Democratic Address

An Address by Rev. E. Earl Jenkins at the NAACP Democratic Nomination Celebration
Monday, November 3, 2008

The Constitution of the United States of America was drafted in 1787. The Constitution is a fundamental law that determines the political principles of our government or a document that outlines the basis of the rules of our country.  It became effective in 1789.  According to Article 1, Section 2, African-Americans were defined as 3/5^th of a person for counting representation and are not allowed to vote in elections.  In 1865, the 13^th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14^th Amendment constituted citizenship in 1866; and the 15^th Amendment in 1869 authorized black men the right to vote while women weren’t allowed to vote until the 19^th Amendment in 1919.   Plausibly or seemingly, these addendums can be defined as the beginning of liberty and justice for all but in all actuality, it began another level of struggle for equality and opportunity.

My sisters and brothers, not to have and know it is far less frustrating than to know you have it and cannot use it.  For 90 years, minorities had to succumb to several hideous and unlawful tactics for their right to vote.  Many were lynched, tortured, and killed not only to stand for what they believed but for us today to have this opportunity that they were willing to die for.

I am sure brother James Chaney, a 21-year-old black man from Mississippi and two other white northerners, Andrew Goodman, a 20-year-old white Jewish anthropology student from New York, and Michael Schwerner, a 24-year-old white Jewish CORE organizer and former social worker also from New York, who were murdered in 1964 during the American Civil Rights Movement knew their chances of survival were slim while they were on their way to rally minorities to vote in Mississippi but they saw this day.

I am sure Rev. George Lee while galvanizing hundreds of minorities to register to vote knew his fate was just a matter of time but he saw this day.

I am sure Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader while promoting voting rights in Mississippi knew his days were numbered but he saw this day.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., declared in his last speech “I have been to the mountain top and I have seen the promise land.  I may not get there with you but one day as a people we will get to … for my eyes have seen the glory”.

Somehow those who have gone before us saw the greater hope of this day that a minority, Barack Obama, would rise up amongst us and become the 44^th President of the United States of America.

Who would have ever thought that the stone that the builders rejected would now become the plumb line for equality and opportunity - give God praise!

So here we are, at the mountain top. What are we going to do?  Are we going back to what was poverty, complacency, disparity or are we going to move toward change?

It is a change that starts before we hit the polls and cast our ballots.  Obama cannot change anything unless we as a people change first. What is the sense of enforcing unity, if we choose to remain divided; love if we continue to hate; and family values if we continue to debate.  Charity begins at home and it starts with you.

We should recognize this time in history but not to allow our immaturity to prevent this opportunity.  We must seize the moment.

As with the woman which the gospel describes with the issue of blood, we as a nation are facing issues, unemployment, healthcare, poverty, taxes.  When this woman heard that Jesus, the great Physician, would be passing her way, she realized that this opportunity may never come again, so she seized the moment and pressed through the crowd, fatigue and aggravation in order to rectify her issue. 

Come Election Day, we must seize the moment and vote as this opportunity may never come again. Do not let the crowd, fatigue or any distraction hinder this pivotal time in history.  

Seize the moment to vote and represent those who died for this cause, that is, your grand-mothers and fathers who could only pray for this day.

Seize the moment to vote as your constitutional right and voice to be heard as a part of change that would enable our children’s children opportunity to function in a capricious society.

Seize the moment to vote in the name of unemployment, healthcare, poverty, taxes and for the advancement of colored people, be it Black, White, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, etc.

It is not a black thing; it is just time for a change.  It has been a long time coming, but change has finally come, seize the moment and vote.

REV. E.EARl. JENKINS  -  MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2008