Campaign officials for President Barack Obama will host a summit tonight at N.C. Central University, part of a nationwide effort to rally support among students at historically black colleges and universities.
Obama’s Campaign Manager Jim Messina and Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser for Obama, will attend the event, which begins at 6 p.m. in the B.N. Duke Auditorium. Reggie McCrimmon, NCCU’s student body president, said actress Gabrielle Union will serve as a moderator for the discussion.
Participants at the event will discuss policy topics such as a proposed voter ID law.
James Stimson, a UNC-CH political science professor, said Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign was a two-legged operation that aimed to mobilize the black community and college voters, but the turnout for college students was lower than anticipated.
He said young voters seem to have less enthusiasm about this election, making it an uphill battle for Obama to convince them to head to the polls.
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