Political, civil rights, social justice activist and MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton made his argument for Ohio State students and Ohio residents to vote at a pre-election event held Wednesday at the school’s Fawcett Center.
U.S. Rep Joyce Beatty, Jesse Jackson, Jesse Jackson Jr., exonerated Central Park Five members joined Sharpton
Special guests U.S. Rep Joyce Beatty, Jesse Jackson Jr. along with exonerated Central Park Five members Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise echoed Sharpton’s message of justice, civil rights, and the power of the vote.
Salaam, Wise and three others were wrongfully accused of the 1989 rape and assault of a Central Park jogger.
Jesse Jackson and family members of Coretta Scott King also attended the event.
“You can’t be a strong tree if you don’t know the roots,” Sharpton said as he detailed the history of the racial and social justice struggle throughout U.S. history. “The only people in America that don’t celebrate their history are people that have been given a slave mentality. The first thing they had to do with the slaves was cut them off from history, took their names, and took the culture because if you were connected to your history, you would know you were not born to be slaves.
“Someone with common sense will embrace their roots. So that’s why we’re here today to tell you to reconnect to the roots.”
‘If you don’t vote, you are telling us who you are’
The event was non-partisan, but Sharpton said the choice was clear in November’s race for U.S. President between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
“Whether you vote or not and who you vote for doesn’t define Kamala (Harris) or (Donald) Trump, it defines you,” he said. “If you don’t vote, you are telling us who you are. If you vote wrong, you are telling us who you are.”
Delta Omicron Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., the National Action Network and NAACP groups at Ohio State University sponsored the event.
Spotlight PR is a public relations consultancy supporting leaders and organizations advancing justice including Ohio Organizing Collaborative, which builds transformative relational power with everyday Ohioans for statewide social, racial, and economic justice.
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Chris Pugh is the Media Relations Manager for Spotlight PR.