*Headline image- Shamiel Hollins votes for the first time with his dad, Sean.
by Sonya Bernard-Hollins, Publisher
Community Voices
We don’t have to flip through 20th century history books for many 18-year-olds to realize they have lived through their own historic moments. Now, what will they do with all they have downloaded from the past when it is time to vote?
Many of them were in their mother’s womb or diapers when America was struck by the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Not since the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Honolulu on September 7, 1941, had a surprise enemy attack shown America its vulnerability. What is America’s position in the world? If we are NOT the fairest of them all, what does the future hold?
An Apple would not just be a juicy fruit for these kids. The Apple computer company introduced a tiny musical genie in 2001 called the iPod that, at the touch of a button, could play from a selection of more music than anyone could have imaged. The inventions of the 21st century would just be getting warm as the lightening fast Google search engine was founded in 2004 to put card catalogs and Britannica Encyclopedias to shame…forever. Still, why do some schools struggle to find the resources needed to prepare their students for a future of opportunities?
While they may not have understood it, these toddlers watched their parents shake their heads in sadness. News footage of tropical storms on small islands and in the Pacific was common, but it hit home in 2005 for Americans. The mostly African American population of New Orleans was shown as refugees when their homes and communities were brought to ruin after Hurricane Katrina smashed through the levee to leave a watery grave of destruction. Why didn’t political leaders move faster to help?
When many of these young people were 9 years old social media became the stage of the world and a place where those with enough “Likes” just may have their dreams come true. By 2008, many of the elementary school students were old enough to know history was made, as Barack Obama became the first African American president of the United States. That next year, Obama appointed Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, making her the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. When will an African American woman be appointed to the highest court in the land?
The middle school years of the students were a blur as news on same-sex marriage, global warming, the housing crisis, and the latest smart phones were popping up on their social media feeds. They made it through new versions of sex education classes that introduced non-traditional lifestyles that divided churches around the globe. Who makes decisions on what students are taught?
Today, as many of them celebrated their graduation though virtual or drive-in type ceremonies, they are still living history. This is a time they will tell their grandchildren about. They will share how the Covid-19 virus shut the world down and left hundreds of thousands dead in its invisible wrath. They will share how the stress and frustrations of the pandemic kept many still long enough to watch 8 minutes and 46 seconds of the heart-wrenching murder of an unarmed black man named George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. They will share how protests around the world ignited a need for political change regarding systemic racism not only from the police, but also in areas from housing to the prison pipeline. Who in local, state and national offices are there to make a difference for all people?
As these 18-years-olds look back on history, they also will understand the importance of the political team of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris; the duo against Donald Trump in November for the Oval Office. Harris, the first woman of color to run on a ticket as vice president, made history in 2020 regardless of if she ever makes it to the White House. Whether she and Biden win in November may be decided with the vote of the millennial. This year, their votes count on all levels. Will they remember the history of their short lives and seek candidates of change?
What happens in 2021 is yet to be seen. More history will be made. In the meantime, history is in the making…and young people now have a voice and a vote!
