Get up, get out and go vote

“You need git up, git out and git something

How will you make it if you never even try

You need to git up, git out and git something

‘Cause you and I got to do for you and I”

OutKast’s lyrics on their song “Git Up and Git Out” was a lyrical alarm clock that echoed through speakers during the early 90’s. Their words reminded our communities to find their hustle and muscle to make change. This dynamic duo spoke about the value of trying even when all we have is the will to try. 

In 2024, these lyrics still signal a wake-up call. We must get up and go out in our communities to make change. As we navigate this current election season, we have watched everything be presented from slanderous terms, outrageous remarks and the reminder that we must take the impact of voting seriously.

But I offer us a push to do more. We have school board meetings that go unattended. Community and neighborhood board meetings are attended by a few seasoned saints who have fought for their communities with no successors — and once their legacy is gone, development companies move in to destroy histories, raise rent and push out those who occupied this space before they were deemed “undesirable.” Yet most of our focus is on who wins at the top.

There has to be an intentional shift to challenge and vet those who become our council members, senators, state and house representatives, school board leaders, neighborhood board chairs, police officers, educators, health care professionals, public work employers and employees and those who will ensure our communities are thriving.

This is often ignored as we have not placed value on those topics. We allow missed opportunities to build community and pour back into the neighborhoods we occupy and then later leave. Trust me, I get it. I have not always been the one to stick around and fight for the betterment of my block and rally for immediate change when I’m fighting for my life to survive and thrive. I have been dismissed, defeated and uninformed. Therefore, I am not pointing a finger and asking for change without self reflection and holding the mirror up to myself.

As you push through the political chatter, I remind you to ask your schools about parent-teacher conferences, information about banned-books, the removal of curriculum, attention and action for mental health, food insecurity, over policing, suicide, rises in sexual assault, increasing tuition, lack of accessible grocery stores (and this is not an exhaustive list); review bills of your local area that impacts the maintenance of your roads, housing projects and the impacts it will have on your neighborhood; learn more about the tactics they have in place to criminalize unhoused individuals; and research the companies buying land and raising prices to push out identities below the federal poverty line. These topics make an impact on you in greater ways and will help to inform how you select your next mayor, governor and president.

There is a need to get out and vote. I urge you to do your research, learn about the importance and impact of candidates’ views and “promises,” review what aligns with your values and see the bigger picture about how your involvement will make a difference. It is no coincidence you can drive through a desolate, under-resourced community and within five minutes of driving on the same road, pass an affluent community with well-staffed schools, stores and a sense of safety.

Too often we are left to believe our votes “don’t matter,” “don’t count” and a plethora of other negative thoughts.

However, we have seen the progressional advancement of our ancestors. In a previous column, I mentioned the teachings of my grandfather. In his lifetime, he saw change take place even when it was slow. His time in the military allowed him to recognize the need to move his family from the south to Detroit, Michigan to ensure their safety and give his children a better chance at survival.

Often, we notice that history has revealed and silenced some of the movements that our community leaders did, but we must now rebuild our belief in change. Historically we have had to look out for each other. We see the value of a collective system that builds on tradition and support to improve and advance us without harming others, stealing resources or watching each other suffer. The art of community has been skewed, lost and even erased, but I see a chance for us to get back to those foundational basics to improve the areas we live in. Like OutKast said, “cause you and I got to do for you and I.”

If you don’t get up, get out and go vote, you leave an open opportunity for others to take your voice as if you handed it to them, personally. There are so many ways to receive information and become educated on the issues listed on the ballots (locally and nationally), about the candidates and more. Be a good steward and identify the sources of where this information comes from to reduce the chances of receiving “fake news,” satires and misinformation.

As my grandmother would say, “I hope you know your schoolwork like you know the lyrics to those songs.”

When I would hear that I would fall apart inside, questioning why she would snatch the joy out of my imaginary concert. Then it dawned on me that she never told me to stop listening to music and enjoying the melodic narratives, she wanted me to be disciplined and have knowledge and interest in the things that would help me just as well as the music that I enjoyed. As an adult, I now know it was about engaging in intentional balance. But, don’t tell my grandma she was right. I will never hear the end of it! 🙂

So, my friends, I hope you get up, get out, and go voting. But make sure it happens more than every 4 years. Don’t become an olympian voter (see what I did there? Voting every 4 years like the olympics?) but remember to engage in the judicial process in your communities as well.

Do right by Outkast, your community, your family, your friends and yourself by being the change you want to see. Go research then GO VOTE!

Take care, friends!

Your DEI Homegirl