Women’s rights activist, grandma, and driver Suzette Wright prides herself in not just offering rides — but experiences. “My car is lit,” says Wright. “People karaoke. I have fabulous stories. It’s just a good time in my car.” People have noticed. Wright, who posts on Instagram under the handle @ladylyftdriver, has been named as driver of the month locally and nationally. And, in 2018, she was named “Most Inspirational Driver of the Year.”

But even for the always-enthusiastic Wright, election season is a uniquely exciting time to drive. Every election, she goes on social media to promote Lyft’s discount code to get riders to the polls (“VOTE24” this year!). Come Election Day, she’s out driving as many people as she can. “I vote early so I’m free and clear,” she says. “Like, now we’re getting people to the polls!”

We spoke with Wright about her family’s voting tradition, why transportation matters, and why not voting is just “not an option.”

I am Suzette Wright. I am a gender-based violence and harassment consultant. I live in the South Side of Chicago, and I have been in this community for about 30 years.

My grandmother taught me to put community first. She was the first Black woman to enroll and graduate from the University of Illinois Laboratory High School, and she got her master’s from the University of Chicago. She was a public school teacher in [the public housing complex] Cabrini-Green Homes for over two decades. She was like, “These kids need me.” 

My grandmother and I, we talked a lot about what it meant to our community to be able to vote. She was born in 1925. There was a significant block of her life that she was unable to vote and had to watch other people vote. When you can touch back to a history and a time that was so different, you respect things on a different level. And I couldn’t see myself not voting. You know what I mean? My grandmother would come up out the grave. 

I remember back in 1988 when I turned 18 being really glad that I was a part of the process, without pushback. To just go into a voting booth, be handed your ballot, make your choices, and leave without conflict was amazing. I left very proud of myself.

So I have been on it. I’ve never not voted. I vote in the primary, the general election, the midterms. I can’t believe people think they have an option to sit it out. It had been driven into me that it was my civic duty to vote. I don’t think it is something that should be looked at frivolously. 

And I am one of the women that posts: I voted. Always me and my sticker. Like, it’s a whole announcement to the world. Now my kids vote. I remember the first time my daughter was able to vote. We took pictures, we took video of us in the car. It is a major deal. And on voting day, somehow or another, we always convened at my grandparents’. There in the afternoon, in the evening, watching all the results come in. 

Now that they’ve passed, I am driving on election days. Certain areas have less accessibility to voting. So I stay on the South Side because I know they’re underserved. 

Listen, I’m an activist in all the ways. I’m shooting for the underdog. I see you need some help, I’m coming.