Activism

The Divine 9 Educate Voters at Vote Smart Summit

Oakland, CA – Recognizing that the upcoming election will be one of the most crucial of our lifetime, the San Francisco Bay Area National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), in collaboration with Oakland District 7 Councilmember Treva Reid, 100 Black Men of Oakland, Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), Krisspi and Soulbeat hosted The Vote Smart Summit on Sept. 21 at Oakland City Hall.

Published

9 months ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Panelists at the San Francisco Bay NPHC Vote Smart Summit , from left to right : Dr. Joseph Marshall, Owen Knapper Jr., Solano County Supervisor Wanda Williams, Hon. Elihu Harris and Hon. Lynette McElhaney. Soulbeat photo.

By Brigitte Cook

Special to The Post

The information provided at the Summit is intended to educate voters about proposed measures and voting options in an accessible way so that they can make informed decisions for themselves and their families. SF Bay Area NPHC President Erika Albury said, “From ranked-choice voting to local and state ballot measures, we wanted voters to feel confident that they understand the impact of their selections.”

Residents from Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties heard the presentation from Champagne Brown on behalf of BWOPA, explaining the various state measures.

Student leaders from the Oakland Youth Commission educated attendees on the historic upcoming Youth Vote and how to engage young voters.

A panel discussion featuring past and current leaders like former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, Dr. Joe Marshall, founder of Street Soldiers Radio – Alive and Free, Solano County Supervisor Wanda Williams, former Oakland City Councilmember Lynette McElhaney, and UC Berkeley ASUC Senator Owen Knapper Jr. focused on the importance of this election cycle and the ramifications of not exercising your vote.

Breakout sessions for each county were held to discuss local measures and the ranked-choice voting process.

A replay of the Summit will be shown on Oct. 23 at 11 a.m. on the City of Oakland television channel, KTOP Cable Channel 10 or it can be viewed online at https://oakland.granicus.com/player/clip/6361?redirect=true.

The San Francisco Bay Area NPHC joins thousands of Divine 9 chapters and members across the country in an unprecedented voter registration, education, and mobilization campaign to ensure strong voter turnout in the communities we serve.

This nonpartisan, coordinated effort builds on our shared legacies and service to our communities. The Divine 9 stands in unity to Get Out the Vote!

NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL

The National Pan-Hellenic Council is currently comprised of nine historically Black national sororities and fraternities – Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc.