An open letter to UC students from UC student Regent Josiah Beharry and UC student Regent-designate Sonya Brooks:
Election Day is a precious day. It’s about something so much larger than any one of us. It is a day that honors the footsteps, sacrifices, and courage of those who came before us — those who believed, even when the world told them it was impossible, that they could change the course of history with their vote. That responsibility, that legacy, rests with you.
Over the past few months, we’ve heard from UC Advocacy Network (UCAN) advocates across the state, each sharing why voting matters to them. For some, it’s about creating a future where our communities are safer, stronger, and filled with opportunity. For others, it’s about the chance to protect the dreams of loved ones. And for many, it’s about casting their vote for those who cannot — our neighbors, family members, and friends whose voices remain unheard in our democracy. I, Josiah Beharry, am one of them — undocumented and deeply impacted by the choices made at the polls every day, yet unable to directly shape those choices. Today, though, I have a voice through you.
We, Josiah Beharry and Sonya Brooks, have the privilege of serving as the student Regents on the UC Board of Regents, and we are here to remind you that it is not too late to make your voice resonate for all of us. We are here to honor the legacy of those who stood in the face of impossible odds and fought to give us this day.
When we step into a voting booth, we walk into a sacred space crafted by the resilience of Black Americans who, even as they faced violence, oppression, and legal barriers, continued to fight for their place in this nation. For nearly a century after the Emancipation Proclamation, Black men and women were denied the right to vote through brutal tactics: literacy tests designed to be impossible to pass, poll taxes meant to impoverish the already struggling, and outright intimidation that threatened their lives and the lives of their families. They endured humiliation, marched through fire hoses, braved the brutal beatings at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, and, in too many cases, paid with their lives.
And yet, they did not give up. Leaders like John Lewis and Fannie Lou Hamer stared down hate, risking everything so that future generations wouldn’t have to fight the same battles. It was their undying belief in the power of democracy that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But the story didn’t end there, because every generation must safeguard these rights. Recent years have seen new restrictions, new ways to keep some of us from casting a ballot. Today, as we exercise this right, we do so knowing that it wasn’t freely given; it was earned with blood, sweat, and unbreakable resolve.
For women, the path to the voting booth was no less grueling. In the early 20th century, suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Alice Paul organized, protested, and were even jailed to claim the right to vote. The passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 was a momentous occasion, but it didn’t ensure access for all. While white women won the right to vote, women of color continued to face discrimination at the polls for decades. For many Black, Latina, and Asian women, true enfranchisement came only after the civil rights movement of the 1960s, when laws finally extended the vote to all women, regardless of race.
But as we know, it’s not only about the right itself — it’s about what that right represents. It’s about mothers who fought so their daughters could grow up in a world where they wouldn’t be silenced, where they could use their voice to shape their destiny. It’s about communities that stood strong and determined, knowing that voting was not just a right — it was a way of life, a way of changing the world.
And let’s not forget that young people — people like you — have always been at the heart of change. In the 1960s, college campuses erupted in activism, demanding an end to a war overseas, calling for civil rights at home, and standing for equality for all. Today, students are rising again, confronting issues of racial justice, climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, and affordable education. Time and again, young voices have proven that they are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the change-makers of today. The 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age to 18, was born from that youthful passion, and it reminds us that your voice, your vote, is crucial in shaping the future you will inherit.
Today, you carry the torch of those who marched before you. When you vote, you honor the legacy of those who fought so hard to make it possible. And when you vote, you carry the dreams of those who cannot yet participate in the democratic process — Dreamers, like me [Beharry], and millions of others who live with the hope that one day, our voices will join yours in the voting booth.
This is your chance to carry their dreams forward. This is your moment to build a future where everyone has a place, where every person can belong. Let this Election Day be the day you use your voice, not just for yourself, but for all of us who have waited so long to be heard.
Voting is more than a right; it’s a responsibility we share. While not everyone can cast a ballot, we each carry the power to represent those who can’t. Remember that your vote is not just your own — it’s for your family, your friends, your community, and every person who dreams of a better tomorrow.
If you need information on where to vote, UC’s website has resources on in-person voting locations and conditional voting options. This election is a chance to speak up for the change we want to see in the world. Let’s honor those who made this possible. Let’s Get Out the Vote!
