Author: Hunter Published: 6/14/2020 Daily Kos
As nationwide civil rights protests continue, however, NBA legend LeBron James and other league stars are forming a new group, More Than a Vote, to help protect those voting rights. In an interview with The New York Times, James said one of the group’s goals will be encouraging Black Americans to register and vote. Another will be to warn minority groups about new moves to restrict those rights.
As James told the Times: “Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial. We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”
He also cited the death of George Floyd as the reason for the new group, saying it pushed him to “get out and do a little more.”
Other athletes involved include Trae Young, Jalen Rose, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Draymond Green, Udonis Haslem, and Alvin Kamara. It sounds like this is going to be considerably beyond an effort to merely fund a new voting rights group and that the stars plan to be personally involved, using social media to reach fans and give the “tutorial.” It will be part of a critical effort; toppling the racist state and national leaders orchestrating the willful sabotaging of the right to vote can only happen if the Americans targeted turn out in such numbers as to overwhelm those attempts.
The debacle in Georgia on Tuesday was another powerful reminder of just how perilous the November elections may be nationwide as Republicans pull out all the stops to make voting as difficult as possible rather than face the full wrath of Trump-weary voters. For obvious reasons, Black Americans will be especially targeted.
As nationwide civil rights protests continue, however, NBA legend LeBron James and other league stars are forming a new group, More Than a Vote, to help protect those voting rights. In an interview with The New York Times, James said one of the group’s goals will be encouraging Black Americans to register and vote. Another will be to warn minority groups about new moves to restrict those rights.
As James told the Times: “Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial. We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”
He also cited the death of George Floyd as the reason for the new group, saying it pushed him to “get out and do a little more.”
Other athletes involved include Trae Young, Jalen Rose, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Draymond Green, Udonis Haslem, and Alvin Kamara. It sounds like this is going to be considerably beyond an effort to merely fund a new voting rights group and that the stars plan to be personally involved, using social media to reach fans and give the “tutorial.” It will be part of a critical effort; toppling the racist state and national leaders orchestrating the willful sabotaging of the right to vote can only happen if the Americans targeted turn out in such numbers as to overwhelm those attempts.