I Am A Voter: Voter Suppression and Black Women

Do you have a voting plan? If not, voting rights activist Stacey Abrams says it’s a must and you may want to add it to your “To Do List”. In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda’s CEO and founder Marcela Howell moderated  an informative, live discussion on Friday, Aug. 14 addressing voter suppression and Black Women.

Abrams, founder of Fair Fight was a featured speaker and helped viewers better understand exactly what voter suppression is and how you can fight it. Abrams also spoke about 3 things you can do right now to make sure your vote is counted for the Nov. 3 election:

• Make a plan! Are you going to vote early, by absentee ballot or in person? And encourage your friends and family members to make a plan.
• Have a reason to vote! What are you most worried about? How do current policies impact you? Be sure to vote on the local, state and national level.
• Complete your Census! Black communities are currently behind in completing the Census by nearly 15 percent.

La’Tasha D. Mayes, president & CEO of our partner organization New Voices for Reproductive Justice was also a guest panelist. Mayes says it’s important that we reach Black women voters ages 18-49 because they are the group that are less likely to vote or not vote at all. She says New Voices wants to be with Black women on their voting journey to ensure that we make an impact in Nov.

The discussion also lifted up the Trump Administration’s attacks on the U.S. Postal Service and its inability to guarantee that all mailed absentee ballots will be successfully delivered. Mayes reminded viewers that 23 percent of postal workers are Black and the majority of those employees are Black women who we can count on because Black women deliver!

To watch the entire discussion, click here. In Our Voice will be hosting a series of live discussions about voting on FaceBook, Twitter, and YouTube in the upcoming months. Visit vote.org to learn more about specific voting requirements in your state.