NBA superstar LeBron James is never hesitant to use his platform and influence to address issues that adversely impact Black Americans. Now he’s using his voice in the fight against Black voter suppression.
James and some of his athlete peers launched More Than A Vote in June. At the time he said it was critical to use the momentum the fight against racism and inequality was receiving after the murder of Geroge Floyd to affect more change.
“Because of everything that’s going on, people are finally starting to listen to us — we feel like we’re finally getting a foot in the door,” James told the New York Times in a phone interview. “How long is up to us. We don’t know. But we feel like we’re getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference.”
Now the collective is spearheading a multimillion-dollar initiative aimed at increasing the number of poll workers in Black electoral districts before the November election, according to an updated report from the Times.
On the website for More Than A Vote, it states: “Change isn’t made by watching from the sidelines.” It continues with the following description:
“We are Black athletes and artists working together. Our priority right now is combating systemic, racist voter suppression by educating, energizing, and protecting our community in 2020. Please read our letter asking fans to join us in the fight against Black voter suppression.”
The poll worker initiative announcement comes after election officials across the nation reported a shortage of them due to the covid-19 pandemic. Due to the limited staff, there were fewer voting precincts open, leading to longer lines, reduced voter turnout and increased voter suppression.
The issue is magnified in Black communities.
James and his fellow More Than A Vote activists are partnering with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund on the initiative. Through it, they are recruiting poll workers, running an ad campaign and asking corporate employees to volunteer as poll workers through a partnership program, the Times reported.
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They are specifically encouraging young people to get involved as poll workers to replace the older Americans who typically serve as poll workers, who have a high risk of contracting covid-19.
Other athletes and entertainers involved in the initiative include former NBA player and media personality Jalen Rose, Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young, former Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, WNBA champion Renee Montgomery and more.
Vick said he valued his right to vote now more than ever after having to fight to get his rights restored once released from prison. He wants young people to understand the importance of casting their ballots.
“As someone who had their voting rights restored, I want to influence younger people to be a part of this More Than a Vote campaign,” Vick told the Times. “We want to get them to register, get involved and try to help society in whatever way they can. It’s about becoming a leader in your own right.”
Montgomery echoed Vick’s sentiment.
“I live in Atlanta, so this issue is right on my front door,” Montgomery said. “We have the long lines, it’s condensed and Covid is being used as a way to have voter suppression. … I felt like I needed to do something in my community. We can’t just protest. We have a responsibility to take those protests and take that energy and march all the way to the polls.”
The essential Florida State Senate-elect Shevrin Jones commended LeBron James and his More Than A Vote peers for using their platforms for change.
“Athletes have a platform that goes beyond the court or the field. They have influence that’s needed during these times when our democracy is on the line,” Jones told Moguldom. “The fact that LeBron James and other athletes have started this initiative to combat voter suppression in Black communities is evident that this election is a contact sport, and it requires all of us to be on the field and in the game.”
Targeted areas for the poll worker initiative include the swing states of Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, South Carolina and Ohio, among others.
It was announced the same day James addressed the police shooting of Jacob Blake, another unarmed Black man, and the terror Black people in America have to live with every day.
“People get tired of hearing me say it, but we are scared as Black people in America,” James said. “Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. Because you don’t know. You have no idea. You have no idea how that cop that day left the house. … You don’t know if he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with a significant other, if one of his kids said something crazy to him and he left the house steaming. Or maybe he just left the house saying today is going to be the end for one of these black people. That’s what it feels like. That’s what it feels like. It just hurts. It hurts.”
This is not the first time More Than A Vote has invested in the fight for equitable voting rights. Earlier this year the group partnered with sports teams to turn stadiums into polling places in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Milwaukee and Detroit, Yahoo Sports reported.
They also donated $100,000 to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to assist in paying outstanding court fees of former felons. The coalition is still fighting for millions of disenfranchised Floridians, whom after residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of restoring their voting rights were prohibited from casting ballots by a law passed by the state legislature demanding they pay all court fees before they could vote.
Valencia “Vee” Gunder is a well-known activist from Miami who voted for the first time since having her rights restored during the August primaries. As co-founder of The Black Collective, she celebrated James’ and More Than A Vote’s work.
“This is great news as voter suppression is at an all time high. As a returning citizen I know first hand how it feels to be left out of democracy,” Gunder told Moguldom. “And now that we have passed Amendment 4 in Florida, its even more important to protect the people’s rights to vote. Voter Protection is so needed and important. I believe that this initiative will help many voters in the upcoming election.”
James and others involved in More Than A Vote want Black citizens to know their vote not only matters, but does so on a variety of levels.
“Because it’s more than checking a box … it’s keeping our people out of one,” a video on the website concludes.
