STAFF EDITORIAL: Even if we didn’t win at all, Rattlers still ran a good race

 

 

What does this mid-term election mean for Florida A&M?

To the young black girl who wants tomake a meaningful difference in the worldaround her – you can. To the young black boy who thinks basketball or hip-hop is his only avenue – It’s not.

This mid-term election is not only a monumental win for Rattlers, but it stands as a pivotal moment for the Black commu- nity.

There were several Rattlers vying forinfluential seats in this mid-term election,which is historical in itself. Rattler alumni have made several strides during their campaign to be the voice for the voiceless. Regardless of the results, Rattlers have set a precedent for young Rattlers to follow.

Since June, Floridians have closely watched politicians campaign for several seats in Florida government. During this time, many comments have been made regarding Andrew Gillium’s ability to lead the state.

A perfect example of this comes from comments made by President Donald Trump during a recent Pensacola rally where he referred to Gillum as a “radical socialist.” Trump also made a tweet about Tallahassee, claiming that Gillum was less than capable of leading the city.

“There is a choice between a Harvard/Yale educated man named @RonDesantis FL and a Dem who is a thief and who is Mayor of a poorly run Tallahassee…" Trump tweeted.

It's important to note that Trump brought up the educational background of Ron DeSantis and did not point out Gillum’s alma mater, which seems like a slight. We all know that Gillum is an alum- nus of an historical black university, and I’m sure Trump did too.

But to those who feel that students receive an inadequate education from a His- torically Black College or University, there were political Rattlers representing and striking in the right way such as: Al Lawson, Andrew Gillum, Diane William-Cox, Bill Proctor, Darryl Jones, Maggie Lewis-Butler, and other notable Rattler alumni.

So, if not a single Rattler win came from this race, we still won.

We win because America watched asinfluential politicians, celebrities and com- mentators vouched for states to go from red to blue. We win because our alumni will not let a loss define them and they will continue to fight for our voices to be heard.We win because the youth got a chance
to see an African-American woman fight (Stacey Abrams) for the Georgia gubernatorial race.

We win because we are Rattlers and we transcend the test of any weapon formed against us.