Rev. Barber Challenges Tougaloo Students to Defy Low Turnout

Rev. William Barber II confronted a crowded group of students at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss., on Thursday with a blunt question about political participation. He argued that the new generation cannot expect governance to change unless they show up at the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3. "We’re not bowing, we’re voting," Barber told the audience.

Barber, a former president of the North Carolina NAACP, pointed to recent congressional actions to justify the urgency of the upcoming election. He noted that 90 million people did not vote in the last cycle, yet the resulting Congress voted to reduce health care and SNAP benefits for more than 20 million people. He said that same body allocated more funding to war and ICE than to health care and food.

The message resonated with students who are casting ballots in a political election for the first time. Many cited the cost of living as their primary motivation. Terry Rogers, a student at the college, said affordability is a common thread among his peers. "I think a lot of things come down to affordability … a lot of young people are starting to feel the brunt of high gas prices and grocery prices," Rogers said. He added that young people are beginning to realize their elected officials play a part in these trends.

Local issues also drove the conversation. Qasim Abdul-Tawwab, a student from Jackson, identified food insecurity as a critical problem in the region. "In Mississippi, we have one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation, especially in the Delta like Jackson," Abdul-Tawwab said. He stated that the issue needs to be solved as fast as possible and hopes to see a decrease in food insecurity in the Jackson metro area after the election.

Barber is currently on a 100 Days of Voter Mobilization tour. The itinerary includes nonviolent marches to the polls before Election Day. He urged students to support Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Scott Colom. That evening, he planned to speak to residents in Meridian to encourage them to vote.

The gathering at Tougaloo College served as a mobilization event for the Delta region. Students expressed a desire to make a difference in their local community through their votes. Barber’s visit was part of a wider effort to increase turnout among young voters in the state.