On Thursday evening, the Higher Heights organization hosted a conference call to launch their 2016 presidential election campaign, #BlackWomenVote.
Dedicated to amplifying Black women’s political voices, the organization garnered the attention of some 2,000 Black women and men who dialed in to the call to discuss the issues most important to them. Topics addressed included everything from healthcare, to police reform, to living wages.
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The much-needed discussion took place on Fannie Lou Hamer’s birthday, a nod to the trailblazing civil rights leader who spent her life advocating for Black people’s voting rights. #BlackWomenVote is the organization’s effort to mobilize Black women to the polls on November 8.
Glynda Carr, the group’s co-founder, opened the call by impressing upon the listeners the importance of this pivotal election, and the history of voting rights in America. Other speakers, including the Advancement Project’s Judith Browne Dianis, touched on the other races—mayoral and gubernatorial and others—that are also occurring in November. Thirty-four U.S. senators are up for election or re-election, 12 states are holding governors’ races, and 30 percent of district attorneys will be on the ballots.
Dianis reminded the group that ever since voting rights for Black people were established, there’s been an effort to disenfranchise and suppress the voice of the African-American voter.
Blackwomenvote.com will deliver election news and provide Black women with tools to spread the word about voting within their social circles. For more information and additional resources, you can visit their official website here.