Politics and Voting Interviewer: In terms of political representation, on like city council and that sort of thing, what is that like? Proctor: We have no help. Lee: We had none. Proctor: The ones that run that’s actually voicing their opinions and letting them know that they’re for the blacks and Hispanics to try to help us better—get better treatment for our schools and training on different technical things. They weed them out. Somehow, they don’t get a vote. That’s amazing to me. I mean—Carl White I know has been running for office since I was a kid. Has yet to be elected. Lee: He never been elected. Proctor: His nephew has just ran this past election. Didn’t get elected. Why? Because they’re trying to change something in our community. (crosstalk) Lee: —was the only one that I ever known that ever made it up here. Interviewer: And he didn’t stay long. Lee: He was just a yes man Proctor: That’s it. (crosstalk) Proctor: And that’s what they want. If you’re not going to agree with them, then they don’t want you. You’re a threat. Interviewer: You were growing up here before the Voting Rights Act was passed. Lee: I can’t remember that. Interviewer: It would have been sixty-five. Do you remember your parents voting? Lee: I remember seeing people go to vote, but I don’t remember too much about—I wasn’t too much into the political thing when I was a kid coming up, but I used to see people. You know, because at that time they had certain blacks would come around with cars and take people to the polls, “Come on let’s go vote.” They take all of them to the polls and bring them back because they were getting paid, but I don’t remember too much on the vote. Interviewer: So, in terms of turnout today, for the African American community to vote. Good? Bad? Not good? Lee: It’s good for the older person, but the younger generation, they are not voting because they have not been taught or they haven’t learned what is going on because they don’t know their history. They don’t know what’s out there where (inaudible) It’s imprisonment or death, one of the two out there for the young black male because he has no direction and because he has no training. Our prisons—that’s why they built all these prisons, warehouses for young black men. So, the old men are left in the community—I was a boy at that time, but now I’m the old man in the community, you know. You’re left to raise the children, because the young males are locked up. There are no young black males (inaudible) and them that are around, they’re lost.