WASHINGTON, DC (November 3, 2016) – The Howard University Graduate Political Science Association (HUGPSA) is leading the 2016 Presidential General Election Voter Protection Project (VP2). The Office of the President, the Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center, Office of Student Affairs, and the Department of Political Science are serving as University partners of the Voter Protection Project. The project’s timeline began on September 26 with voter registration and will conclude January 2017 with a final project report of the group’s findings.
“The Howard University Graduate Political Science Association has launched a Voter Protection Project that aims to increase electoral participation of millennial voters, and to combat voter suppression in Black communities across the nation,” explained Gabrielle Gray, President of HUGPSA. “Here at Howard University, and at other HBCUs across the country, we have a legacy of standing at the forefront of human and civil rights struggles. With the Voter Protection Project, we are acting on the legacy of our ancestors, and working hard to defend the voting rights of our people.”
The project’s purpose is to examine and expose systemic barriers to voting at the state and local level of government. “Our job is to make sure voters are not being intimated at the polls, that they feel protected, and that they are able to exercise their right to vote. This is a significant time in our lives and we’re making sure students are a part of it,” stated Naya Young, one of the graduate student organizers. Dr. Elsie Scott, Director of the Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center, also explains “The students will be traveling with the support of not only the Howard University partners but Black political scientists from other universities, Howard University alums and other friends from the Black community. We are grateful that so many people responded to our appeal–people who want to ensure that our voting rights are protected.”
Howard University students will travel to Cleveland, Ohio and the northern part of Charlotte, North Carolina to monitor the polls, engage in community outreach and neighborhood canvassing, and gather data on voter impressions regarding the African-American voting experience. Local students will stay on site in the District to assist at the 2016 election Command Center being operated at Howard.
Twenty-five graduate and undergraduate Howard students and three fellows from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation will travel to Cleveland and Charlotte on Sunday, November 6 and return on Tuesday, November 8 after the polls close.
HUGPSA is accepting contributions to support their VP2 efforts. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/2016-voter-protection-project-2u4n8ss to donate.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Decota Letman, Public Relations
Howard University Graduate Political Science Association (HUGPSA)
decota.letman@bison.howard.edu
Brittany A.B. Surratt, Media Relations
Howard University
About Howard University
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced three Rhodes Scholars, nine Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, more than 60 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus, African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, go to www.howard.edu.
About HUGPSA
The Howard University Graduate Political Science Association (HUGPSA) is a student organization that promotes unity of action among all graduate students of the Political Science Department in societal issues such as but not limited to education, cultural, economic, civil rights, and political activism.
