NEW YORK - June 15, 2020- Heading into the 2020 election cycle, the team at Black Folk Must Vote (BFMV), joined forces with The Dream Dept. to launch a powerful public service announcement (PSA) urging African Americans to vote in the upcoming election. The PSA, directed by Azzie Scott, included participation from Black voters and highlighted a number of important issues that currently have the American public, and Black Americans in particular, demanding action and new solutions. The video debuted on February 19 at a 'BFMV Media Mixer' hosted by BFMV Founder Ken Smaltz, Brandice Daniel, Founder/CEO of Harlem's Fashion Row and Audrey Smaltz, owner of the Ground Crew. The video was posted on BFMV.org and the BFMV YouTube channel the following day.
The PSA seeks to raise awareness in order to reach a broader, more diverse group of Black voters. "Our goal is to draw as many African Americans as we can into the election process to increase turnout in 2020," said, BFMV Founder Ken Smaltz, who launched the Black Folk Must Vote initiative in 2004 in direct response to low voter turnout in the 2000 Presidential election. "Communicating strong messages and advocating for access to the ballot represents the best opportunities for getting out the vote in Black communities and for shaping the future of our democracy."
The PSA was released during Black History Month as a nod to the Civil Rights groups who created the original "Black Folk Must Vote" slogan (and campaign button) while preparing for the Freedom Vote mock election. The slogan was used to help promote voter registration for African Americans in Mississippi in 1963, both to help individuals who were unfamiliar with the process to register and vote and to demonstrate the potential power of the black voting bloc. This mock election resulted in getting 80,000 local African Americans to cast their ballots, nearly four times the number of those actually registered, vividly demonstrating that given the opportunity the local black population wanted to vote and participate in the electoral process.
In 2020, Ken Smaltz intends to connect the Black Folk Must Vote PSA with and across racial and social justice movements to help promote the importance of voting, and so that it becomes a tool for and of mobilizing and inspiring Black voters. This year the 150th anniversary of the passage of the 15th amendment granting African Americans the right to vote, as well as the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment which granted women the right to vote, noted Lakeshia Hudson, a consultant to the initiative."The PSA brings this history and political knowledge to the attention of Black voters, and BFMV will continue to speak out about the many barriers that keep Black people from voting today." This work is more important now than ever before.
Black Folk Must Vote (BFMV), is also proud to announce a new partnership with Fox Soul. This partnership will bring voter awareness first hand to our culture and the black community!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgqY8dC8ziM
About Black Folk Must Vote
Black Folk Must Vote (BFMV) is a national grassroots initiative, that encourages African Americans to register, vote, and make their voices heard. The initiative fulfills its urgent, transformational agenda by promoting the importance of voting, contributing voting information and education in Black communities, and advocating for access to the ballot for all eligible Black voters. In addition to the slogan for which we are known for, BFMV produces a line of goods and apparel, such as hoodies and buttons that include the numbers 15 and 19 to educate voters about the amendments granting Black people and women the right to vote. Referencing the 15th and 19th amendments provoke conversation among Black voters and are a powerful expression of voter responsibility. This strategy extends our reach and impact in Black communities. For more information about BFMV, please visit www.BFMV.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @blackfolkmustvote and #blackfolkmustvote.
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