Souls to the Polls intends to swing election

The lack of black representation in local government is a battle blacks in St. Augustine and St. Johns County said they’ve been fighting for years. “If you’re not white many times your voice is just not heard,” Lincolnville community leader Judith Seraphin said in an interview with Jacksonville’s Action News.

A group called “300 Concerned Citizens”, organized by black pastors in St Augustine, is on a mission to regain a voice in local politics for a constituency they say is not represented.

“Black residents in St Augustine are at a disadvantage and now we are unifying for change,” St Paul’s AME Church pastor Ron Rawls said. “There are no black elected officials today and it is my obligation to make sure we don’t go backwards.”

The plan, according to Rawls, is to rally behind two city commission candidates who they believe will be open to promoting diversity in city hiring practices, purchasing programs, as well as appointed and elected boards. The pastors say they are sending a “pledge card” to every black voter through the mail.

They are supporting Nancy Shaver for Mayor and John Valdes for Commission Seat 4.

Finally, the faith-based community is joining forces to get the black community to turn out to vote — on October 26th, they intend to bus voters to the Supervisor of Elections Office as part of the operation they call “Souls to the Polls”.