Lightfoot, Common speak at 'Black Women for Change' virtual rally

CHICAGO - On Thursday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was part of a virtual rally called “Black Women for Change,” hoping to drive millennials to the polls before and on Nov. 3.

“If a million people think, 'My vote does matter,' one vote can make a difference in our entire country,” said Lightfoot.

Rapper and actor Common had a message for Chicagoans who haven’t voted and for those who don’t plan on it.

“If you say you care about Chicago and your people, then you need to vote,” said Common. 

Other speakers focused on issues involving Black people shot at the hands of white police officers.

INFORMATION ON VOTING IN ILLINOIS

Protesters across the country are saying that it is time to put action behind those words.

“Translate the protest into votes. Vote,” said Tyler Clark, a 3D artist.

Looking back in 2016, the Black voter turnout rate declined for the first time in 20 years in a presidential election.

Numbers show four years ago, 59.6 percent of Black voters went to the polls, down from 2012 where 66.6 percent casted ballots.

According to pew research, overall, Black women have consistently come out to vote. In 2012, they surpassed the number of white women and Hispanic women at the polls.

“There was a time when people like me didn’t have the right to vote. Your vote is your voice, There are people in this election trying to take away your voice,” said Timme Cager, an entrepreneur.