St. Joseph AME members march to NCCU for early voting

Members of St. Joseph AME Church in Durham voted at an early polling location on Sunday, Oct. 25, as part of the congregation's annual Social Justice Sunday tradition. The group traveled from the church to North Carolina Central University, where they cast ballots on campus.

Jacque Beatty-Smith and Richard Smith, who serve on the church's Social Action Committee, described the event as a way to connect faith with community service. They cited the church's motto, "Love God, love the people, and love the people who do the work," as the guiding principle for the day's activities.

Rev. Dr. Abdue Knox, the pastor at St. Joseph AME, noted that the event attracts participants from the immediate neighborhood as well as from other congregations. Knox said the group formed a large caravan of people who walked and rode together to the voting site.

"We have a huge caravan of people from our church, from our community, from neighboring churches where we worship together," Knox said. "And then we all walk and ride over to North Carolina Central to cast their votes."

Organizers emphasized preparation as a key component of the event. Beatty-Smith and Smith said the committee helps voters understand what identification and information they need to bring to the polls. They also discussed strategies to address common barriers, such as voter suppression, to ensure attendees are ready to vote.

"We're looking at ways that we can deal with voter suppression and anything else that voters run into," Beatty-Smith and Smith said. "We want to make sure they have the basics, their IDs and the other information they need when they go to the polls, so they're prepared and have a plan."

Guest speaker Kent Roberson told the crowd that their participation carries weight in the community. He encouraged attendees to recognize their ability to influence local outcomes through their votes.