The West Coast Black Theater Troupe hopes the story will inspire citizens of the suncoast to get out the vote in November
By Della Hale
Original Air Date: September 13, 2024
Host: The West Coast Black Theater Troupe took a creative approach to getting out the vote with a presentation of a one-woman show called “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story.” Della Hale was there.
Fannie Lou Hamer: Is this America? The land of the free home of the brave? Where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hooks because our lives were being threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings in America?
Della Hale: Those are the words of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer from a performance last weekend at the Westcoast Black Theatre. In a creative effort to boost voter turnout, the West Coast Black Theatre Troupe presented “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story,” a one-woman play about the life of the Black activist who was born in 1917 and electrified the nation with her speech to the 1964 Democratic National Convention in which she recounted the brutality she faced for having helped Blacks register to vote.
Following the performance, ABC7 news producer Renee James Gilmore moderated a panel discussion among Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner, Manatee County Supervisor candidate Scott Farington, Manatee County Commission candidate Glenn Pearson, Florida House District 72 candidate Lesa Miller, and Florida House District 73 candidate Derek Reich. Actress Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye, who portrayed Fannie Lou Hamer in the play, was also present. The panel focused on the power of voting, particularly in local elections, and emphasized the need for increased voter participation and education. The panelists discussed the significance of voting not just in the general election but also in primaries, where decisions often have the most direct impact on citizens’ daily lives. Moderator Renee James Gilmore also highlighted the accessibility of ballots as an urgent issue. The Supervisors of Elections presented critical voting deadlines, including those for voter registration and mail-in ballots. The deadline for voter registration is Monday, October 7th, and the deadline to request mail-in ballots is Thursday, October 25th, by 5 pm.
The Sarasota-Manatee Chapter of the Links Corporation sponsored the event. Brenda Belcito, the president of the chapter, summarized the event’s purpose:
Brenda Belcito: We are taking every attempt to bring awareness and focus to the importance of voting.
DH: Outside the theater, the League of Women Voters was on site to register voters. Kathy McEacran of the League of Women Voters explained the importance of voter education:
Kathy McEacran: We believe that education on the vote is absolutely imperative, the key to good government is education.
DH: During the audience Q&A, questions ranged from poll watchers’ credentials to the specifics of the voting process. State House candidate Lesa Miller encouraged action:
Lesa Miller: I hate watching the TV and yelling at it. I’m getting off the couch, and it’s time to stand.
DH: Manatee Commission candidate Glenn Pearson highlighted his efforts to register young minority voters, pointing to the 2018 election, in which 1.9 million African Americans were registered, but only about 900,000 voted.
Florida House candidate Derek Reich shared his journey from teaching to politics, motivated by his opponent Fiona McFarland’s vote to cut $12 million in school funding, which spurred him to “get off the sidelines.”
Last weekend’s event was a creative way to share information about upcoming elections and encourage folks to get out and vote. The “Fannie Lou Hamer Story” has been running nationwide for 22 years and spreading the message of the importance of voting.
This is Della Hale for WSLR News.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.