“Change isn’t made by watching from the sidelines.”- More Than a Vote’s motto
More Than a Vote – a nonprofit started by a coalition of prominent Black athletes and artists – was recently launched to address systemic, targeted voter suppression by educating, energizing and protecting Black voters.
The team supporting the nonprofit includes big names like NBA superstar Lebron James, comedian Kevin Hart, NFL stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Patrick Mahomes, and Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix.
These high-profile leaders came together following the brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many others. Their mission is to not tell individuals who to vote for but to encourage the youth to vote and combat Black voter suppression. As stated by the organization “it is time to do more – join us and take your protest to the election and fight to keep our community from being silenced.”
The nonprofit is on top of their game making moves quickly.
Thanks to the organization, many sports facilities have already been converted into voting precincts in big cities. Atlanta and Detroit were the first cities to give their spaces. There are several others following their lead. The goal is to make as many voting precincts available as possible. The organization also created a “bipartisan group of election experts” lead by Michigan Secretary of State to serve as a resource for sports teams and universities “interested in converting their faculties into safe voting locations and in need of technical support.”
More Than a Vote partnered with the NAACP League Defense Fund, When We All Vote, Fair Fight and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. The nonprofit is also encouraging their followers to share voting information on their social platforms to help spread the word.
This coalition is an example of prominent leaders understanding their influence and embracing their responsibility to continue to work together to fight injustice and inequality. As the world continues to grapple with a wide range of socio-economic issues, we hope to see more examples of leadership to ensure a better future for all.