Reimagining the Recipe for Civic Participation in South Carolina

Shared by: Cate M. (Founder & Director, Be The Ones)

My uncle, John, is a chef.

He’s worked in kitchens all over the world; creating & reimagining countless recipes. For decades, people would pull up a chair at the tables in his restaurants to savor his flavorful southwestern takes on locally sourced produce and fish. In addition to consistently adding more chairs to the tables in his restaurants, he always invited people to be part of what he was creating.

Some of my favorite moments with John have been in the kitchen. Not only did he teach me the art of cooking but always invited me to have a say in the recipes, allowing my creativity to blossom alongside the simmering pots and sizzling pans.

When I think about Be The Ones it reminds me a lot of these experiences with my uncle.

We’re not just pulling up chairs to give people a seat at the table, we’re committed to giving them a say in the recipe.

Earlier this year, we gathered a group of folks to strategize the year ahead. While our work in Georgia, North Carolina and our neighboring Southern states would continue, it became very clear the recipe for building healthier communities and a more equitable democracy in South Carolina was not working.

In South Carolina:

• 74% of eligible voters are registered; yet,
• ~20% turnout to vote in local races
• ~16% vote in state & local primaries
• 76% of all races went uncontested in 2022 (meaning the person on the ballot won simply because no one ran against them; voters had no real choice on their ballot)

These stats coupled with significant timely events happening across the state, we saw an opportunity to try a new recipe — one that was not just about adding more chairs at the table & hoping people would show up, but one truly centered on building for and with our community.

How do we figure out what the ingredients are for removing barriers and increasing opportunities for participation? What is the best way to figure out what information gaps exist, why people do not participate, what they need, and what they could contribute to this collective recipe?

We have ask them.
So, that’s what we did.

Over the course of this year, we’ve hopscotched our way around the state to meet and talk with voters, non-voters, those that identify all over the political spectrum & varying intersecting identities.

An overarching theme was that people want to participate, but they don’t have the basic information, tools and resources to do so along with not seeing opportunities for them to have a say (a thumbprint if you will) in how they could participate.

This spring, we met with a group of high schoolers. They shared they had voter registration drives during their lunch break at school and it was a group of “older people telling them they had to register.” They, and their peers, were not registering to vote at these lunchtime drives. Well intentioned, but this civic group was focused on giving these young folks a seat at the table but did not give them an opportunity to have a say in the recipe.

We invited them to share the ingredients that would make registering more delicious and exciting.

This was the catalyst to piloting our Back to School Youth Voter Program. We partnered with local community organizations hosting back to school bashes & backpack giveaways — events that socialized and made the back to school experience a little more “fun” and met people where they were. We trained young folks & a team of volunteers to be voter registration ambassadors and provided them with the skills, tools, and experience needed to engage & register their peers.

We also used these events to bring awareness to and educate on the ability to register to vote in South Carolina at 17 years old (as long as you will be 18 by the general election date). We found many folks are not aware of this opportunity.

Only 2,273 seventeen year olds registered to vote across the entire state in 2022 (in some counties as little as 2 new registrations).

In addition to our partnerships with local organizations, we teamed up with the Colleton County School District and brought voter education & registration to their annual back to school party for the first time in 10+ years.

Just like my uncle gave me the opportunity to have a say in reimagining some of his classic recipes, we’re giving our community the opportunity to reimagine what local civic participation can look, feel (and even taste) like here in South Carolina.

Reflecting back on this year, we’re really proud of the measurable impact we have had, but, equally, our relentless commitment to actively inviting folks to have a role in shaping the very recipe that will define their futures.

As we look to 2024, we continue to envision the Be The Ones kitchen where community members aren’t passive recipients of predetermined meals; they’re co-creators of a menu that reflects their collective desire for healthier, livable communities and a more equitable democracy.

Tune in next week to hear 17 year old Angela’s story (who may be on your ballot in the near future) and what their story has to do with The Great British Baking Show.

Until then, stay sweet (and maybe a little spicy),
Cate

Ps. Speaking of sweet, there is nothing sweeter than sprinkling in a dash of your support into our collective recipe. Would you consider making a donation to ensure we can keep the kitchen doors open in 2024? Click here to add a dash of cash today.