Historically, ethnic and racial minorities have experienced major hardships in obtaining the right to vote. In states like Mississippi, Voter suppression and disenfranchisement restrict the voting execution of minority populations, which leads to a generational gap in discouraged or ineligible voters (Vij, 2020; Harrison, 2020). Statistically, most Black communities vote Democrat and this is no different in the Mississippi Delta where the majority of Mississippi's Black population derives (Almanac of American Politics Mississippi State Profile, 2018; Pew Research Center, 2014). In particular, the Clarksdale, Coahoma County district experienced a low voter turnout of 41% in 2018. This stipulates from a legacy of voter suppression and state gerrymandering to favor Republican representation (Ganucheau, 2019). As a result, the Black community’s voices are minimized, which leads to systemic voter disenfranchisement and discourages civic participation. 

The historical and systemic context carries into the classroom where my students feel their vote does not matter. A feeling likely inherited from conversations with their family and peers or the result of minimal civic education. Teaching about voting literacy and civic education splits between the common narrative of Paulo Freire's (2000) information banking concept and problem-posing critical thinking. Simply, teaching to the Mississippi government standards merely informs students they should vote without making the connection to its underlying effect on local community outcomes. Students need to approach voter literacy beyond simply reading about the electoral system. This can be done by engaging in challenging scenarios that push them to make connections about the impacts of voting.

The voting system unit expanded my perspective on the simple and effective instructional designs educators can implement to inspire student voices. To some onlookers, contacting one's political representatives may not appear as a major educational experience, but the act of enabling students to engage in this process exposes them to a new world of civic advocacy. A simple letter about voting access and turnout may turn into a phone call about state laws or leading campaigns for political office. The ripple effects are endless when one's eyes are open to the possibilities. 

The elements in the voting systems advocacy unit highlight one approach to inspiring and informing civic participation. However, the complications of the pandemic limited the opportunity for our class to do more. In a traditional setting, our class easily could have led a school voter drive and created a civic education week for our school in which students learn and celebrate voter education. The limitations of a virtual setting are apparent, but that did not stop my students from using their voices to advocate their ideas to leadership. I only imagine what more will be advocated for in a post-pandemic world. 

Moving forward, I plan to explore how this unit may benefit from an interview component with local community members, or be combined with the government news/media literacy standards to encourage further means of inspiring student voices.