Voter registration is as important today as it was back in the 1960s when most African Americans were disfranchised by blatant racism.

That&8217;s why in this day activists like Dr. Randy Brinson and the people at Redeem the Vote in Montgomery are so important to our youth.

In 2004, Brinson and his wife, Pam, founded the Redeem the Vote movement as a way to register young voters. They received help from both major parties and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is now a presidential candidate.

Some estimate they registered 78,000 to 100,000.

Now they&8217;re at it again. The bus is headed to Iowa and other states that vote early.

It&8217;s important that young people register and then exercise their right to vote. It matters not the party or the election, putting a ballot in the box is a privilege of citizenship. It&8217;s a responsibility of enjoying the government and the freedoms we have.

People like the Brinsons and the Redeem the Vote should be recognized for their efforts to spread the word and make sure young people are in a position to accept the responsibility of citizenship.