103-Year-Old Proud to Cast Ballot for Obama

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by Lesley R. Chinn

While the lines were long atsome polling places on Tuesday,Calumet City resident FannieRainey, who witnessed suchevents that included the Brown vs.the Board of Education Decisionin 1954 to integrate the schools tothe Voting Rights Act in 1965, didnot let that stop her from castingher ballot for DemocraticPresidential nominee BarackObama.

Rainey, 103, who lives at theVictory Centre of River Oaks seniorhome in Calumet City, cast herballot at a nearby polling place. Ifeel like Im doing the right thingfor this nation. It is the right thingto do to vote because Im votingfor my rights, Rainey said in aninterview last Friday at her homebefore she cast her ballot.

(Obama) seems like he is theright person to win and take overthis nation and make it better. Itsin bad shape right now becauseyou hear about people killing oneanother all the time. I believe hecan stop some of that.

When the Calumet City residentwas born 103 years ago onSeptember 23, 1905 in LittleRock, Arkansas, Teddy Rooseveltwas the countrys 26th President;the New York Giants won theWorld Series, first class stampscost two cents; and civil rightsleader W.E.B. DuBois led effortsto end segregation when he helpedorganize the Niagara Movement,which later reformed itself as theNAACP in 1909 to help fightagainst segregation.

While Rainey began voting in her20s, there werent many Blackswho voted in the South. Thosewho did vote were required to paya poll tax or complete a literacytest. Some even faced receivedarrest or death threats if theyattempted to vote. It wasnt verynice or good, but some peoplevoted in different places anyway.If anybody could vote, I felt Ishould because I was grown andhad a right to vote, she recalled.

Recognizing the sacrifices madeduring the civil rights movementof the 1950s and 1960s that laterled to the Voting Rights Act of1965, Rainey said that there is noexcuse for todays young peoplenot to vote. When I was comingup, young Black people couldntvote.

Now that they have that right, sheadded, some are not taking advantageof it like they should. Whenthey dont vote they are (doing adisservice) to themselves by notexercising their rights.

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