Maya Angelou Sent Me An E-Mail
Dear Brian,
I am not writing to you as a black voter, or a woman voter, or as a voter who is over 70 years old and six feet tall. I am writing to you as a representative of this great country -- as an American.
It is your job to vote. It is your responsibility, your right, and your privilege. You may be pretty or plain, heavy or thin, gay or straight, poor or rich.
But remember this: In an election, every voice is equally powerful -- don't underestimate your vote. Voting is the great equalizer.
Don't fool around with this: Make a plan to vote in this election.
Once you've done that, make sure everyone you know does the same.
As a country, we can scarcely perceive the magnitude of our progress.
My grandmother and my uncle experienced circumstances that would break your heart. When they went to vote, they were asked impossible questions like, "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" When they couldn't answer, they couldn't vote.
I once debated with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. about whether an African American would ever be elected president. He believed it would happen within the next 40 years at the time -- I believed it would never happen within my lifetime.
I have never been happier to have been proven wrong.
And since President Barack Obama's historic election, we've moved forward in courageous and beautiful ways. More students can afford college, and more families have access to affordable health insurance. Women have greater opportunities to get equal pay for equal work.
Yet as Rev. King wrote, "All progress is precarious."
So don't sit on the sidelines. Don't hesitate. Don't have any regrets. Vote.
Make a plan right now on when, where, and how you will cast your ballot -- and how many friends you'll bring with you to the polls:
http://my.barackobama.com/Make-a-Plan
And ask everyone in your life to do the same:
http://my.barackobama.com/Share-Make-a-Plan
Your vote is not only important. It's imperative.
Thank you,
Dr. Maya Angelou
P.S. -- Not on Facebook? Send your friends to vote.barackobama.com -- don't let technology get in the way of your incredible duty to our democracy.
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