Southern Echo applauded for GOTV efforts
By Alice Thomas-Tisdale
JA Publisher Emerita
For nearly four decades, Southern Echo has been a leader in creating training programs to increase political activism in communities of color. Based in Jackson, MS, its reach is far and wide across the state, and is gaining a foothold in the South.
Just recently, the organization initiated a GOTV campaign for the upcoming midterm elections that has received applause from local elected officials (particularly Sen. Sollie Norwood, Sen. Hillman Frazier, Rep. Zakiya Summers, Hinds Co. Circuit Clerk Zack Wallace, and Yazoo County Supervisors Joseph Thomas Jr. and David Peyton), civil rights organizations, and community groups, including the Golden Key Line Dancers who energized attendees at the “Be Voter Ready” kickoff event held September 14, 2026, at For Your Occasions in north Jackson.
“Mississippi voters should make their voices heard in the 2026 Midterm Election and take note of the updated absentee voting process,” stated Rachel Mayes, Executive Director of Southern Echo. “The absentee voting timeline is now thru October 31, 2026. Voters should visit their Circuit Clerk’s office during this period, cast their ballot and it will be immediately scanned into the voting machine. This process eliminates the possibility of an envelope completion error(s) that will invalidate the ballot and eliminates the stress of rushing to vote on election day. Exercise your right and power by participating in the 2026 Midterm Election Cycle.”
Among those applauding Southern Echo’s GOTV campaign and actively promoting it is Rev. Tonie L. Crisler, Grand Master of the M.W. Stringer Grand Lodge, who is also Senior Pastor of Belmont MBC. “I remember how it felt to cast my first vote,” he shared. “Casting my first vote was a moment of pride and responsibility. As I stood there preparing to cast my ballot, I realized I was exercising a right many people before me fought, sacrificed, and even died to secure. I understood my vote was more than simply selecting names on a ballot – it was my opportunity to have a voice in decisions affecting my community, my state, and my country. Walking away after casting my ballot, I felt I had fulfilled an important civic responsibility and had become an active participant in the democratic process.”
Rev. Crisler says that feeling has never subsided, and why he’s been a consistent voter throughout his life.
Easily spotted in Rev. Crisler’s Amen corner, is longtime women’s rights advocate Murlene Terry Taylor. Voting is extremely important to me. It is a right and privilege I take seriously. I make it a point to cast my ballot whenever there is an election, whether it’s local, state, or national. I have not missed voting in any election since I began voting many years ago. I am proud of that,” she said.
“At my age, I continue to vote because it’s important for me to help elect persons who will be responsive to their constituents. My experience goes beyond casting a ballot. It has been a privilege for me to work with the voter registration efforts of the National Council of Negro Women, Incorporated and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated, Beta Delta Omega Chapter. These organizations, in which I hold memberships, have assisted getting people to the polls to vote. My church, College Hill, is also involved in educating our community on the importance of voting.
“Voting was not always easy for African-Americans, especially in the deep South. Many barriers were put in place to keep African-Americans from voting. Examples of these barriers were poll taxes, silly literacy tests, intimidation, and just pure chicanery.
“It is more important now that we rally to get everyone who is eligible to vote. Voting is our Power! Churches, social and civic organizations, Greek letter organizations and other fraternal organizations are asked to encourage their members and friends to vote in the upcoming election on November 3, 2026, and all future elections.”
And if that’s not quite plain enough, leave it to celebrated English professor Malena W. Dow to spell it out for us: “It is not just important; it is absolutely necessary for us to vote! Our forefathers and mothers bled and died for us to have this right. It is an obligation. It is our claim to power. It is the way to express our desire and let our voice be heard. It is our power source, but only if we use it,” she contends. “We’ve been left with a responsibility – and it is ours to accept or claim. We cannot afford to sit here on Election Day and watch the parade go by. We must act! Every vote makes a difference!”
