Election Day 2024: Black women excited, concerned in swing state Georgia
By CHRISTINA NORRIS
Black Women Unmuted
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. _ There was eating, drinking, game playing, even a Tai Chi demonstration at Camp Creek Church of Christ’s annual Family & Friends Picnic this fall. However, the first thing dozens of picnic goers saw when they arrived was a tent over a table that was covered with pamphlets and a cloth bearing the words “FULTON VOTES.”
Located in north-central Georgia, Fulton County is the state’s most populated county, with more than 1 million residents, and encompasses most of the capital city of Atlanta. Naomi Wagner, a junior at Spelman College and a member of Fulton County’s voter registration team, was seated at the table. She was there to answer guests’ questions, register some to vote, and help others check their voter registration status.
Wagner says seeing other college students come out to the polls on Election Day is an exciting thing for her, the culmination of the shift that she has noticed in their attitudes since July, when President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.
“I work in a position where I directly engage and communicate with voters,” Wagner said. “That’s my main responsibility. And since July, there has been an uproar and excitement, especially among college students. There’s been a bunch of mobilizing and organizing, making sure that students know the correct information and are educated about what they need to do in order to vote correctly and appropriately, whether that be out of state or in state, in Georgia.”
The idea that Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, a woman of Black and Southeast Asian descent, could potentially become President of the United States sends a powerful message to young Black voters, Wagner said. “I think it’ll show a lot for young people that your voice is heard and that you matter, and issues that are important to you will be forefronted in the presidential administration.”
While many college students are excited about Harris’ chances, they aren’t the only ones. Ingrid Wright, an educator in the metro Atlanta area, said she is very excited about the election, even if some people may be outraged after all the votes are counted at the final result. She also believes Harris will bring all types of people together if elected.
“She has tapped into everyone, not only in race relations but also to help the divide between politics,” said Wright during a phone interview after casting her ballot for Harris on Oct. 18 during early voting. “Republicans are voting for Kamala Harris because they understand that you are to put country before party, not party before country, and so I think that she is good for the country, not only by race and gender ethnicity, but also politically, being able to work with everyone.”
Excitement is not the only emotion Black women are feeling right now. There is also uneasiness. Melanie Spencer, a cyber training coordinator in suburban Douglasville, said she was nervous about the upcoming election. She believes some people are more emboldened to spread misinformation about the race on social media than in person. She also said she has witnessed people who have gotten heated when discussing the election and others who didn’t care to discuss it at all.
“They’re just kind of swayed by who they like on social media and who that person likes, or who that celebrity likes, instead of looking at the data and information,” Spencer said. “So I’m a little concerned, but slightly hopeful as well.”
Recent Agnes Scott College graduate Royale Randall expressed that same sentiment while stopping for a blue latte at Banjo Coffee in Avondale Estates. Royale, an assistant teacher at Sankofa Montessori in Forest Park, a city about 10 miles south of Atlanta, said she and her peers view both presidential candidates – Harris on the Democratic side, and her Republican rival Donald Trump – as problematic. For example, she said they criticize Harris for her stance on Zionism and police brutality and blast Trump for his misogyny and controversial policies. Like Spencer, Randall worries about what may arise once a new president has been elected.
“If Kamala wins, the conservatives will be raging, upset, furious, and they’re already very explosive as it is,” Randall explained. “But if Trump wins, we go, like, backwards damn near 100 years.”
Regardless of how they feel about the candidates, all the women interviewed for this story acknowledged the importance of voting and concerns about potential barriers that could prevent people from going to the polls. They mentioned recent Georgia legislation that could discourage or prevent people from voting, people not knowing where to vote, potential voters not being able to get to the polls during early voting or on Election Day, and an overall ignorance about the history of voting in this country.
“I would say that there has been legislation passed by certain entities of the government in Georgia that could hinder the vote,” Wagner said. “But I just think that education [about voting is important] and making sure that people are aware of the legislation being passed is the most important aspect of it.”
Like these women, Black female voters across the nation are urging people in their communities, especially those between 18 and 25, to get out and vote, citing how their Black ancestors fought for them to have a voice in all elections.
“It really upsets me when people are like, ‘Oh, well, I’m not going to vote’ because our ancestors literally died … for us to be able to go to the polls. And I think that’s really important,” Randall said. “Even if you feel like your vote doesn’t matter, you’re not just voting for you. You’re voting for your ancestors. You’re taking strides and being in spaces where they were previously deprived of.”
