Dark grey clouds hover over an outdoor shopping mall located in the heart of DeKalb County, Georgia. Raindrops scatter aimlessly against the pavement.
Though there is a strong possibility that a thunderstorm might approach the area, that isn’t stopping two African-American women from registering wandering pedestrians to vote for the next election.
“Hey, are you registered to vote!” yelled Dorinda Tatum, with a proud yet energetic tone towards a young dreadlocked male who is easily persuaded to sign up out of respect for his mother.
“I got into it with my mama!” retorted the young man as he gently giggles to the two women. “She told me I need to go vote!”
Tatum and her comrade Amy Hines are not just two middle-aged Black women with a strong passion for being involved in elections, they explained. They have a mission that is so vital for this country, that it needs to be executed by any means necessary – getting Trump out of office.
The two women both sit behind their respective tables, neatly decorated with red and blue table coverings. The set up is dexterous. On both tables, there are small hail-sized peppermints awaiting for consumption inside a red bowl studded with white stars.
Tatum and Hines are strategically positioned outside of the Kroger grocery satellite at the corners of South Hairston and Redan roads, a store that anchors the Crowe’s Crossing outdoor shopping center.
The mall is located in a lower-income section of Stone Mountain, in a neighborhood rife with voter apathy and low turnout rates.
In fact, the people that roam across the shopping center epitomize the vital roles of the community.
The millennials, mostly dressed in streetwear, make their way inside barbershops and beauty salons. Many of them are not only unregistered for voting, but they also have no interest in participating in elections.
Houseless individuals who have found shelter nearby, find rest on cardboard boxes and dingy sheets. Because they lack stable housing, many of these individuals are unable to receive a voter registration card or other pre-election materials in the mail.
Then there are senior citizens who seem to represent the heartbeat that keeps this community alive — after all, these same elderly individuals were fortunate enough to see some of the most pivotal moments in American history unfold before their eyes.
Tatum and Hines said they founded P.O.W.E.R (People Organizing for What is Ethically Right) as a grass-roots advocacy organization with a purpose to ensure every voting precinct in America is overwhelmed with committed voters.
The two said they both want to encourage citizens that despite the issue of whether or not their voice will or won’t matter in this election, this ballot year would be the perfect opportunity to utilize their power to vote for good leadership.
“This is an opportunity for us to go to our communities and let the people know regardless of the myth that their vote doesn’t matter, this is their time and opportunity to use their voice for change,” Hines said.
Granted, Tatum’s and Hines’ strategies in signing local citizens to vote are comically contrasting.
For one, Hines is calm. She channels platonic vibes as she sits on her seat instructing people to fill out paperwork to vote.
Tatum, on the other hand, epitomizes the hellfire to Hines’ ocean. Her 20-year history of political activism is present as she ferociously warns wandering local citizens about the dangerous consequences of Trump being re-elected if they choose not to vote.
Despite certain limitations that might prohibit citizens with criminal histories to register to vote, the women are crusading to mobilize the significance behind voting.
The two entrepreneurs believe that trouble might be approaching for the new year if there are not enough people participating in the election process.
“We are living in a society where if we do not get into the polls we will be living with regrets,” Hines warned.
The registration event which lasted for five hours has caught the interest of many pedestrians. The two have successfully managed to convince a duo of teenage black males, who lack awareness of the political field, yet are more interested in voting for a presidential candidate.
The voter registration event was not the only avenue POWER is using to influence lower-income citizens to vote, Tatum said. The organization has also created the “Buckle Up and Vote” campaign.
“We created ‘Buckle Up and Vote’ to make sure the underserved community gets to the polls,” Tatum explained. “This campaign is a national effort to make sure that citizens who are single parents, with disabilities and caregivers can get to the polls.”
The platform has reached numerous states across the country to gather enough people to get to the voting polls coming November.
“This campaign is not just based in Georgia. We have few people in key states right now that are ready to mobilize their communities” Tatum added. “We are assembling the entire country to get people to the polls because I am honestly not convinced that this election year is essential.
Tatum said she is urging citizens that the community is responsible for creating new changes in their environment they live in through voting. She said that their goal is to use their ability to get people to the ballots to vote.
Ultimately, Hines and Tatum said they are looking to create a revolt by discussing the importance of the vote, and how it is necessary to choose the suitable postulant to bring the country out of the burden state that it is slowly perishing.
Both women said they aim to continue to motivate local residents to take part in the election process.
Jalen Lovemore, a senior at Morehouse College from Dallas, Texas, is a fall participant in The Atlanta Voice’s internship program for college journalists.
