Wayne Lomax is the Retired Pastor of The Fountain Church in Miami Gardens, Florida. He currently serves as a Compliance Manager for Miami Dade County Public Schools and is the President of The Fountain Endowed Legacy Scholarship Fund.
I am told that there is a great deal of voter apathy floating around. In a democratic form of government, the vote is the electoral voice. You get to have a say about what is important and which direction you want to see your community go. Candidates generally structure their campaigns around policy positions that are of interest to voters. Consider this: African Americans have not always been free in the United States. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery. Elected officials had to vote to abolish it. To pass the House of Representatives, a two-thirds majority was required. A total of 175 votes were cast: 119 for the 13th Amendment and 56 against. Had the result been 116 for and 59 against (a difference of three votes), the amendment would not have passed, and freedom for African Americans would have been delayed. There were no African Americans in the House of Representatives. The measure barely passed.
Representation is the result of elections. We are in a very important election season. The next governor, U.S. senator, congressperson, and school board members are all on the ballot. Black votes matter. Make every effort to resist the notion that your vote does not count. The voters who elected John Alley, Oakes Ames, John Baldwin, and George S. Boutwell helped abolish slavery in the United States. Had those four men voted no, the amendment would have failed.
Today, the issues are not slavery but healthcare, education, taxes, and protections against unfair labor practices, and they are determined by our votes. So if there is a low voter turnout on November 3, 2026, let it not be because Black registered voters did not vote. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: Black votes matter.
Supporting data for the publisher:
- National Constitution Center, 13th Amendment — Senate passed it 38–6 in April 1864; it failed in the House that June; the House passed it 119–56 on Jan. 31, 1865; ratified Dec. 6, 1865.
• History.com, House passes the 13th Amendment — 119–56, just above the required two-thirds; several Democrats abstained.
• Math: two-thirds of 175 votes is 116.7, so 117 yeas were needed. A three-vote swing…
[The last source note is incomplete in the original.]
