'Everybody counts': Kash Doll, Warren Evans lead students rallying for census, voting

"Everybody counts" was the mantra of the day for more than 500 Wayne County high school students who attended a 2020 Census and voter participation rally.

The rally, held at Wayne County Community College District's downtown campus Friday, decked out students from schools across the county in custom "Everybody Counts" T-shirts, from Detroit Vs. Everybody founder Tommey Walker.

"When everybody votes, we embrace our basic human right that governs our great country," Walker said. "When we vote, we let our voices be heard individually and collectively speak truth to power. When we do these two fundamental things, everybody counts."

Walker was among several speakers rallying students of age to register to vote and encouraging all to increase local participation in the 2020 census. Wayne County Executive Warren Evans spoke to a crowd of about 150 students who were selected from Wayne County high schools as youth ambassadors to lead the charge on educating other students and community members on the census and voting in upcoming elections.

Evans encouraged the students to educate their friends, family and peers of the importance of voting and the census to ensure the county does not miss out on the funding that can be lost with low census turnout.

"A man from the government can't walk up the street to houses, you know it as well as I do in our neighborhoods, knock on the door and say I'd like to know everybody who lives there, could you sit down and fill out this form?" Evans said. "It ain't happening, it's not going to happen. It can happen when you know that neighbor that's not being counted and you can tell them why it's important and you can tell them that the government cannot use any of that information to cause problems for you and your family."

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Once Evans swore in the 150 student youth ambassadors, more than 500 people gathered to hear Evans, Walker and Detroit native and national recording artist Kash Doll address the audience, surrounded by voter registration tables and information.

Doll, whose real name is Arkeisha Knight, said that not only it is important for students of age to vote, but that they encourage their families to fill out the census forms and vote as well.

"I've had so many people try to silence me — whether it was haters, whether it was contracts, teachers, managers, the male-dominant industry," Knight said to the crowd. "But you know what? I'm from Detroit and we not silent people. I refuse to be silent about what I want and what I need. So I am telling you to do the same."

Knight stepped away from the podium for a brief live performance for the eager students, performing her song "Ice Me Out" but changed the popular lyrics to "vote me out, vote me out."

"Everyone’s voice matters and if we're not putting out our own opinions then other people are going to have the opportunity to do that for us and we have to take advantage and make our own decisions," said Davis Aerospace Technical High School student Tremel Butler. "I feel that people are not aware of these things because the generations before us have not instilled it in our heads, they haven't been telling us what we need to do and the importance of voting and now we can take it upon ourselves to go out and vote."

Meredith Spelbring is a news intern with the Detroit Free Press. Reach her at mspelbring@freepress.com or on Twitter @mere0415.