This week, history was made as we found out the next president of the United States. On Tuesday, Nov. 5, NAACP, The Epsilon Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and the Delta Nu Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. held a watch party for the Presidential Election.
The event started at 7:30 pm EST, and lasted till about 10 pm EST. The event started with a trivia about electoral candidates and previous presidents, where the guests were split into teams and had to compete by seeing who could write the answers to trivia questions on
whiteboards the fastest.
There was a brief history of voting in the United States led by Zurich McGhee, a member of the Delta Nu Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.
The presentation included the two-party system, the Electoral College, and an exclusive on both candidates. It discussed the founding era which included the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the expansion of suffrage during the 19th century, the woman’s suffrage movement during the late 19th-early 20th century, the Civil Rights era during the 1950s – 1960s, and finally the Modern Voting Requirements which is what we have in present day time. The overview of the candidates included their policies, for example, criminal justice reform, healthcare access, and climate action and economic equity.
This slide discussed how Kamala Harris advocates for ending cash bail, eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenses, while Donald Trump's supports law-and-order policies, advocating for increased funding for police and harsher penalties for crime.
Finally, the presentation discussed the “Road to 270,” which is the strategy candidates use to win at least 270 electoral votes needed to become president. It also included information on swing states and campaign strategies.
After the presentation the hosts put on a live view of the voting and the states voting polls.
The guests were offered pizza, snacks, and were able to play an electoral bingo during the watch party.
It was definitely a time of great company and great fellowship, where students could mingle and even some would experience their first presidential election.
You can find more about these organizations on their Instagrams, at University of Memphis Sigmas, UofMemphis AKAs, and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at the University of Memphis.
