Yep. I’m talking about Ms.SpentYouth. I think one of the reasons I admire and like her so much is that she embodies some of the better parts of me. While mine are hidden away where very few can see, Ms.SpentYouth's better parts rule her life.
I met her in NC at a workshop on voting. At the end of a long day, we had time to just sit and talk. I learned of all her work with Moral Mondays. She was so engaged in that movement that she came to know everyone (I do that too), and everyone liked her (yeah, that part doesn’t happen for me).
So when the police were getting ready to make arrests, an officer would always come by and put a hand on Ms. Spent Youth’s back, to signal to her that she was going to be arrested. She had built that kind of rapport with them, and they were respectful enough to cuff her in front due to her disabilities.
You vote, you protest, you get arrested for your beliefs, it’s all part of democracy. Ms.SpentYouth takes that one step beyond and continues to register voters to vote in Representatives who will represent.This is the Kossack I went to when I was trying to figure out how to get a friend of mine in Ohio to get excited about what was happening in NC in 2015. This is part of Ms.SpentYouth’s answer to me:
I'm not sure what to tell your friend in Ohio, except that we are a UNITED States of America and that all states matter to one another.
Also, when we take a look at our contact lists in our smartphones or our emails, we know they comprise people from all over -- not just our own states.
Don't we want all our contacts, family members, friends, acquaintances, et al., to be living in a state where justice reigns?
Where they have the RIGHT to vote without having to pay $36 for a voter ID?
Where they have equal access to quality health care that's affordable?
Where do we draw the border lines between equality and inequality, between good schools and just-okay schools?
One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Also, like me. Ms.SpentYouth has been very inspired by Dr. Fergie Reid Sr. and all the lifelong work he’s done on voter advocacy. It was about a year ago this month, when I heard that Ms.SpentYouth had to make a trip to the ER. I heard a crazy story that when she got there, she found the waiting room packed with people; so she turned around and went back to her car, got out a clipboard and came back in and started registering voters!
Dr. Reid inspired me to always tote a clipboard & (voter registration) forms with me wherever I go.
Yeah, I'm pretty amazed that more of us haven't thought about the possibilities at an ER -- so many people stuck in waiting rooms, so many nurses and docs and other staffers who don't have time to pick up a form .... And I was also blown away at how many hospital staff members already picked out their early voting opportunities. They are seriously planning their votes ahead of time.
Always an adventure. If I were able to drive right now, I'd park myself at a gas station and register voters while they're waiting to get some of that precious gas into their cars!
Seriously! Is she a great role model or what? When DK Asheville had a meet-up in Roanoke with a “historic appearance of a civil rights icon, Dr. Fergie Reid”, Ms.SpentYouth was there. Now... Dr. Reid Sr. is my guru for all things voting, but I have a confession to make - this 90 something dude has mad technical skills that are way over my head. When he starts talking excel spread sheets, he loses me. Not so for Ms.SpentYouth!
Kossack's listening to Dr. Reid talk voter history, advocacy, and techie stuff.When Dr. Reid started the part of his presentation about collecting data from voters, Ms.SpentYouth had her computer out, doing the excel stuff before Dr. Reid was even done talking!
I'm pretty good at sitting down and figuring out which of my friends live in which NC district. Comes in very handy on days like today, when people in NC Congressional District 09 needed to hear about a great alternative to Odious Status-Quodious.
She has a wicked good sense of humour too, as you can see by her comments and the video below. Seems Samantha Bee sent a team to Netroots Nation to film a segment and Ms.SpentYouth is in it!
We are very lucky to have this star shining here at Daily Kos.
x xYouTube VideoFor voter registration information in your state, check HERE!
Still time to register to vote in Virginia!43 days left to Virginia’s 2017 elections!! x xYouTube Video