Center Blog

Well before the 6:30 start time, the Center’s third floor is bustling with people of all ages, races and orientations. Folks are crowded around circular tables covered in deep purple cloths. In between the talking heads of the live broadcast of CNN — projected on one of the soaring walls — Bob Marley sang through the speakers: “Get Up, Stand Up…”

The Center’s Barbara Warren introduced J.D., an intern in the public policy department of the Center, and Ricardo Martinez, the main front runner behind the Center’s efforts to register hundreds of (otherwise disenfranchised: homeless individuals, sex workers…). Seeing as how the Center is super welcoming and affirming, it is no surprise that the feeling of warmth around this election’s community efforts is appreciated and overwhelmingly supported. Both of the above-mentioned Center representatives spent months and months up until this historic November 4th night out in the streets and bars and events signing people up to vote, and reminded all of the importance of taking part in the democratic ideal of community power. And while they placed 3,000 registration boxes around the city, it was the unexpected activities that made the community come together.

Ricardo told me that one day, after hours of registering folks in the NYC area, he and a cohort hopped on the subway. Just as they did the train came to aprupt stop, and the team saw this as a moment to expand efforts. At a interval where people have their subway faces on — no one looking at one another, faces in books, feet tapping to music pumping out of their iPods — ten people were registered.

By 7:10, every chair is taken and my little blogging desk is being overwhelmed by the shadows of those who eyes are peeled to the tv, and whose ears are open to their neighbors on either side — strangers and friends, coworkers and interns all coming together.