Southern University’s ‘Second Line to the Polls’ Draws Students, Elected Officials and Celebrity Guests
Southern students combine HBCU tradition and voter outreach ahead of Election Day.
BATON ROUGE, La. — More than 100 Southern University students brought the sound of the Human Jukebox to downtown Baton Rouge on Tuesday, Oct. 27, joining a march designed to turn enthusiasm for an HBCU tradition into greater participation in the electoral process.
The “Second Line to the Polls” initiative, organized by Southern political science senior Jaden York, coincided with National Civics Day and Louisiana’s final day of early voting ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
The procession began at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum on South River Road, continued through Repentance Park past the Old State Capitol and across Rhorer Plaza, and ended at Baton Rouge City Hall, where participants could cast their ballots. Organizers also arranged transportation for Southern students, with Baton Rouge Community College students, LSU students and other East Baton Rouge Parish residents invited to join the march.
York said his goal was to connect students and community members with voting resources and reinforce the importance of having a voice in decisions affecting their communities.
The initiative brought together Southern’s Student Government Association, the Human Jukebox, state Sen. Regina Barrow, the NAACP, the Andrew Goodman Foundation and campus organizations, including Collegiate 100, the National Society of Leadership and Success, MANRRS, Omega Tau Pi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma and Sigma Gamma Rho. Participants were encouraged to bring identification.
The program also featured actress Meagan Good and political commentator Roland Martin. Good, whose stepfather is from Baton Rouge, said the city holds personal significance for her. She recalled visiting Louisiana as a child and later returning to film Eve’s Bayou, which was shot in Baton Rouge, Port Allen, Mandeville and Covington.
Good encouraged young people to remain engaged beyond a single election, emphasizing that participation matters in local, state and national contests.
Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards, Metro Councilman Darryl Hurst and U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields were also scheduled to participate in a voter rally at Rhorer Plaza following the march.
The event came amid strong early-voting activity statewide. By the preceding weekend, more than 363,000 Louisiana voters had cast ballots, including more than 123,000 Black voters, according to figures reported during the final days of early voting.
Lucee
Louisiana’s early-voting period ended Oct. 27. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Louisiana Secretary of State
