Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 10-7-16 Online Edition

FLORIDA SENTINEL
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016
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Barber Shop Voters Drive Led By Local Officials, Activists
Barbers in the Boys 2 Men Shop are: James (JT) Thompkins, Rufus (Fuss) Byrd Davis, Calvin Hordge, Ron (Big Ron) Davis, and Ivory (Fish) Wright.
Ladies captured in the barber shop were: Carissa Randall, Teneca Peaches Williams, owner; Latasha Andrews and Briana Thomas.
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Elected officials and community leaders visited an East Tampa barber shop Saturday in an effort to get more people registered to vote before the October 11 deadline.
With fewer than 40 days left be- fore the presidential election, it’s crit- ical that people understand what’s at stake, said Sean Shaw, State Repre- sentative-elect for District 61.
Shaw, a Democrat, joined current District 61 Representative, Ed Narain, 100 Black Men President Ralph Smith, and activist Donald Dowdridge, Jr., at Boyz II Men Bar- ber shop on Florida Avenue to talk with a dozen patrons and encouraged them to register to vote.
A vote for Donald Trump would “undo all the good things” set in place by President Barack Obama, Shaw said.
“Trump has no business close to the presidency,” he said. “It’s disap- pointing that the race is so close.”
While Shaw and others shared their support for Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton, Erin Jensen, press assistant with For Our Future, said getting people registered
to vote was the main focus of the event.
“We’re here talking about the im- portance of letting your voice be heard by voting,” she said.
Dowdridge, who is well-known for his impersonation of civil rights leader and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, compared Trump’s rise in popularity to that of Adolf Hitler.
“Donald Trump stands on that same plateau,” he said. “That’s why it’s very important that we hold gath- erings like this.”
The barbershop – along with churches and beauty salons – is a “sanctuary” in the Black community where current events and the politics of the day are routinely and some- times passionately discussed, Narain said.
That makes them ideal places to talk with citizens about voting and en- couraging them to register, he said.
“This is our sanctuary where we can have those conversations,” he said.
Latasha Andrews of Mulberry said she makes it a point to participate in every election. She plans to cast a vote for Clinton in the upcoming election.
“She will address the issues for the
In the boys 2 Men Barbershop during the Voters Registration Driver were: left to right, Ralph Smith, Computors Mentors; newly-elected State Representative, Sean Shaw; shop owner, Teneca Peaches Williams, State Representative Ed Narain, and community activist, Donald Dowridge. (Photos by BRUNSON)
majority of America,” she said. Tampa resident Kidane Dickson said he’s registered to vote, but admits that for him, the presidential election
is secondary to local elections.
“The people that’s on our school board, City Council – that’s who we need to vote for,” he said. “Local elec-
tions mean more to us.”
Voter Information
Tuesday, Oct. 11 is the last day to register to vote in Florida. The general election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4. You can vote by mail, cast your ballot in-person, or vote on Election Day. For more information about vot- ing and your options, visit www.makeaplanto-vote.com.