Trumbull County NAACP, others host ‘Souls to the Polls’

A “Get Out the Vote” (GOTV) program, sponsored by multiple nonprofit organizations, took place Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of the former Hills Department Store on Youngstown Road.

Several area religious leaders led a prayer and community leaders addressed the group of about 30 people, after which attendees walked together across Youngstown Road to the Trumbull County Board of Elections to cast their ballots.

The combined efforts of the following organizations were responsible for organizing Prayer and Praise Souls to the Polls: the A. Phillip Randolph Institute (a national organization uniting civil rights activists, African American trade unionists, and community organizations to fight for social, political, and economic justice); the Greater Warren Youngstown Urban League, NAACP, Trumbull County Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (TCIMA), Brothers Against Violence, Freedom Block and Community Concerned Citizens.

Warren resident Patricia Gilliam attended the event with her dog, Herbie.

“I have been voting since I was 18 years old. I was born and raised in Warren, and I have seen so much in this town. I have seen so much change. It is supposed to change for the better, not just for some, but for everyone. My mother, Ossie Gilliam, stood for that. She believed in that and I believed in her. She was a community advocate," Gilliam said.

Trumbull County NAACP President and Third Vice President of the State of Ohio NAACP Annette McCoy said the event was a combined effort.

“All the nonprofits work together on community events and support what the community needs to make a difference. National leadership of the NAACP, the Urban League, and the A. Philip Randolph Institute have been having about three Zoom calls a week to inform people about the importance of voting. We have been covering the communities to increase voter turnout in the various wards, particularly Ward 6. We also have been educating them on the issues leading up to today,” McCoy said.

President of TCIMA, Pastor Eric Brown of the York Avenue Church of God; Pastor Wayne Truss of New Freedom Missionary Baptist Church; Elder Julian Walker of Restoration Christian Fellowship; and Dr. Robert Stringer of New Freedom Missionary Baptist Church each led a prayer.

Darren Caffie was at Sunday’s event representing the A. Phillip Randolph Institute.

“I am here to promote the right to vote. People have died for the right to vote. We need to exercise our right to vote,” Caffie said.

Warren Ward 6 City Councilwoman Honeya Price addressed those attending about teaching youth the importance of voting.

"We need more young people to get out to vote. Talk to young kids about voting. Social media has got them thinking that their votes don't count. I am asking each one of you to register at least 15 young people," Price said.

President and CEO of the Greater Warren-Youngstown Urban League, Thomas Conley, said that a similar event was happening Monday in Youngstown and these events are happening throughout the nation.

“We want to let everyone know that voting is essential. We are not just doing all of this because we feel like it. We are doing this for a purpose. That purpose is to get people out to vote,” Conley said.