Jesse Jackson to Detroit youth: Get out and vote

Cass Tech senior Tamera Tabb joined the Rev. Jesse Jackson on stage Wednesday during a voter registration rally at her school and signed up to vote for the first time.

Tabb, 18, was still bubbling with enthusiasm afterward.

“I can’t believe I shook hands with Jesse Jackson,” she said. “He’s an inspiration to a lot of people.”

Jackson, Mayor Mike Duggan and others headlined the voter registration rally for Cass Tech seniors. Jackson stressed the importance of registering to vote — not only to cast a presidential ballot, but to be eligible to serve on a jury. To drive home the latter point, Jackson mentioned Michael Brown, the Ferguson, Mo., teen who was fatally shot by a police officer.

“You are not our future. You are our right now,” Jackson told the students.

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Oct. 11 is the deadline to register to  vote in the Nov. 8 presidential election. For information, go to michigan.gov/vote.

Jackson ended his inspirational speech to the students by calling all those who are 18 or will be 18 by Election Day onto the stage to register to vote. About a dozen students walked up.

“It inspired me to vote,” said Lakiya Ealy, who was among those who registered. “I’m free to do whatever I desire.”

Duggan urged the students to register because Detroit too often is forgotten in Lansing and Washington.

For those students who were too young to register, Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez asked them to take forms home to family members.

Castaneda-Lopez said with regret that she didn't realize the importance of political engagement until her mid-20s, when Barack Obama was running for office.

"If I'm not there fighting at the table, other people are going to be making decisions for me," she said.

Contact Joe Guillen: jguillen@freepress.com