A delicate collection of ivory doves twinkled in the glistening sunlight, a symbol of hope for overcoming threats to democracy at the ballot box.
“Art always starts a conversation and can be something that allows people to communicate without pointing fingers,” said “L.A. Hope Dealer” Corie Mattie, the artist who led Project HOPE and the Los Angeles Community College’s installation for National Voter Registration Day.
National Voter Registration Day is an initiative celebrated annually, bringing awareness towards voter registration and making it accessible to diverse backgrounds nationwide. Since 2012, organizers have dedicated the day to share vast amounts of voter registration education, resources and options. Project HOPE pushes this mission through participatory art. Framing the display of doves were the words: “Hope as a Verb.”
Recent attempts by President Trump to restrict voting by mail, although blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday, reinforced the message that students should never take the privilege of voting for granted. Adrien Carter, student support representative and coordinator of the event, experienced that firsthand.
“I was someone who said I wasn’t into politics, until I realized the importance of voting and how much it impacts not just our students, but also the community,” said Carter. “The smaller elections impact the larger ones.”
This year’s midterm elections include the L.A. mayoral race between current Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithiya Raman and the California governor’s race between candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton. he president’s relentless attention on voting, including the push for the passing of the SAVE America Act, which could impact the voting capabilities of marginalized communities like immigrants and the LGBTQIA+ community has left many confused about how to vote for the mid-term elections less than two months away.
According to the Voting Institute, 47% of Gen Z (ages 18-29) voted in 2024 polls, 39% more than 2016. Younger generations are beginning to recognize that voting is the prominent way they can make their voices known in politics.
“A lot of folks have opinions about politics but unless you actually participate in the thing that matters most, which is casting your vote, you gotta kind of take a sideline for the complaining part of it, right?” said Olga Diaz, L.A. Community College’s vice president of student services. “So, show up and do the thing.”
Norma Benitez is a representative of Vision y Compromiso, an organization dedicated towards providing assistance to health workers to promote health, wellness, and economic stability for families and communities.
“[National Voter Registration Day] means a commitment to our communities, getting our communities ready and informed so they can make an informed decision and vote come Election Day,” said Benitez. “It means being able to have the resources in their language and have the opportunity to ask us questions and for us to direct them to the appropriate channels.”
This year, LACC was the only California community college selected for the nationwide initiative, which is being conducted at a total of 15 colleges. The organization is supported by the Levi Strauss Foundation and every year, the art motif is based upon the five phrases: hope as a verb, love as a verb, joy as a verb, care as a verb, and vote as a verb. This year’s installation was based on the first phrase, hope.
“There are individual doves but collectively they build a flock and that’s the whole point of civic participation. It’s showing up for the community using your voice and making sure that you leave this place better than you found it,” said Mattie, the installation’s organizer.
The event ended with the release of more than a dozen live doves, provided by Mid-City Doves, whose founder Alexander Vazquez, wanted to bring the installation to life.
On the count of three, those symbols of hope were released into the air, turning art into aerial affirmation of optimism.
Edited by Lindsay Augustine