“Many Black people wonder, what do we get for our loyalty?” ESSENCE Black Futures winners now speak candidly about the upcoming elections

In the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, ESSENCE News and Politics Editor-in-Chief Melissa Noel sat down with two of our inaugural Black Futures Now honorees to debate key voter issues impacting Black and brown communities and tips on how to take motion.

Angela Ferrell-Wide is a lifelong organizer and the first-ever executive director of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that may protect people from gun violence. Divine Davis is a civil rights lawyer and founding partner of Davis Bozeman Johnson Law, based in Atlanta.

In a discussion that focused on policing, gun violence, youth activism and advocacy, each Ferrell-Zabala and Davis emphasized the need for consistent community engagement, collaboration and speaking out about the concerns of young Black voters who are not any longer agitated the must get out and vote simply because it has at all times been kept away from seeing tangible results of change.

The conversation began by discussing what gives changemakers hope for the way forward for Black people in America. As someone who works in communities that have enduring trauma from the widespread problem of gun violence and advocates for gun violence prevention each day, Ferrell-Zabala says, “We understand how common it is in this country. We understand how this affects the Black community, but every day I get up and make the decision to do this because I know I wouldn’t be here without hope. I know that our ancestors and my family members have brought us to a place where we can do this work and our voices can be raised.”

“I also have a look at today’s young leaders who’re taking motion and taking matters into their very own hands in quite a lot of ways, whether through art, culture or whatever. They find vacancies, so I even have lots of hope for them,” she added.

Davis reiterated his hope for the way forward for Black America due to the strong foundations laid by those that got here before us. “My hope rests largely on the work of our ancestors and their ability to accomplish amazing feats despite meager resources, and you have many more resources than they do, but they had the will, they had the integrity, and so by standing on these ancestors’ shoulders they allow us to look beyond negativity, they allow us to see beyond the challenges we pose to the young people we have.”

He gave examples of spaces geared toward young people, comparable to The Black Man’s Laboratory AND Black Women’s Lab, where, as he says, the voices of young people will be heard.

“My students come and burn. They are ready for a brand new day. And not only are they ready for it, figuratively, but they’re able to work towards it. And this offers you the fuel you would like in our work as organizers and public decision-makers. Despite the challenges of civil rights work, he believes that as a community we have all the things we must “succeed in our fight for liberation.”

When it involves constructing awareness and taking motion to forestall gun violence at the policy level, starting with local communities, Ferrell-Zabala says it is vital to satisfy people where they’re and involve them in the process. “Whether we’re talking about talking to young people at HBCUs, we’re talking to people in their communities and making sure they’re included in the strategy. This is extremely important because they often know exactly what is needed; they simply lack the resources to implement their activities or really scale them up,” he says.

As a civil rights lawyer, Davis says that along with working on individual clients’ cases and in search of justice for them, we must address a system that continues the cycle of gun violence and police brutality without major change. “We also need to address the system, the system that says that our lives are valued less, that we can endure more pain than other people, all kinds of misnomers that put our young people in danger every day when they drive, walk, go to schools, shopping. We are at risk in all of these spaces, so our organization must remain cohesive. We must continue to put this issue at the top of the agenda.”

When it involves attending to the polls to vote in November, our panelists spoke on to a few of the challenges we face and the need for consistent engagement and organization.

Davis admits there may be fatigue amongst black voters with electoral politics. They wish to see more tangible change through voting efforts, and he believes change starts with reparations.

“We are no longer able to say: ‘Do it because of what your ancestors sacrificed.’ [Younger voters are] I just don’t see it as a call to vote. They want to see tangible results for Black people. One of the clear statements, in my opinion, is the executive order on reparations,” he says.

“The Democratic Party is going to have to do something different nationally to really engage young Black voters and the many Black voters who are wondering what we get for our loyalty and loyalty, so it’s going to be a challenge, but I think it’s time,” Davis adds.

“The election is starting,” says Ferrell-Zabala, adding: “The Biden-Harris administration has undoubtedly been the strongest in history when it comes to efforts to prevent gun violence.” He says we must take a broader have a look at the impact our votes have on many things. “You have to make your voice heard. If you don’t do this, someone else will make decisions on your behalf.”

WATCH the full video of this conversation included on this story.