Daria Dawson was raised in Florida by two educators. From a young age, they made sure she and her brother understood that voting was their voice — and their voice had power.

“My parents were taking us with them when we were children to watch them vote,” Dawson, executive director of the progressive nonprofit America Votes, told The Hill.

“My mom stood in line with me on her hip when she voted for Jimmy Carter against Ronald Reagan in 1980. It was instilled in me: It doesn't matter if it's the dogcatcher or the president of the United States, you always vote.”

That message not only stuck, but it also became the foundation of Dawson’s career. Today, her work with America Votes is focused on increasing voter turnout and creating a more diverse representation of government.

But Dawson doesn’t consider herself a voting-rights advocate. Instead, she sees herself as someone who helps provide context around the power of voting.

She works to educate Black voters especially.

“Black voters are not encouraged to vote, are not taught history and the Civil Rights Movement and how people fought and died for them to vote,” she said.

Dawson is outspoken about uplifting Black women and creating........

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