As United States voters turn out for the 2024 presidential election on Tuesday, a civil rights leader, Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, has issued a call for vigilance in safeguarding democracy.
Her remarks, alongside those of U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Mills, highlighted the shared democratic challenges and aspirations between the United States and Nigeria.
The duo spoke at a press conference organised by the US Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday.
Jefferson-Jenkins, a prominent advocate for voting rights and racial equality, invoked her family’s history of struggle against voter suppression to illustrate how democracy requires constant effort and resilience.
“My grandmother, who worked long days and taught others to write so they could sign their names to vote, didn’t gain the right to vote without a poll tax until she was 62,” she recounted.
Now a committed voter…