When Bernice E. Travers joined the Richmond Crusade for Voters in 1977, the election of a majority African-American Richmond City Council disrupted a centuries old, white-majority power structure. “I perceived the Crusade as a tour de force. And I joined the Crusade … during the leadership of Dr. William S. Thornton, John Brooks and Dr. William Ferguson Reid and Dr. John Howlette, who were instrumental in this historic achievement,” she says.

Since the organization’s founding in 1956, the Crusade has worked to increase the voting strength of the African-American community and mobilize voters to make their voices heard at the polls, Ms. Travers says.

While membership has ebbed through the years to its current roster of 61, Ms. Travers is dedicated to revitalizing the organization. As the recently elected president, Ms. Travers says her No. 1 priority is to “rebrand the Crusade’s image and visibility to increase its strength and influence in the voting community.”

She wants to elevate the Crusade’s significance among elected officials and candidates vying for office. “The members’ desire is to recapture the historic significance to register African-Americans to vote and challenge the social and economic injustices we are experiencing today,” she says.

A native of Richmond, Ms. Travers says her goal during her two-year tenure is to increase membership and foster community collaborations to invigorate the organization and ensure growth, stability and continuity of the Crusade’s legacy.

The Richmond Crusade for Voters was founded in direct opposition to Massive Resistance, a campaign launched by white segregationist politicians to keep schools racially segregated in Virginia and the South. But efforts intended to hamper African-Americans withered under the strength and momentum of the organization’s block-to-block campaign strategy designed to educate and register African-American voters, she says.

The biggest challenge today, Ms. Travers says, is registering, educating and mobilizing individuals to vote for candidates who have the best interest of all people in mind.

“African-Americans are in dire times, and we must cease electing and re-electing individuals who are merely committed to their own political ambitions, who are not committed to fight for the people who elected them or who can’t get the job done,” she says.

The Crusade for Voters encourages support for candidates “who are committed to quality education for our children, economic parity and innovative solutions to reduce poverty and unemployment and the resulting school-to-prison pipeline.”

Most recently, the Crusade is mobilizing to address the chronically poor conditions of public school buildings in Richmond. “When we learned that black children are attending Richmond city schools plagued with mold, mildew, leaky roofs and rodents,” the Crusade initiated a “Put Schools First” petition drive to put a referendum on the November ballot to push for modernization of all Richmond Public Schools buildings.

To date, 14,000 signatures have been collected, several thousand more than required to put the measure on city ballots. “The Crusade’s mission is to address education, social and economic disparities and resolve to influence legislative policies,” Ms. Travers says. “We invite citizens, college students, the clergy and leaders and members of civic, social and business organizations to join the Crusade and fight for quality education for our children; employment for our youths and adults; affordable housing; economic and business opportunities; and reducing the drugs, crime and incarceration plaguing our community.”

Meet this week’s Personality and community activist, Bernice E. Travers.

Top volunteer position: President, Richmond Crusade for Voters.

Place of birth: Richmond.

Current residence: North Side Richmond.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of Richmond, and master’s degree, Antioch University.

Family: Single.

Reason I got involved with the Crusade for Voters: The organization successfully mobilized the election of five African-Americans to Richmond City Council, which consequently created enthusiasm and hope for the city’s African-American community.

Number of women presidents before me: Four.

Crusade office before election: I chaired the Crusade’s Research Committee. The Research Committee interviewed candidates seeking election and re-election to public office and assessed their positions on relevant issues. The committee hosted candidate forums to educate and inform citizens.

The Crusade’s foremost mission is: To increase the voting strength of the African-American community and to mobilize voters to make their voices heard at the polls. This is the necessary means to effectively address the education, social and economic injustices hindering African-Americans.

How I plan to meet the Crusade’s biggest challenge: First, the Crusade’s Voter Education/Registration Team is establishing community collaborations to register and mobilize citizens to vote. Secondly, we have assembled a well-informed and engaged Research Committee consisting of former City Council and School Board members, educators, community leaders and social, economic and criminal justice advocates. The Research Committee is maintaining report cards on elected officials. We will stage town halls, rallies and forums to educate, inform and empower citizens. The Crusade will advertise candidates we endorse and distribute sample ballots at the polls.

Crusade then versus now: In its beginning, the Crusade for Voters became a powerful organization because of its effective community outreach. The Crusade organized neighborhoods, block by block, to register and educate voters on the power of the vote. The Crusade’s success also was a result of collaborations with the NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, churches, businesses and social organizations to register people and get out the vote on Election Day. I hope to invigorate that collaboration between the Crusade and the community.

Current Crusade membership: Our 2017 paid membership is 61. Our Membership Committee and its chair have a progressive campaign to recruit new members and reactivate inactive members.

How the Crusade plans to increase membership: With membership drives, collaborations with organizations and by addressing the needs of the community such as the “Put Schools First” petition drive.

Impact of economics on politics in Richmond: Economics in the African-American community is dismal. Unemployment, poverty, the inability to start or finance a business and obtain government contracts are some of the barriers to improvement. These economic disparities discourage young black men and women from voting because they do not see where voting alleviates their problems or will better the lives of their children.

Definition of a leader: A good leader is a team builder who can motivate people to work collaboratively to create vision, establish and achieve goals.

What makes me tick: Challenges.

A perfect day is: Accomplishing everything on my to-do list.

A perfect evening: Being with family and friends at a stage performance, concert, symphony or play.

Nobody knows that I: Was a member of a Virginia governor’s delegation that visited Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, after the election of President Nelson Mandela in April 1994 and met with members of Mr. Mandela’s African National Congress. How I unwind: With relaxing music and a good book.

Biggest chance I ever took: Flying after 9/11.

The best thing my parents ever taught me was: Get it done and do your best.

Best late-night snack: Ice cream.

Person who influenced me the most: My grandmother, a wise, kind woman who inculcated in my kin and me that family and friends were special people that you helped and looked out for.

The book that influenced me the most: “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” by Paulo Freire.

The book I’m reading now: “The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future” by Steve Case.

If I’ve learned one thing in life, it is: Nothing is forever.

Next goal: Writing, blogging and travel.