NORMAL, Ala. –  This year’s Alabama Senate race has become a national topic and it’s one of the reasons why Jeremiah Chapman and David Dixon are in the Rocket City. “You see how hot this race is around the country; you hear about it across the country. I came in from North Carolina and he actually came in from California,” Dixon said.

They’re both a part of the “Woke Vote” initiative. “The idea is to push out as many young black folks as possible. There are plenty of articles out there saying black folks aren’t mobilizing,” Chapman explained.

They are trying to change the headlines, which is how they ended up at the NAACP’s  “Get Out and Vote” rally. “So as we are building that infrastructure within the black community it is incredibly important deputizing these young folks early on,” Chapman said.

Dixon realized the importance of voting at a young age thanks to his grandpa. “He was from the generation that had to fight to able to vote.’ He’s from the Civil Rights era. When I was younger he would take me with him on election day,” Dixon said.

Chapman’s passion for politics came from what he called ‘brushes with injustice.’ “One of my best friends was one of the youngest to die in the Charleston massacre, my uncle was put on death row unlawfully and was exonerated, and my grandmother came down to Alabama back in the day because she was a Freedom Rider,” Chapman said.

Chapman and Dixon both hope they can pass the passion on to other young voters in Alabama. They simply want to remind the young people to stay woke and vote on December 12th.