#Black Voters Matter Bus Tour 2022

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Blackest Buses in America to Stop in 12 States This Fall as Part of National 'We Won't Black Down' Campaign

Black Voters Matter, one of the nation’s leading voting rights organizations, announced its plans to mobilize Black voters as part of its “Blackest Bus in America” fall bus tour.

This year’s campaign and tour titled “We Won’t Black Down” will make stops throughout the region leading up to the general election on Nov. 8 and will engage with Black voters, policymakers, faith-based leaders, Black influencers, and HBCU students. At this moment, we’re seeing a rise in white supremacy, political division, and the weaponizing of race. We are standing firmly in Black social movements and standing firmly in our birthright. We deserve a strong and inclusive democracy, and we won’t back down. We won’t Black down.

Coinciding with National Black Voters Day on Sept. 16, this GOTV campaign is designed to raise awareness on issues impacting local Black communities, engage in on the ground GOTV mobilization efforts, particularly around local and state elections, and build community power through the celebration of Black love and joy. The tour will include multiple activations that reflect BVM’s vast programming and partnership network, including the Florida coalition campaign “We Draw the Lines,” which seeks to draw attention to gerrymandering underway in the state; BVM’s Take the Field Initiative focuses on GOTV efforts on local HBCU campuses; and various partnerships, including BET, The African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) and National Pan-Hellenic Council (Divine Nine); among others.

“While voting is always an exercise in using our power, we know this year that our safety, our health, our freedom is also on the ballot,” said Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter.

“Racist practices and policies that attempt to subvert our democracy directly stem from the far right’s fear of Black voters’ power. And right-wing leaders have a long track record of devaluing Black lives and placing power and their own agenda over the health and well-being of our people. Our campaign is meant to shine a light on issues that matter to Black voters, but also to expose the far-right’s intentional strategy to undermine freedom and progress.”

“From the criminalization of abortion to the water crises in my hometown state of Alabama, and Mississippi, Black people have always bore the brunt of racism in this country. But we will not let them kill us,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter.

“We will not let them systematically take our right to freedom away. And we will not allow a culture of fear, intimidation and frustration hinder us from showing up and turning out this November. Local and state elections are pivotal to protecting our rights. This fall, BVM will take to the road to do what we have always done – educate, mobilize and build power with our communities because we know that when we show up, we win.”

The tour will collaborate with several of BVM’s local and state partners to host rallies, educational events and canvassing across 12 key states, including Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Black Voters Matter will be updating its website with new bus stops over the next several weeks. A schedule of initial stops is provided below. For the latest information as well as locations, please visit BVM’s website.

Florida

– Sept. 14: “We Draw the Lines” Congressional District 14 (Tampa).

– Oct. 13-16: Tampa/St. Petersburg, Daytona Beach, Sanford, Orlando.

Georgia

– Sept. 16: Albany State University.

– Sept. 17: Fort Valley State.

– Sept. 18: Americus and Cordelle, Georgia.

– Sept. 19: Savannah State University.

– Sept. 19: Griffin, Georgia.

– Sept. 20: Trees Atlanta.

North Carolina

– Sept. 26-30: Charlotte, Salisbury, Winston Salem, Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Elizabeth City.

Texas

– Sept.24-27: Central Texas.

– Oct. 5-8: East Texas.

To learn more about the tour, visit https://blackvotersmatterfund.org/we-wont-black-down/.

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The Black Voters Matter Tour Bus Highlights Major Midterm Issues

November’s midterm elections aren’t the only thing quickly rolling around the corner. As an effort to reach minority voters across the country, a huge Black Voters Matter tour bus is rolling through various cities to galvanize the community, with its most recent stop being Philadelphia this past Saturday.

According to local news radio station, KYW, the tour bus became the anchor of a community health fair and block party, and shut down portions of the city’s North Broad Street.

Pennsylvania state organizing manager of Black Voters Matter, Kallel Edwards is touring the country to get Black and brown voters to understand the power of the vote. Edwards believes that a great way to do so is to frame the conversation around health care issues.

“It’s hard to have conversations with folks about hope, voting, and why we should vote when they’re dealing with this much trauma and disparity inside neighborhoods,” said Edwards.

Edwards also mentioned that the Black community needs to pay attention to a few key topics including; abortion, gun control, health care and education, mostly because of their everyday impact within communities of color. But there is one issue that the organizing manager says stands out among the rest.

“Voter rights for me,” said Edwards. “They come up with laws every day to keep us out of voting polls and make it hard for us to vote, and that’s because we’re actually making a difference.”

Edwards believes that there is also a direct tie between access to community services, and voter turnout.

“Their elected officials actually know that their constituents can hold them accountable,” said Edwards.

Elyahmen Buford, Jr. who works on the national logistics team says that the goal is not to just get people to the polls, but to inspire them to get involved beyond just that.

“I watched kids come up to us and tell us that they were afraid to discuss the issues that were happening in their communities, because they felt like no one was listening and they felt like those who are listening are not going to help,” said Buford.

“We are here to literally reassure them that there are people out there, and here’s how you get connected to them.”

He also emphasized the importance of being informed when it comes to the process and the candidates.

“We are beyond just doing voting,” said Buford. “We focus on voter suppression, getting people out to the polls, mainly educating them on their local politics.”

Edwards know just what’s at stake:

“Everything,” he said. “With so many rights being snatched from so many different states, the whole country has eyes on Pennsylvania, [with it] being a swing state.”

Organizers are also encouraging voters to double check their registration information, their polling place location, and to create a plan to get there ahead of time. 

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Watch. Learn and Laugh with LaTosha and Cliff about the movement to stratify the Black Voters Matter movement. the bus tour is on and poppin right now, so if you see the Blackest Buses in America - give em a moment of your time and support equity in your community.

Vote in 2022 / Black Voters Matter

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Transformative Justice Coalition, National Newspaper Publishers Association, and Partners Launch Bus Tour to Increase Black Voter Registration

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC), along with other social justice and advocacy organizations, announced that they will embark on a 26-city Arc of Voter Justice, bus tour to underserved communities in an effort to significantly increase voter registration and voter turnout for the 2022 Midterm election on November 8th. The newly formed #10MillionMoreBlackVotes is a growing non-partisan network of organizations, activists, and legislators working to restore and protect voting rights from concerted attacks that undermine access of black and brown people to ensure their votes are fairly counted.

"We must pool our resources to ensure that we enlighten, educate, and inspire those in our community to get out and vote," said TJC Founder Barbara Arnwine. "Every single vote matters and every single vote will ensure that the rights and liberties of every person of color will enjoy life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Our responsibility is to ensure a future for our young people, so they can see Black excellence, and not take voting for granted."

"Joining us in Chicago and for the rest of the Arc of Justice Tour will be the father of Ahmaud Arbery, Marcus Arbery, and his brother Gary Arbery and other family members," says Daryl Jones, TJC Chairman. "We are also excited to have Kimberle Crenshaw of the African American Policy Forum also join us.  AAPF will be distributing over $100,000 worth of so-called banned books en route. TJC and its partners are turning voting into a celebration of Black resilience, and we invite everyone to join us ---- on the bus!"  The #10MillionMoreBlackVoters Art of Voter Justice Tour includes the following partner organizations— The National Newspaper Publishers Association, The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Black Voters Matter, The African American Policy Forum, The League of Women Voters, The Hip Hop Caucus, The National Organization of Concerned Black Men, and many local partners.

"I am so excited to see so many of us come together for this effort," said Bishop Tavis Grant, Acting National Executive Director of the Rainbow/Push Coalition. "This tour celebrates voting and will enable many to become more aware of the necessity to vote, and most importantly know where they can register and cast their vote."

The bus tour kicks off October 8th in Minneapolis, MN, and ends October 21st in Jacksonville, FL, with stops in Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Raleigh, Savannah, and cities and HBCUs in between. For more information or to see the full schedule, please visit www.tjcoalition.org or www.votingrightsalliance.org.

Media Contact: Lynn Whitfield, Esq. (561) 856-6757 346272@email4pr.com