A.G. Gancarski
On Monday, former NBA and college basketball superstar Grant Hill showed up at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville.
The reason? As the self-described “old school” guy said, to get the new school people to register to vote as part of the “Register to Vote Initiative”, and to ensure they vote for Hillary Clinton.
“Ultimately, you’re going to decide your future,” Hill told the crowd of approximately 400, and that decision happens, Hill added, in the next 45 days.
The Register to Vote Initiative is intended to “diversify the electorate,” Hill added.
And regarding Clinton?
Hill, who has been an active Democratic donor and fundraiser for some time now, said that Clinton would ensure “a seat at the table for everyone.”
Hill reminded those in attendance of the close nature of Florida elections, noting that of the battleground states in the last election, Florida was the closest.
This election, Hill added, “will decide what kind of country we want to be.”
Hill contrasted Clinton and her “experience and knowledge to be commander in chief,” with a desire to “uplift everyone,” with Trump, an “embarrassment on the world stage” who would “divide America [and] continue to spew hate and anger.”
Hill’s family has been connected to Mrs. Clinton since the basketball legend’s mother and the Democratic nominee were freshmen together at Wellesley.
Hill’s mother, he said, felt alienated by the culture shock; Mrs. Clinton befriended her.
“Long before she ran for office,” Hill said, “she was fighting for some stranger” at a time “when it wasn’t fashionable [for white people] to fight for people of color.”
Despite Hill’s experience in the donor world, this event was “sort of a first” for him, he told FloridaPolitics.com.
Hill was conscious as well of the generation gap; describing himself as “middle aged,” he spoke multiple times during the event and the press availability afterwards of how this election is about young people and their future.
When asked if he would consider running for office himself, Hill said he had no plans to do so.
For the Clinton operation, Hill is another in a series of high-profile surrogates.
Olympic skating legend Michelle Kwan was in town earlier this month for Mrs. Clinton.
On Saturday, meanwhile, the 42nd President – Bill Clinton – comes to Jacksonville on behalf of his wife.
