WHY BLACK VOTERS MATTER

WHY BLACK VOTERS MATTER

Oiselle and Run 4 All Women are overjoyed with the enthusiasm for our recently launched Womxn Run the Vote Relay. This virtual relay will take place September 21st - 27th, 2020, and cover the 680 miles from Atlanta to Washington, DC. Participants will learn about Civil Rights landmarks and historic figures while raising money for Black Voters Matter. Combining donations from registrations and additional voluntary donations, over $100,000 has already been raised! Your relay registration will include an exclusive invitation to a virtual event featuring LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter, on September 22nd (National Voter Registration Day). You can learn all about the relay and register for this historic event here!
 
Why did we choose to partner with Black Voters Matter? Simply put, the organization is the epitome of effective grassroots organizing. Black Voters Matter is dedicated to increasing power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. Black Voters Matter Co-Founders LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright champion an invaluable guide for How to Turn a Person Into a Voter:
Remind people they have political power.
Don’t parachute in.
Let the local people lead.
Focus on the primaries.
Don’t pack your bags after the race is over.
Embrace difficult conversations.
Know the culture.
LaTosha’s enthusiasm is contagious! “Sometimes it is our own beliefs that are stopping us. We have the power, we just don’t believe it.”
 
Alison Mariella Désir had the opportunity to join Black Voters Matter on their tour before the 2018 midterm elections: “The press would have you believe that the south is exclusively comprised of white, Republican voters; that is false! My time with Black Voters Matter exposed me to the vast and powerful network of progressive, Black leadership in the South. In fact, these networks are so powerful, southern local governments expend lots of money and energy to suppress their opportunities to vote. My time on the tour gave me an immense amount of hope for what is possible when everyday people who care about their community work together. The South indeed is rising.”
 
The truth is that local elections matter the most; you can see and feel the change. Local elections affect school district policy and school boards, community budget priorities, policing standards, and allocation of resources - which are all necessary pieces to dismantling systemic racism. We hope this gets you hyped up. Check to make sure your voter registration is current!
 
Learn more about Black Voters Matter here.  
— Sarah Lesko
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