Sean "P. Diddy" Combs: Vote or Die!

Black Collegian, Oct 2004

"Young voters in this country are throwing away their power to have a say about education, healthcare, and any issue that affects them," P. Diddy says. "These things affect your life, so-Vote or Die!" P. Diddy has become so interested in the "hustle of politics" that he has started a non-profit organization whose mission is "to make voting hot and relevant to a generation, 42 million young people aged 18 to 30, that hasn't reached full participation in the political process." He calls his organization Citizen Change.

According to E Diddy, everyday, cultural leaders-music artists, business moguls, fashion designers, community activists, and professional athletesmove millions of young people to exercise their $890 billion in buying power to purchase the latest album, clothing, cars, bling-bling, magazines, DVDs and other products. Under the banner of Citizen Change, P. Diddy expects to get these same cultural leaders to influence the same young people to vote. That means encouraging 42 million young people to vote November 2, 2004. These 42 million young people make up 25 percent of the voting population, a very powerful group of voters. As you can see from the pictures, 50 Cent, Farnsworth, Mfume, Alicia, Mariah, and many others have already joined P. Diddy.

P. Diddy hopes that his organization will "hip young people to the hustle of the politics by educating them about the power of their vote," for only when the power of this generation is harnessed will economic, healthcare, and education policies reflect the interest of young people.

Young people have to get real, according to P. Diddy: "The harsh reality in our community is that when it comes to youth voter participation, we've performed poorly. Of the 42 million young people eligible to vote, only half of those were registered to vote in 2000. These numbers reflect the need to really understand the game." P. Diddy, with his friends and his organization, expects to influence that number this November.

Both President Bush and Senator John Kerry understand the importance of those numbers. Both have organizations on college and university campuses. In this issue, THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine includes a debate by the candidates. We encourage you to read the candidates' responses. We encourage you to vote. P. Diddy would say that what these candidates say and do affects your life, so "Vote or Die!"