As the sounds of the band Bondfire Madigan filled Bruin Plaza to
commemorate the start of National Coming Out Week, a small crowd
began gathering at the bottom of the Ackerman Union’s
pyramid-shaped steps.
Shaking hands, exchanging hugs and posing for pictures with
students, Rev. Jesse Jackson awaited the signal to address the UCLA
crowd.
“It is amazing that there are no polling places on
campus,” Jackson said casually in between cell phone calls.
“The average student does not know where to go (to
vote).”
Students’ limited access to voting is one of the topics
Jackson addressed when he made his way on to the stage a few
minutes later.
Jackson said he noticed the same problem at all of the campuses
he had visited in his three-day tour of California universities.
Other campuses where Jackson spoke include the University of
California, Santa Cruz, Stanford University and California State
University, Sacramento.
Jackson said even if there are big rallies on campus and
students are coming together and organizing, all their efforts will
not count if students do not vote in the recall election.
“Your cheers will be tears if you don’t vote,”
Jackson said to an energetic crowd.
Jackson proceeded to encourage students to vote “no”
on Proposition 54 ““ an initiative on the recall ballot that
would ban the state from collecting most race-based data.
“No one wants to be colorblind; be color-caring,” he
said, referring to supporters of the measure who believe that its
implementation will lead to a colorblind society.
The rally also drew some backers of Proposition 54 in a crowd
filled mostly with the measure’s opponents. Students on both
sides competed for standing space behind Jackson while he continued
to speak.
Jackson also advocated voting “no” on the recall and
“yes” on gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Cruz
Bustamante.
Jackson ended his speech ““ which lasted several minutes
““ by calling students to volunteer and rallying them to vote
today.
“We will have to work all day … to keep hope
alive,” Jackson concluded.
Though a majority of the students who attended the rally agreed
with Jackson’s sentiments, a few were unimpressed with what
they believed was rhetoric.
“He didn’t offer any other solutions than
voting,” said Jen Smith, a graduate student from the
University of Texas.
“You read about him in history books … but I was
unimpressed with what he said,” she said.
Other students said the political activist inspired them.
“If anything, he has definitely inspired me to get
educated on issues,” said third-year history student Lioness
Ebbay, adding that she plans to vote in today’s election.
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