Mike Espy Holds Drive-In Rally In Jackson, Emphasizes Health Care, Racism
Cars gathered around the outdoor stage in the New Hope Baptist Church parking lot in Jackson last night, with volunteers for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy and press scattered about. Supporters remained distanced in their vehicles at the drive-in event. Espy staffers held up signs calling for honking in the place of cheers, and after the persistently familiar technical difficulties of the Zoom call, politicians joined in from elsewhere in the state and country to share their support for Espy, the drive-in event necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Court of Appeals Judge Latrice Westbrooks, a Black candidate for Mississippi's Supreme Court, took to the stage early in the rally, urging Mississippians young and old to vote.
“Look at what’s happening in our country today. Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd … Jacob Blake. The decisions that are going to be made in those cases are going to be made by elected officials … whether you vote or not. In Mississippi, your coroner is elected. … The district attorney is elected. The attorney general is elected. Your judges are elected. Your jury comes from registered voters,” Westbrooks said.
Following Westbrooks, Bobby Rush, a living blues legend, shared a speech and a song. “I know that Black life matters,” Rush said, “because I've been singing the blues almost all my life, but I’ve been Black all my life. I’ve been Black for 86 years. And I’m begging you to go out and vote November 3rd.”
Read more: https://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/sep/04/mike-espy-holds-drive-rally-jackson-emphasizes-hea/
