Actress LynnWhitfield encouraged the young Americans to get up, vote and be heard as shespoke to Southern Universities faculty, staff and student body on October 18,in the Cotillion Ballroom in the Smith-Brown Memorial Union.
Whitfield,a Baton Rouge native and former student of Southern who later transferred toHoward University, was invited to come speak on behalf of the SU YoungDemocrats and the College Democrats.
”So, many people fought for you to dothis one thing: vote,” Whitfield said.
Along withspeaking about the Democratic and Republican parties, Whitfield encouragedeveryone to “bring five.”
”Everyday until election try to talk toat least five people, pull them in the way Jesus did,” she said.
She went on topoint out issues that she didn’t agree with President Bush on, such as notsupporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities and not voting for affirmativeaction.
“Ican’t stand another moment of him,” Whitfield said.
She closed bytelling everyone that black people need to stick together after voting for achosen candidate.
”If we stay together, there is the powerof numbers and we can call them up and say you promised us,” she said. “That’swhy you have to vote, because you have a voice.”