By Kevin Alberto Sabio

It's election season...time to get your vote on!

I had recently got into a situation with an associate of mine that left me a bit disturbed. This associate had sent me several emails soliciting my help in a grassroots campaign to help support Sen. Barak Obama's Democratic candidacy for president. After being annoyed with the numerous emails that this person had sent me, I finally replied that I was planning on supporting the Cynthia McKinney-Rosa Clemente campaign, considering that I've followed both women's political careers for some time now, and feel that they are more viable candidates as far as my political interests are concerned. This associate replied back that, "I hope that your vote isn't wasted, and McCain ends up winning."

WHAT?!?!?! Huh?!?!?!

Since when is having an alternative voice a bad thing? Considering that this person is supposed to be a member of the "conscious" community, that response really bothered me. From what I know about former Congresswoman McKinney and Ms. Clemente, they both have a proven track record of fighting for their communities and constituents respectively. What has Senator Obama done for our community other than being born half Kenyan?

Especially in this day and time when there is a supposed rift between the Black and Latino communities, the candidacy of the McKinney-Clemente team is unprecedented, and should be receiving more press and attention in our communities. You have two women of color running for the highest office of this country. After all of the hoopla being made about Senator Clinton's Democratic candidacy, and now Gov. Sarah Palin's nomination as Republican John McCain's running mate, all this rhetoric about the rise of feminist politics, you would think that a team of TWO women on the same ticket would be having a huge political impact in this year's political race. Or, is it that you have to be the right kind of woman (white) to get that type of media attention? Cynthia McKinney is no lightweight; her record speaks for itself. Rosa Clemente has been active in the community for years, from her college days on. What I really respect about former Congresswoman McKinney is her outreach to the Afro Latino communities being affected by the land-grabbing of their respective governments of their ancestral lands.

Of course, this is not the first time that Blacks and Latinos have worked together politically. During my time in New York City, you would hear plenty about the efforts of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, fighting for legislation for their respective communities. Also, the efforts of many grassroots political organizations can be noted, both contemporarily and historically. Rosa Clemente's membership in the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and all of her activity with the organization and outreach to the Hip Hop community, is a testament to that. I also remember hearing about the efforts of groups such as 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement and the Latino Officers Association, both law enforcement fraternal organizations, doing much to fight for the community. You also have the Latino contingent of the Nation Of Islam doing much to help to uplift the community, and spread the influence of Islam.

Historically speaking, you have the influence of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) throughout Latin America. They had SEVERAL divisions and chapters overseas, probably THE largest Black Nationalist organization to ever exist. They were located in several countries, including Honduras, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, and several others. Also, you had the influence of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, and how they helped inspire the formation of both the Young Lords Party and Brown Berets. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of the Brown Berets in the American southwest, working locally with grassroots Black community organizations. There is also the influence of the NAACP on the National Council for La Raza, sometimes seen as the Latino/Chicano version of the NAACP. The two organizations have actually worked together in the recent past on several campaigns over the years.

Also, for me, is Sister Rosa Clemente herself. She is a proud Afro Boricua, proudly proclaiming her African roots and ancestry, and a strong advocate for Afro Latino rights and culture. Because of her activism, she has a lot of experience with the impact of American foreign policy on other countries, especially those policies affecting our closest neighbors in Latin America. She is a fearless and tireless worker and fighter, as is her running-mate, and would work hard to improve our relations in the region. If my work schedule at the time permitted it, I would try to catch her radio program on WBAI-FM with her on-air co-host Sally O'Brien.

So, come Election Day this November, I know who I will be casting my vote for. This is not to disrespect the candidacy of Sen. Obama, but why consider his campaign as a new precedent in American politics, and not the McKinney-Clemente candidacy? Two highly qualified women of color running for the highest office of this country, and it's not considered groundbreaking? Why should Sen. Obama be looked at as a messiah, and the McKinney-Clemente ticket as pariahs? We have a lot of good orators in the Black community; we see them every Sunday (and sometimes daily on the street corners). If you truly want change, then this is it. I won't put ALL of my faith in electoral politics to effect change; that can only come from within. But, casting my vote for a team that I truly believe it...that's a real start to effecting change. My vote won't be wasted.