WS Chronicle

By Judie Holcomb-Pack

Under beautiful blue skies, members of the Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. welcomed folks who came to cast their ballot on the first day of early voting on Oct. 17 at the Brown & Douglas Recreation Center. The first clue there was a party going on was the great music being played by DJ J.R. Reid, who said he was the “official DJ of the Phi Omegas.” 

The theme of their event was “Soaring to the Polls” and the members were certainly “soaring” with pride that one of their own AKA members was running for president of the United States. Evelyn Acree, chapter president, was among the members on hand to greet voters after they cast their ballots to offer free lunch, beverages and snacks. She reiterated that the AKAs are nonpartisan and they want everyone to come out and vote. 

April Ruffin-Adams, chair of the Advocate for Social Justice and Connections committee, also spoke about why they were here encouraging people to vote. “This is an initiative of Alpha Kappa Alpha, it is nonpartisan, and we do not endorse any party or candidate. Our mission is to register, mobilize and vote.” She added, “The Phi Omega Chapter is celebrating its centennial this year. We were the first local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc.”

The Party at the Polls was funded through a grant, said Ruffin-Adams. “The grant was from When We All Vote and we received $2,500 to have two Party at the Polls events. We’re here to turn voting into a celebration.” By providing music and free food, they hope to get people in the community to vote.

This is part of their national initiative which included canvassing neighborhoods, sponsoring political forums, and providing education on the voting process. Ruffin-Adams said they were encouraging people to “use your vote as your voice,” and they provided environments where people felt free to ask questions and where local candidates were accessible to the community.

“We don’t endorse any candidates, but we are very proud that Vice President Harris is a candidate,” she said.

They planned to serve 250 voters lunch and from the look of the long line mid-afternoon at Brown & Douglas, they should meet their goal very quickly.

One of their younger members, Taylor Bolden, a student at Wake Forest University, was handing out literature and welcoming voters at Brown & Douglas. She said, “I think it is very important to encourage people to vote, especially people my age.” She said educating students about the issues that involve them makes them more likely to vote.

John Powell, 42, also voted early and cast his ballot for Kamala Harris. He said, “It’s important to participate in the voting process. It’s also important to participate in local elections and be aware of who our local officials are, and state and federal.” He continued by saying, “It’s been a difficult road in America to get to this point where we get to vote. It’s up to us to decide how we want to be governed.”

Here are more events celebrating early voting:

*Carolina Forward presents The Early Vote Brunch Party hosted by The Pink Vote on Thursday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m., at the Sprague Street Community Center, 1350 E. Sprague St.

*Carolina Forward presents The Early Vote Brunch Party hosted by The Pink Vote on Thursday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m., at Brown & Douglas Recreation Center, 4725 Indiana Ave.

*Souls to the Polls, Sunday, Oct. 27, 12:30 p.m., starting at Emmanuel Baptist Church and other designated churches. March and ride to WSSU Anderson Center, 1545 Reynolds Park Road. Refreshments served at the Anderson Center. Sponsored by the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County NAACP, and Emmanuel Baptist Church Social Political Action Ministry.

*Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Phi Omega Chapter, hosts Party at the Polls, Friday, Nov. 1, 3-6:30 p.m., WSSU Anderson Center, 1545 Reynolds Park Road. Food, fun, entertainment and music.