ATLANTA — When Camilla Mhute goes to the polls this year, it will be her very first time exercising her right to vote as a new citizen of the United States.
Here's what she's bringing to the polls this election season.
You moved here as a child from Africa, from Zimbabwe. Last year, you became a citizen, and this year, you're voting for the very first time. How does that feel?
It feels really exciting, and I'm thankful that I've been able to, you know, live in this country, as a permanent resident to just see what is the culture within this country. What are the things that matter to me? And, you know, what is most important to me? So that now going into this election season, I can really keep those things at the forefront as well.
I moved to the States when I was ten years old. I've been living in Covington. I went to Georgia State. And so I've been here—I think it's 16 or so years now—as a permanent resident. Thankfully, my family wanted to help me become an official citizen, which happened last year. So now I'm able to finally vote and participate in the community.
Looking ahead at this election, what are some of your biggest concerns?
I would definitely say some of the biggest concerns I've been really talking about are improving the education system and the literacy rates within our community. And also, these days, I'm really privileged to be able to see all of the protests and all of the youth coming together. But I'm really concerned also with the safety of our youth. When we're raising our voices for peace and for justice…really seeing how we can do that in a peaceful way and how, the voices of the youths can be heard by our leaders, without it having to turn into anything that is violence. And also, of course, the refugee status within our community.
For me as an immigrant myself, I do understand what it's like to come to a country and have to get settled and understand the culture and all of these things. So America is a really, really beautiful country that was built on pioneers, you know, really coming to build this country from different lands. And so I really think as we continue to move forward as a country, this is something we can continue to build upon as well as more and more people, come to this country too.
What are some of those policies that catch your attention?
So, I think volunteering for the peace organization HWPL has really helped me to realize some of the systemic inequalities that we have within our communities. So, I'm looking at the candidates and the leaders. I'm looking at those who are more hands-on within the community. Those who understand what is taking place even within the refugee communities or, you know, lower cities or, you know, those who may be struggling to live on a day-to-day basis… like Peoplestown, which is, you know, a historically black community here in Atlanta.
So those who understand what the regular person is going through day to day and help them navigate through that as well. Because I really believe in the term seeing is believing, because once you see what people are going through, then how you make policies and how you lead as a leader would be different, and it would be in touch with what the regular person is going through.
When you look at the top of the ticket, Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Is there somebody that you might be leaning toward, or are you still unsure?
I am a little bit… unsure at the moment because it seems that a lot of the policies or the issues that are coming up are more so catered towards social media, TikTok, or, you know, even drug usage in the country, which of course we need to address those issues. But I think there's a lack of looking at the real issues that the people are concerned about, such as affordable housing, the real education that people need to have, to live within the unity, within this country. So, I think I'm a little bit unsure, and I want to see more of those issues being put at the forefront rather than what is trending and what is popular at the time.
What do politicians need to do in this campaign season? Do you get your vote?
As I mentioned, they should be more hands-on and understanding of the nature of this country because, a lot of times, it can feel like some of our leaders may be out of touch with what the community is looking for and what people need.
So if our leaders are, you know, they being hands-on, communicating with those who are in need, understanding how this country, was even built. Then, you know, for me, that would win my vote. Someone who understands the deep intricacies of this country and how we can really build together as a community.
Why do you think it's important to vote?
It's absolutely important to vote. Because if we do not let our voice be heard or let our needs be known, then our leaders cannot move forward with what we need. So, if we are also taking an active role in voting and letting people know what it is that we need, then we can move forward to building a country together. It's not just something that the leaders themselves need to do, but also the citizens. We need to take that active role in making our voice heard and really building our community together.
We always like to end on a positive note. So, what are you most optimistic about?
Absolutely. I'm very optimistic about seeing how the youth are uniting together these days to raise their voices for justice and make them aware of some of the issues that people are not really talking about. So, I'm really excited that our country is moving forward in that way, and I'm hopeful that it will foster more of that collaboration and dialog so that we can build a country that is inclusive and really caters to everyone's needs.
Is there anything that I did not ask about when it comes to voting politics at the federal or local levels that you would like to get off your chest or speak from your head about?
Camilla: I think I want to re-emphasize the importance I've mentioned of education…and that once again, not just education in what we're already learning in school, but education on valuing life, education on understanding each other so that we can really create that coexisting harmony, within our communities and living together in this beautiful country of America.