“We can do anything we put our minds to” – Ciara

If you haven’t had a chance, check out Ciara’s Instagram video chat with her daughter following the Biden-Harris confirmed victory.  What’s so amazing about this less than 45-second chat is that if you close your eyes while listening to her words, you imagine this same conversation happening across countless households around the globe.

Coming out of a year tainted and disheartened by a global pandemic, racial violence, social unrest, and an oppressive political environment, persistence found a way.  

For the likes of Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams, persistence was the hammer that eventually shattered several well-tempered glass ceilings and let in some very needed light into what has otherwise been a very dark year.  

The war is most certainly not won.  While we can celebrate as victors of several significant and critical battles, we now stand at the precipice for the real battle for America’s soul.

Our My Vote Matters drop was designed as a statement to the fact that we can’t wait every four years to bring about lasting and real change.  Our ability to advance as a true democratic and free society requires each of us individually and collectively as a community voicing “what we stand for” through our voting year-round across national, state and local platforms.

“…we made the possible happen, and we can do it across this country, we can do it in every community, and we can do it on every issue because we will not stop. We will not give in, we will not give up, but more importantly, we will dream bigger than they think our imaginations can contain.” – Stacey Abrams

When Stacey Abrams lost her bid to become Georgia’s Governor, she didn’t let that setback weaken the impact she knew she could make on serving our nation and her community. She continued her work to organize voters, many for the first time to vote in the 2020 election and to have their voices be heard, and to represent the new Georgia.

“And what [John Lewis] meant, was that America’s democracy is not guaranteed. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it, to guard it, and never take it for granted. And protecting our democracy takes struggle. It takes sacrifice. There is joy in it and there is progress. Because ‘We The People’ have the power to build a better future.“– Kamala Harris

Kamala was raised by her mother to do something if she saw something she did not agree with. She didn’t agree with our current trajectory as a nation. She knew she had the skills, talents, and focus to design and deliver a better future for America and for all people across gender and color boundaries. And while she came up short of becoming the Democratic nominee for President, she preserved, and channeled her energy and passion into running for the coveted Vice President seat, determined to make the changes she believed our country needed.

While it’s likely most people will start putting away their VOTE gear because the “main event” for 2020 is now over, it’s just as vital we continue to reveal our true beliefs and hopes between now and the next “main event” on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, the next midterm elections.  

Today, parents of children who are BIPOC or identify as female no longer have to codify their dreams with the words “maybe one day”.

While today we celebrate that “maybe one day” has become a reality, it’s what we do tomorrow, that really matters.  

‘We the People’ - must continue to organize, and demand the changes that we believe in.  

‘We the People’ - must hold our representatives accountable for the changes our communities deserve.  

‘We the People’ - must continue to fight for the ability for all voices to be heard.

‘We the People’ have America’s future in our hands.  

We must continue to persist to achieve our better tomorrow.

SOUNDOFF Editorial

Daryl Sneed, CEO & Co-Founder/Co-Creative

Natasha Goburdhun, SOUNDOFF Contributor