‘Voting While Black’ Sparks Major Mobilization of Black Voters Across the Country
Phenomenal work has been taking place at Color Of Change PAC during this election cycle. Over the past two months, we began hosting a series of strategic collective actions that we call Black Battleground State Text-a-Thons. These #VotingWhileBlack events allow our members to take part in engaging with Black voters in real time, fundamentally changing the way volunteers engage with Black voters.
In the span of a few weeks Color Of Change PAC has been mobilizing across the country, hosting Text-a-thons in New York City, DC, Houston, Miami, Oakland, Durham, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Text-a-thon volunteers sent more than 715,000 texts to eligible Black voters. This past weekend alone we held events in DC, NYC and Oakland where 237 volunteers contact 237,819 texts to Black voters in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Ohio, encouraging them to get out to vote.
At our New York City Text-a-Thon and Brunch event, held at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Recreational Center in Harlem, we had over 60 volunteers texting Black Voters in Harris County, TX and Franklin County, OH. The space was filled with music, vibes, great conversations and an opportunity for Color Of Change PAC members to engage with volunteers all while texting away. We even had some very excited young volunteers from the local Impact Repertory Theater join us.
Ultimately, NY sent out over 45,000 text messages to Black voters.
“What is so empowering about this day is the work we accomplished and the significance of the space we are in. This is the moment when the future of the civil rights movement merges with the past. ” stated Matt Mitchell, a Color Of Change PAC staff member.
Text-a-Thons also give Color Of Change PAC the opportunity to initiate lasting partnerships with non-profit organizations that are excited to take part in our efforts with their communities. Color Of Change PAC recently partnered with One Pittsburgh, an organization fighting to make Pittsburgh’s working families stronger, they have access to better jobs, healthcare and ultimately holding corporations accountable to provide for these communities. The event brought 20 attendees, was a great way to kick off our work in Pittsburgh and introduce a new set of voters to our technology. All while creating a family atmosphere of like-minded people and activists from the area.
The Bay area hit the ground running as they held their fourth Black Battleground State Text-a-Thon over the weekend with a turnout of almost 80 volunteers and 44,000 Black voters contacted. Combined with their last events, Oakland has been able to engage and educate over 128,000 Black voters and their numbers remain growing. Last Sunday’s Text-A-Thon never fails to bring great music, food, and prize giveaways all in a child-friendly environment. The Oakland staff continues to express how blown away they are by the commitment and heart of our members and their families.
Our outreach efforts to recruit volunteers goes above and beyond as Color Of Change PAC members hit the Sankofa ‘Many Rivers to Cross’ Social Justice Festival in Atlanta, GA. There our staff had a booth set-up handing out flyers and information on Color Of Change PAC efforts of getting out Black voters. We were also engaging in honest dialogue with festival-goers about issues affecting the surrounding local communities and what can be done in the route of political presence and holding officials accountable. Ultimately, we signed up numerous people to take part in our online campaigns and volunteer their time for virtual-based texting all while enjoying the music and inspirational speakers from the likes of Jessie Williams to Harry Belafonte.
We are determined to reach our goal of turning out half a million Black voters by Election Day using a new web-based peer-to-peer texting platform that allows us to target, contact and boost electoral participation. Our efforts have brought together hundreds of Color Of Change PAC members that have volunteered to use the technology at Text-a-Thons around the country and they all agree that texting is a simple and fast way to make a huge difference for this upcoming election.
Black voters are critical to this race — and with so much on the line the stakes couldn’t be higher for us. As much of the country has tuned into watching the Presidential debates thus far, we are hearing how Donald Trump speaks of African-Americans living in hellish inner-city neighborhoods that require a special brand of “law and order” by bringing back unconstitutional methods such stop-and-frisk policies. All the while, we are witnessing Blacks and our allies protesting in Charlotte and Tulsa over more deaths of Black lives.
What happens in November doesn’t just have implications for the next four years, but for generations after us. If Black voters don’t turn out, the Democrats will lose the White House, the Senate, and any hope for a more progressive Supreme Court. We’ll lose the opportunity to put prosecutors in place who are committed to protecting communities — not protecting corrupt police departments. #VotingWhileBlack is the strongest method of guaranteeing voter turnout as well as awareness of the issues facing majority Black counties to ensure their participation in down ballot District Attorney Races.
With the success of Text-a-Thons taking place in major cities, Color Of Change PAC is excited to launch of our new Voting While Black website. #VotingWhileBlack is an innovative data-driven, mobile-based Black voter engagement program. Through the use of technology, such as text-a-thon events, social media, and our mobile-based platform, we are driving voter engagement in Black communities in ways that have never been done before.
Established as a truly “for us, by us” experience”, #VotingWhileBlack was devised by a younger generation of Black activists and created by the Color Of Change PAC movement for the sole purpose of emphasizing issues that matter to Black communities over party affiliation. More importantly, it’s an effort centered on the power of Black political presence by organizing around Black voters reaching out to other Black voters during this Presidential election and beyond.
We’re telling the story of how individual voting and collective electoral engagement can transform Black presence into Black power. Will you join us?
