The UC Santa Barbara MultiCultural Center hosted a screening of “All In: The Fight for Democracy” on Oct. 30, just under a week before Election Day on Nov. 5. The film details the history and current state of voter suppression against marginalized groups in America, referencing the 2018 Georgia governor race between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp.

Students came to the MCC Theater to watch “All In: The Fight For Democracy.” Conor Kelly / Daily Nexus

The screening began at 6 p.m. at the MultiCultural Center (MCC) Theater, with roughly 20 people in attendance. Directed by Lisa Cortés and Liz Garbus, the 2020 film focuses on Democrat Abrams’s 2018 campaign for governor in Georgia against Republican candidate Kemp. 

The documentary argues that voters in Georgia were purposefully discouraged from voting by Kemp in the gubernatorial election through long lines at polling places and restrictive voter ID laws that required multiple forms of identification, targeting minority groups and hurting Abrams’s voter turnout.

Kemp was the secretary of state of Georgia in 2018, meaning his office was in charge of running an election in which he was trying to win. The film alleges that Kemp used racialized voter suppression to win the race. The film alleges he used voter purging in the election to remove 560,000 people from the voter rolls, often without them knowing. This discouraged people from voting and benefited Kemp’s election bid, according to the film.

The film shows how marginalized people, specifically African Americans were historically silenced and denied suffrage throughout American history. For example, in the Jim Crow era, literacy tests purposely barred African Americans from voting by requiring them to answer extremely difficult questions before being allowed to vote. 

MCC Programming Assistant and fourth-year global studies major Gerola said the MCC is trying to encourage young marginalized people to use their voices to influence issues they care about. Generation Z and millennial voters could be one of the most important blocs in this election.

Young people voted in droves in the 2020 elections but it is unclear how enthusiastic they are this time around and who they will vote for. Gerola said that through this event, the MCC is trying to educate marginalized students about the importance of voting, saying it is a way for them to claim power and be seen.

“Some people tend to think, why should I vote … Why does my vote matter? But it’s those types of mindsets that hold people back from exercising their rights and feeling seen, and also having autonomy over their lives,” Gerola said. 

Gerola said she believes some young people will have to vote on behalf of the livelihoods of their peers. She said it is essential for people to step up for issues that they care about.

“Think about women who could lose their right to abortions,” Gerola said. “Even if you don’t think your vote is going to affect you, think about all the other people that it will affect.” 

The film screening was part of the MCC’s slate of programming “Cup of Culture,” a series of film screenings within the MCC program calendar meant to provide students with supplemental education on cultural topics which they would not receive in the classroom.

A version of this article appeared on p. 3 of the Nov. 7, 2024 edition of the Daily Nexus.