Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated is making voter education a priority.
AKA the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority, with international chapters and a mission to serve. Chapters from Orlando, Georgia and South Carolina met at the St. Mark AME Church to begin their 71st South Atlantic Regional conference on Wednesday. The conference kicked off with training on voting rights and procedures.
The training was led by Equal Ground Education Fund Inc. The organization focuses on empowering and engaging the community on things like election protection.
Equal Ground encouraged AKA members to be poll monitors and emphasized the importance of ensuring every voter that is eligible can cast their ballot.
Orange County Clerk of Court Tiffany Russell is the sorority’s South Atlantic Regional Director. She said the conference aims to educate the youth.
“I think it's important to show the young voters that being engaged now, we encourage our undergraduate students to also be engaged, because they are the future,” Russell said. “They are the next generation.”
Russell said there are big issues at stake -- for instance, just this week, the Florida Supreme Court put the abortion question on the November ballot. By teaching members about their voting rights and how to protect them, Russell hopes to encourage AKA members to use their voice.
“We need to pass the baton to them, and make sure they understand the importance, but making sure the message relates to them, right, because each generation is different,” Russell said. “And what motivates me may not motivate the next generation, but making sure those issues that are important to them, give them a reason to come out to vote … and be involved and engaged.”
Above all, Russell said she wants every person at the conference to leave with a better understanding of their rights and a mission to spread the lesson on the importance of voting.
“We are all tasked with making sure, since we're following the issues, we're going to come back home and make sure we're educating the community, so they feel informed,” Russell said. “So, they're informed voters.”
