A Public Service Announcement
By: Shunda Clinton. Rachael Crockett, Dr. Sarah Dennis, Najee Gordon, Dandrica Lewis and Jodeen Shillingford
The Honorable Elijah E Cummings, who transitioned on October 20, 2019 served in the Maryland House of Delegates for 14 years and became the first African American in Maryland’s history to be named Speaker Pro Temp. Since 1996, he proudly represented Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representative.
In reference to the importance of HBCUs, he issued the following statement on Feb. 28, 2017, “As a proud Howard University graduate, a member of Morgan State University’s Board of Regents and father of two Howard alumni, I know the vital role Historically Black Colleges and Universities play in preparing young people to become leaders in their communities. I also know that HBCUs need more than empty rhetoric and photo-ops.” Congressman Cummings was aware of the significance of HBCU’s to the society and his message should encourage us to never stop fighting for the existence and funding of HBCU’s.
$85,000,000 – This number represents the amount of funding, per year, that is at stake for HBCUs in this country. The U.S. Senate will take up the FUTURE Act which provides $85 million in mandatory funding to increase the number of HBCU STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates. This funding is essential for our institutions. We should be concerned about funding of HBCU’s especially threats to take our funds away. As we prepare for the elections in Louisiana, one candidate stated that when it comes to public policy, he plans to mirror Washington, D.C. Do we really want that?
The great poet Maya Angelou once stated, “Every voice is equally powerful. Don’t underestimate your voice. Voting is the great equalizer”. There are 2,399 registered voters in Grambling but only 442 voted in the Oct 12th election. This makes up only 18% of the total registered voters. In Ruston, there are 17,560 registered voters but only 4,814 came out to vote.
Please cast your vote early, November 2-9 or make sure to vote on Nov 16th.
Candidates for Governor
John Bel Edwards
Three years ago, Louisiana faced a more than $2 billion budget deficit. In 2018, Governor Edwards brought together both Republicans and Democrats to forge a bipartisan, fiscally responsible budget compromise and Louisiana has had three consecutive years of budget surpluses for the first time in a decade. Governor Edwards successfully fought to protect higher education, TOPS, hospitals, law enforcement funding and veterans affairs from needless and painful cuts.
Eddie Rispone
A strong supporter of Donald Trump, has had a considerable impact on the construction and business industries across Louisiana and the US. A proven job creator is a staunch advocate for workforce development, limited government, lowering taxes, and reducing the burdens to do business in Louisiana.
Candidates for Secretary of State
Gwen Collins-Greenup is running for Louisiana Secretary of State to protect voting rights and elections, so every Louisiana voice is heard Gwen’s initiatives will focus on improving voter participation through voter education, community outreach, and social media. Gwen also wants to support small businesses and entrepreneurs with resources that make it easier for people to start businesses in Louisiana while empowering the next generation to lead, vote, start businesses, and make a difference.
Kyle Ardoin
“As your secretary of state, my number one priority is protecting your data. A big change is coming to Louisiana-soon we will be introducing new voting machines across the state. With the great promise of new technology comes new challenges. My nine years in the Secretary of State’s office make me uniquely qualified to guide Louisiana through this new era.”