Labor & Employment Law

Labor and Hip Hop Come Together for ?Respect My Vote? Campaign

By James Parks

It?s fresh, it?s hot and it?s got a serious message: In 2010, young people have a big stake in the outcome of this election and the only way the powers that be will respect them is if they vote and make the politicians listen to their concerns. The Hip Hop Caucus and American Rights at Work have come together to launch a video and photo campaign to promote ?Respect My Vote.?

 ?Respect My Vote? is the only major non-partisan Hip Hop voter mobilization campaign for the 2010 election. It focuses on voter registration, education and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) program. It is aimed at young people between ages 18 and 39, young people of color, people with felony records who are unaware of their voting rights, low-income communities and young people not in college.

In the video and photos, women of color who are labor leaders talk straight to young people. In comments over a hard bass line beat, they describe what young people and the union movement can do together and why we need each other to make sure that whoever takes office after the elections will work for the average American, not the rich fat cats on Wall Street.

Think the youth vote is not important? Consider that in the 2008 elections, 64 percent  of 18- to 24-year-olds and 43 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds were first-time voters. Among African American young people 45 percent were first-time voters, and 61 percent of Latino young people voted for the first time in 2008.

Check out what Tiffany Lofton from the U.S. Student Association says in the video:

We?re in a huge crisis. A huge financial crisis, a huge jobs crisis, a huge education crisis and we need to think seriously about [the candidates?] agenda and how they will affect our community and our education.

AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker, who also appears on the video, says an alliance between young people and the labor movement is natural.

Young people believe in collective action. That?s what the labor movement is about?the ability of people to come together and work collectively.

 Check out the ?Respect My Vote? campaign here.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on October 08, 2010 (boomark / email).