In Cleveland, a vibrant wave of political engagement is sweeping through the city, fueled by collaborations among Black men, women, fraternities, sororities, civic leaders, clergy, and professionals. This collective energy is harnessing resources and relational currency to encourage voter turnout. However, despite these efforts, a significant opportunity remains untapped: reaching those who are not yet engaged in the political process.
While the current initiatives are commendable, they primarily involve individuals who are already regular voters and politically civically engaged at least to some degree. To achieve the widespread socio-political change that our nation (both conservative and progressive movements) is calling for, we must find ways of galvanizing and engaging those who are currently absent from the political arena. This requires creativity and a focus beyond merely encouraging voting; it necessitates fostering comprehensive civic engagement.
Current get-out-the-vote initiatives are too narrow, short-lived and not far-reaching enough to truly bring about lasting progressive social transformation! We need government in service of the people, and that can only happen when the people are packing the stands, on the field, and calling the action in the field of the political arena.
Civic engagement involves understanding the basics of government operations, the distinctions between the branches and levels of government, and an understanding of key roles and responsibilities. The lack of continued civic engagement prevalent in certain neighborhoods isn’t just from apathy. Some of it is from unawareness.
To spur the needed infusion of insight, I propose using local influencers. Cleveland’s rich history of artists and musicians offers a unique opportunity to leverage their platforms for social change. In particular, Cleveland has an abundance of amazing local rappers, with deep community connections to the key demographics that are regularly under-engaged in civic matters. If these artists are educated, engaged, and activated to galvanize their audiences, they could provide the critical missing link necessary for prolonged civic participation — beyond voting!
Should anyone need convincing that music and social movement goes hand in hand one has only to consider history. Songs like “We Shall Overcome” and “Alright” have become anthems that united and inspired activists from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Black Lives Matter. Movies like “The Black Power Mixtape” and “Let Freedom Sing: How Music Inspired the Civil Rights Movement” catalog the significant role music played in the political arena of days past. Similarly, reggae (Bob Marley) and Afrobeat (Fela Kuti) music played crucial roles in the liberation movements across the African diaspora, serving as a voice for resistance against life-denying imperialism, colonization, and oppression.
The Rev. Dr. Napoleon Harris is pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland.Courtesy of Napoleon Harris
By collaborating with local artists like B.A.R.T.Watts, Caesar Rio, and Vitto Banks to create music that not only makes us tap, nod, dance, and sing along but also serves as real-life rhythmic public announcements, illuminating civic issues. In Cleveland we have the opportunity to do more than get out a vote, we can literally get leaps and bounds further as a leading American city again through intentional civic engagement, participation, and education. We can replicate these historical successes through collaboration with local artists because music has the power to reach diverse audiences and inspire action. As the music goes, so goes the movement — I am convinced a facilitated synergy between art and activism will drive significant social change through prolonged voter engagement.
Cleveland’s current voter outreach efforts are beyond remarkable, but I believe there is still a great opportunity to engage those who are not yet politically/civically engaged by leveraging local influential artists like Vitto Banks, B.A.R.T.Watts, Melody Reign, and others to harness the power of music and their already-made platforms to promote civic education and engagement, thus shifting the political and civic landscape with new, energized, and informed participants.
The Rev. Dr. Napoleon J. Harris is pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, an Omega Man, self-proclaimed music aficionado, and lover of all things Cleveland.
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