‘Voting feels like a battle’: A group of Black women reimagines voter turnout

Cassandra Welchlin, left, executive director of the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, and Velvet Scott, director of civic engagement and voting rights for the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, are leading efforts to mobilize Black women voters across Mississippi through the “Power of the Sister Vote Boot Camp.” (Imani Khayyam for The 19th)

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — The training in northwest Mississippi that Cassandra Welchlin led was focused on get-out-the-vote efforts, but the longtime community organizer wanted to make space to sing.

Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around, turn me around …

“Come on, y’all!” Welchlin told the crowd of nearly 100, who joined in on the next verse. Turn me around …

Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around. I’m gonna keep on walking, keep on talking, marching up to freedom lane …

“I am so happy to have y’all in the house,” she said at one point. “If y’all could see what I see.”

This report was originally published by

The 19th

. The Illuminator is a founding member of The 19th News Network.

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