Welcome to the latest update from Black Voters Matter (BVM), a prominent organization at the forefront of the fight for Black voter rights. In a recent press conference, BVM leaders unveiled their bold new plan to counter ongoing attacks on voting rights and mobilize Black communities in preparation for the 2024 elections. This initiative, known as the “We Fight Back” campaign and bus tour, aims to educate, mobilize, and empower Black voters across the nation.
During the conference, Terrance Woodbury, Co-Founder of HIT Strategies, announced BVM’s partnership with the Harris campaign to lead their Black polling efforts. HIT Strategies’ research highlighted that key issues for Black voters are centered around “kitchen table issues” such as housing affordability, college expenses, healthcare, inflation, anti-Blackness, and racism.
Kristen Powell, Principal for Black Futures Lab, emphasized the need for a Black economic agenda to secure victories at the polls. This agenda should address lowering costs, ensuring livable wages, and protecting workers.
Andrea Haley, CEO of Vote.Org, reported registering over 700,000 voters with 1 million people checking their voter registration on the site. The site offers resources for voters to understand rules, request absentee forms, find polling locations, and more. Haley highlighted the increasing registration of younger and more diverse voters, with over 300,000 new registrants.
Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive Director of BVM, outlined the organization’s commitment to investing in local groups that specialize in Black male voter outreach. Their “We Fight Back” campaign includes a national bus tour, dubbed “the Blackest bus in America,” that will tour communities to raise awareness and build grassroots support.
In addition to the bus tour, BVM is working with students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through the “Take the Field” program. This initiative aims to engage and prepare Black college students for impactful acts of civil disobedience on campus and in the community.