VOTE: "Democracy is the issue," says Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes

In this SPECIAL VOTING episode, co-hosts Tamara and Charisse talk with the second-generation publisher of The Washington Informer, Denise Rolark Barnes, about the importance of this election year and reasons why all eligible Americans must commit to casting their ballot in November. The Washington Informer, known as a watchdog for District of Columbia residents, turns 60 years old on October 16. The newspaper was created by Barnes father, Calvin Rolark in 1964 and she took over the helm of the business after his death in 1994. Every election is important because too many people fought for the right for all kinds of people to vote, including black folks. So, when you struggle to open those doors of opportunity for people, then those people who are beneficiaries need to fight to keep those doors open, Rolark-Barnes says. In addition to following election events and campaigns, the Informer has stressed the importance of voting to DMV residents in a multitude of ways. One very significant way is that the multimedia news organization has placed a tool on The Washington Informer website that enables people from anywhere in the country to check their voter registration status as well as register to vote. The newspapers website is: https://WashingtonInformer.com. The tool is labeled Vote America, Why I Vote. The Informer is located at 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE Washington, DC 20032 To reach the publisher, email: [email protected] To comment on this episode, email [email protected] .