Black Lives Matter Global Network Co-Founders Roll Out Nationwide Voter Registration and Turnout Initiative While In Houston for Democratic Presidential Debate at TSU
ABOVE: People participate in a protest to mark the five year anniversary of the death of Eric Garner. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Every vote counts and Elections have consequences!
Everyone and everything in this country is impacted, in one way or another, by someone in a position of political leadership who shapes public policy and who makes decisions regarding the very legislation that we must all adhere to. That includes your city councilmembers; mayors; governors; judges; county, state and federal representatives; and even our President.
Knowing how important voting is one thing, but getting engaged in the process is entirely different thing altogether. One group that has made a major impact in this country and that has done a great job of engaging and energizing people of color relative to getting involved in social issues and politics has been the Black Lives Matter Global Network.
Founded in 2013 by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman, what started as a hashtag, has now grown into a global chapter-based, member-led organization in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. The organization’s mission has been to mobilize determined activists who are committed to fighting anti-Black racism and discriminatory reforms worldwide.
Now, as the third installment of the Democratic Presidential Debate, which is being presented by the DNC and ABC, is coming to Houston and being hosted at Texas Southern University (TSU), several Black Lives Matter leaders, including one of the national co-founders, will be in Houston attending the event and will be rolling out a new nationwide initiative.
Black Lives Matter Global Network (BLM) Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors, along with co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of BLM Melina Abdullah and Managing Director Kailee Scales, will be introducing the new nationwide initiative entitled – ‘What Matters 2020 – Issues That Impact Minority Communities’.
Working in conjunction with a cross-section of partners from all sectors, the goal of BLM and this initiative is to directly impact the 2020 election cycle by ensuring candidates are held accountable for the issues that systematically and disproportionately impact minority communities across the nation.
“‘What Matters 2020 – Issues that Impact Minority Communities’ will increase voter registration and turnout, by deploying technology applications, establishing candidate accountability and employing grassroots strategies to access, inform and empower minority communities during the 2020 election cycle,” said Cullors. “‘What Matters 2020 – Issues That Impact Minority Communities’ will engage and empower all minorities, our allies, and under-served communities to use their collective voices and votes to achieve the outcomes we want, need and deserve in 2020. This initiative will inspire and motivate people to ask themselves and their candidates are you really addressing What Matters in 2020?”
Issues this initiative will mobilize around include:
- Racial Injustice
- Police Brutality
- Criminal Justice Reform
- Black Immigration Environmental Conditions
- Voting Rights & Suppression
- Economic Injustice
- Healthcare
- Education
- Commonsense Gun Laws
- LGBTQAI
- Human Rights
In addition to introducing this initiative and attending the debate, BLM leaders will also be interacting with candidates, students and launching technology applications aimed at increasing voter registration and turnout in 2020.
Since the organization’s inception in 2013, BLM has been on the frontline of many issues impacting minority communities including police brutality, criminal justice reform, education, black immigration, public policy and more. For these efforts, they have been widely recognized, received and in many instances, criticized. They continue with the work, however, and hope this effort will galvanize marginalized and minority communities all across this country.
For more information on Black Lives Matter, please visit www.blacklivesmatter.com.