”
