Showing posts with label black voters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black voters. Show all posts

Monday, March 04, 2024

Trump Supporters Share Fake AI Images to Sway African American Voters

Pro-Trump conservatives are making a push to win over black votes to support the former president with images generated by artificial intelligence.

Conservatives have published dozens of false images designed to deceive the public, also known as “deepfakes,” featuring black voters wearing pro-Trump paraphernalia and standing around him, according to the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).

Sunday, March 03, 2024

NAACP Supports Reintroduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

On Febrary 29, 2024 Sen. Raphael Warnock (GA) reintroduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The bill, which the NAACP has signed onto, aims to revitalize the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by expanding the government's ability to respond to voting discrimination. The reintroduction of the act comes following a failed attempt at passage of the original bill, and increasing attacks on voting rights from courts and politicians across the nation.

NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson released the following statement:

"The NAACP is proud to support Senator Warnock's reintroduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act bill. Right now, Americans, particularly Black Americans' right to vote is under attack. While the NAACP remains unwavering in our efforts to litigate, agitate, and advocate, we can't do this alone. Federal action must be swift and decisive.

The reintroduction of this bill marks another pivotal moment in the fight to ensure every American has access to the ballot box. We know that democracy can't exist without the Black vote. Now, it's up to our leaders to protect it, ensuring that every voice is heard, and every vote counted. Together, we'll repair democracy."

This week, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson met with Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss voting rights in America. The NAACP is also currently litigating eight voting rights cases across the country. Ahead of the 2024 election, the Association has launched a multi-million dollar civic engagement campaign throughout 26 priority states in its ongoing advocacy efforts to preserve equitable access to the ballot box for Black Americans.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Al Sharpton Slams Donald Trump For Saying That His Indictments Appeal To Black voters

Days after Donald Trump commented that Black people relate to him because of his legal troubles, Rev. Al Sharpton spoke out against the likely Republican presidential nominee during an appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Recent poll shows Majority of Black Georgia voters dissatisfied with Gov. Kemp

A poll released Tuesday found Black voters in Georgia are dissatisfied with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

The survey, conducted by Black to the Future Action Fund and HIT Strategies, polled 1,200 adults in North Carolina, Georgia and California. The results found that 60 percent of Black voters in Georgia have unfavorable or very unfavorable views of Kemp.

Only 15 percent of respondents reported favorable views of Kemp, and 61 percent of Black voters in Georgia reported they are dissatisfied with the direction of the state.

“Republicans want you to think Black voters are flocking to them, but the reality is that Black voters are going to the polls with our priorities in mind – priorities that lift up our communities that the GOP doesn’t have policies for,” said Alicia Garza, principal of Black to the Future Action Fund, in a press release.

“Elected officials and candidates in these states must prioritize economic recovery, protecting voter rights and access and combating white supremacist violence to be responsive to their Black constituents,” she added.

The poll also showed Black voters’ top priorities this election cycle include inflation and cost of living, crime and gun violence.

Respondents also reported that things like white supremacy and nationalist violence, racism and discrimination and criminal justice reform, including police brutality, are getting worse around the country.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Saturday, October 01, 2022

WATCH: Stacey Abrams speaks to The Divine Nine in Atlanta

In a series of direct conversations with Black Georgians, Democratic candidate for Governor Stacey Abrams answers questions from radio host and personality Ryan Cameron. Abrams discusses the differences between her and her opponent, incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp, and her platforms. Watch that conversation below.

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Are Black Men the Key to Stacey Abrams Becoming Georgia's Next Governor?

"The gap between Black men and Black women was the difference of 370,000 votes in Georgia, and so we do have to close that gap." Terrance Woodbury, Roland Martin, Cliff Albright and Tiffany Cross discuss the impact Black men can have on the Georgia elections.

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Senator Raphael Warnock leading Herschel Walker among Black voters

Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker are tied at 46% apiece according to recent polling.

But when it comes to support among Black voters it's not close as Warnock holds a significant edge.

Eighty-three percent of Black voters said they support the Democratic incumbent, compared to only 7 percent who are backing Walker.[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Warnock run strongest among black women, with Warnock ahead of Walker 91% to 3%. Warnock also leads among black men, with Warnock holding a 74% to 11% advantage over Walker.

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Judge strikes down parts of Florida election law that made it more difficult for African Americans to vote

A federal judge struck down portions of a Florida election law passed last year, saying in a ruling Thursday that the Republican-led government was using subtle tactics to suppress Black voters.

The law tightened rules on mailed ballots, drop boxes and other popular election methods — changes that made it more difficult for Black voters who, overall, have more socioeconomic disadvantages than white voters, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker wrote in his ruling.

“For the past 20 years, the majority in the Florida Legislature has attacked the voting rights of its Black constituents,” Walker wrote. Given that history, he said, some future election law changes should be subject to court approval.

Walker, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, also overturned a provision in the law putting new restrictions on groups that register voters, including requiring that people working to register voters submit their names and permanent addresses to the state.

Walker ordered that for the next 10 years, any attempt by the Legislature to write new laws on the issues he overturned will need court approval.

“Floridians have been forced to live under a law that violates their rights on multiple fronts for over a year," he wrote. “Without preclearance, Florida could continue to enact such laws, replacing them every legislative session if courts view them with skepticism. Such a scheme makes a mockery of the rule of law.”

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Federal judges block Alabama’s congressional redistricting maps that dilute the Black vote

The Alabama Legislature’s redistricting plan for 2022 will not take effect for congressional races after a panel of three federal court judges found the map dilutes the voting power of Black residents and blocked the proposal.

Two separate federal lawsuits were filed against the redistricting map on claims that it violated the Voting Rights Act by packing Black Alabamians into a small number of districts — including one congressional district, Alabama’s seventh, represented by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham — and limiting their influence on state elections.

Blacks comprise 27 percent of Alabama’s population yet only constitute one of the state’s seven congressional districts — or 14 percent of the districts. Alabama’s 7th Congressional District was first drawn in 1992.

The panel of three judges from federal courts in Alabama found that the plaintiffs are “substantially likely to establish” that the map violates the VRA, adding that “Black voters have less opportunity than other Alabamians to elect candidates of their choice to Congress.”

The Alabama Legislature has a variety of alternative redistricting maps they can consider, the judges noted, and said a new map “will need to include two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.”

The panel said it would provide the Legislature with an expert to redraw the lines if Montgomery can’t come up with another map in two weeks.

“We are confident that the Legislature can accomplish its task,” the judges said, pointing out that lawmakers came up with the blocked map “in a matter of days” last year.

“Black people drove a disproportionate share of Alabama’s population growth. Throughout last year, Black Alabamians publicly called on the Legislature to recognize this reality and sought equal representation in Congress,” said NAACP Legal Defense Fund Senior Counsel Deuel Ross in a statement. “The state ignored these demands, but we are deeply gratified that the unanimous court found that Black voters deserve full representation now. We look forward to working with the Legislature to ensure that Black voters are fairly represented in any remedial map.”

[SOURCE: MSN]

Saturday, September 18, 2021

North Carolina court blocks state voter ID law, citing ‘intent to target African American voters’

A North Carolina state court panel on Friday blocked a voter identification law, citing discrimination against Black voters.

The law, known as SB 824, was passed in 2018 after Republicans lost their supermajority in the legislature but before the new legislature took over. It was already on hold under a preliminary injunction, after North Carolina’s Court of Appeals said voter ID provisions could negatively impact Black voters. But now the state court has permanently blocked the law, which required photo identification to vote.

The majority of the three-judge panel said Friday that the law “was motivated at least in part by an unconstitutional intent to target African American voters.”

“Other, less restrictive voter ID laws would have sufficed to achieve the legitimate nonracial purposes of implementing the constitutional amendment requiring voter ID, deterring fraud, or enhancing voter confidence,” Superior Court Judges Michael O’Foghludha and Vince Rozier wrote in their ruling Friday.

In a statement, Southern Coalition for Social Justice co-executive director and chief counsel for voting rights Allison Riggs and pro bono counsel Andrew Ehrlich — attorneys who served on behalf of a group of North Carolina voters — said they “hope” the ruling sent “a strong message that racial discrimination will not be tolerated.”

The statement continued: “Today’s ruling striking down North Carolina’s latest unconstitutional photo voter ID law is a testament to the overwhelming evidence, including compelling stories of disenfranchisement from voters themselves, which highlighted how the state’s Republican-controlled legislature undeniably implemented this legislation to maintain its power by targeting voters of color."

[SOURCE: CNN]

Thursday, September 16, 2021

National Black Voter Day is National Urban League's Answer to Voter Suppression

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League
 

“Too many people struggled, suffered and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote. And we have come too far together to ever turn back. So we must not be silent. We must stand up, speak up and speak out. We must march to the polls like never before. We must come together and exercise our sacred right.” – Congressman John Lewis

In April of 2019, the Associated Press released an analysis of census data and exit polling that reached a remarkable conclusion: the Black voter turnout rate in the 2012 presidential election exceeded the white rate for the first time in history.  A census report in May confirmed the AP’s findings.

Some researchers disputed the findings, contending that the milestone actually had occurred in 2008.

The Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby v Holder slammed the brakes on nearly five decades of progress on narrowing the gap between white and Black voter participation rates. By eliminating a requirement that the federal government approve election law changes in jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination, Shelby unleashed a deluge of restricting voting laws throughout the United States. 

National Black Voter Day is our answer to voter suppression. It’s our answer to misinformation campaigns. It’s our answer to efforts to stoke racial division and diminish the voices of Black and brown Americans.

The National Urban League, in partnership with BET and other advocacy groups, designated September 18 National Black Voter day as part of our voter engagement and education campaign, #ReclaimYourVote.

We chose September 18 was because it is the first day for early in-person voting in the country. Although “Election Day” is more than six weeks away, voting has already begun. Thousands of North Carolinians have already returned their absentee ballots.

We’re asking Black Americans to make a plan. Will you vote in person, or by mail? If your state allows early in-person voting, what day will you vote? Where is your polling place? If you plan to vote by mail, what are the rules in your state? Do you need a witness when you sign your ballot, like the voters in North Carolina, opportunity to get voters registered, demystify the voting process, provide guidance on voting rights restoration for eligible voters, and help voters create their voting plan to plot a clear path to the ballot box.

We’ve broken the process down into five steps:

  • Step 1: Register to Vote
  • By federal law, no state can set its voter registration deadline any earlier than 30 days before Election Day. That means the earliest deadlines this year are October 5 – which is right around the corner.
  • Step 2: Check Your Voting Options
  • From in-person early voting to no-excuse voting by mail, voters in most states have more options in 2020 than in years past. 
  • Step 3: Find Your Polling Location
  • The coronavirus pandemic has led many jurisdictions to consolidate polling locations. Voters shouldn’t assume they’ll be able to vote where they’ve voted in the past.  
  • Step 4: Know The Candidates and Issues
  • Our vote is a powerful tool for effecting change, but only if we use it in an informed way. 
  • Step 5: VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

Between the time of the Shelby v. Holder decision and the 2016 presidential election, 9 out of the 15 jurisdictions previously covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act had new restrictions in place.  Texas announced within 24 hours of the decision that it would implement a strict photo ID law, and  Mississippi and Alabama, began to enforce photo ID laws that had previously been barred because of federal preclearance.

Black voter turnout fell from more than 67% in 2012 – more than 5 points above the white rate --  to just over 51% in 2016 – almost 4 points below the white rate.

We will not be defeated. The National Urban League continues to advocate for the restoration of the Voting Rights Act, and is committed to safeguarding the right of every American to fully participate in our democracy and civic processes.

Commenting on efforts to suppress the Black vote, the late Congressman John Lewis said, “I've seen this before. I've lived this before.”  Prior to the Voting Rights Act, he said,  “People stood in unmovable lines. They had to pass a so-called literacy test, pay a poll tax. On one occasion, a man was asked to count the number of bubbles in a bar of soap. On another occasion, one was asked to count the jelly beans in a jar—all to keep them from casting their ballots.

“Brothers and sisters, do you want to go back? Or do you want to keep America moving forward?”


Friday, December 25, 2020

NAACP SUES PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR SYSTEMATICALLY TRYING TO DISENFRANCHISE BLACK VOTERS

The NAACP sued President Trump, his presidential campaign, and the Republican National Committee (RNC) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for systematically trying to disenfranchise Black voters in states across the country.

The lawsuit alleges that President Trump, the Trump campaign, and the RNC have engaged in a coordinated conspiracy to disenfranchise Black voters by disrupting vote-counting efforts, lodging groundless challenges during recounts, and attempting to block certification of election results through intimidation and coercion of election officials and volunteers. These steps to delegitimize our democracy were targeted in cities across the country with high numbers of Black voters. These actions are a clear violation of the Voting Rights Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act.

Derrick Johnson, President of the NAACP said, “President Trump and his allies have repeatedly and unsuccessfully tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and undermine confidence in our democracy. Across the country – from Detroit to Milwaukee, and Atlanta to Philadelphia – they have targeted areas with large numbers of Black voters and made baseless, racist claims to attempt to not count their votes. While all of the allegations have repeatedly gotten thrown out of court and no judge has found any evidence of election fraud, we cannot sit back and let these actions go unaccounted for. In order to protect the constitutional rights of millions of Black Americans, and ensure that our democracy is not delegitimized, we are bringing this lawsuit to protect the integrity of Black voters and the democratic process in which they participated and made their voices heard in record numbers.”

The NAACP joined a lawsuit that was filed on November 20th by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), on behalf of the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization and three Detroit residents.

Sunday, November 08, 2020

President-Elect joe Biden to Black Community: I'll have your back

During his victory speech President-Elect Joe Biden took the time to thank Black voters for their support and to let them know that he will always have their back.

Saturday, October 31, 2020

One million Black voters have cast ballots in Georgia

As Georgia wrapped up weeks of early voting on Friday for the Nov. 3 election, Black voter turnout had far surpassed the level seen at the same time in 2016.

Some 1 million Black voters have already cast ballots this year, up from 712,000 this time four years ago, according to TargetSmart, a Democratic analytics firm.

It is part of a rush to the polls in Georgia. More than 3.8 million Georgians had already cast ballots as of 5 p.m. on Friday, compared to 4.1 million overall in the last presidential election.

[SOURCE: YAHOO NEWS]

Thursday, October 01, 2020

Black voters 'frustrated' by Trump debate comments

Some African American voters find it frustrating and exhausting that President Donald Trump did not condemn white supremacist groups and their role in violence in some US cities this summer.

Monday, September 14, 2020

AFSCME, NAACP LAUNCH HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP TO MOBILIZE BLACK VOTERS

Partnership kicks off with a joint four-state presidential radio buy on African American radio stations in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina.

WASHINGTON – AFSCME and the NAACP launched on Saturday two radio ads which will run in the Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Detroit, Flint, Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro markets through election day. Both the AFSCME and NAACP ads slam President Trump’s failures to combat COVID-19, while the virus continues to exact a brutal and disproportionate toll on the Black community.

“While Trump lied, Black people died,” says the NAACP ad before urging voters to request a ballot and make a plan to vote. “Trump spends his time golfing, while COVID-19 hits the black community hard,” says the voiceover in the AFSCME ad (paid for by AFSCME’s PAC, AFSCME PEOPLE) contrasting Trump’s record with that of Joe Biden’s to protect health care. The significant ad buys jumpstart a partnership between the two organizations that will focus on Black voter education and mobilization based on what is at stake in November and beyond for communities of color.

The partnership marks a new chapter in the shared activism and close bond between the civil rights community and AFSCME. Together, the NAACP and AFSCME are addressing the deep-seated racial injustices and corrupt incompetence which have forced Black communities across the country to bear the brunt of the health and economic crises facing the nation.

“The Black vote will determine the outcome of this consequential election, and we must ensure that we use this influence to elect leaders who will empower our communities,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. “This historic collaboration is proof that our communities are united during these critical times. From the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 to ongoing police brutality experienced by black people, we must turn out to vote in November — and every election — if we are to achieve the representation and policy changes that will protect our communities. We must ensure that every voice is heard because our lives and future depend on it.”

Listen to the ad here: https://blackvoiceschangelives.org/press/ 

“I can’t recall an election where fundamental issues of racial justice have been more at stake,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “It’s going to take overwhelming turnout among African Americans and communities of color to prevail in November. That’s why AFSCME has entered into this unique partnership with the NAACP. By combining our resources and expertise, we will mobilize voters in targeted states who are tired of leaders who stoke racial resentment and head for the links while Black and brown people die by the thousands. This collaboration — between our two organizations that have done so much to advance civil rights, labor rights and human rights — will help ensure that voters are informed and empowered this November to elect leaders who will invest in all our communities and unite us around shared values.”

Listen to the AFSCME ad here: https://youtu.be/rpWh6P2fGmI

Sunday, January 12, 2020

January 2020 poll shows Joe Biden still top pick among Black voters

A recent poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden (D) is the favored candidate among black voters by a wide margin.

According to the latest Washington Post/Ipsos national poll, 48 percent of Black voters who are likely to vote for a Democrat picked Biden as their top candidate.

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are a distant second and third, with 20 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

"It's hardly a surprise that Vice President Biden has such a large lead," Clifford Young, president of Ipsos Public Affairs, said.

"Our polling found that more than six in 10 African Americans believe the next president should continue to build on President Obama's policies, and Biden's campaign has promised to do exactly that," he explained.

The online poll was conducted Jan. 2-8 and surveyed a random national sample of 1,088 non-Hispanic Black adults over the age of 18. Overall, the poll has a margin of error of plus-minus 3.5 percentage points, and a four-point margin of error for the sample of 769 Democratic-leaning voters.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Monday, November 04, 2019

Jim Clyburn: Buttigieg's sexuality an issue for older black voters

Watch South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn discuss the trouble Mayor Pete Buttigieg is having attracting black voters in his home state primary during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Help register new voters with the NAACP 2019 POWER OF FIVE initative

POWER OF FIVE

The NAACP is organizing supporters all across the country to fight for policies that respect and improve our communities. Five Minutes, Five Hours, Five Days, Five Months … Can all be used to change our Nation for the better!

The Power of 5 campaign charges voters to take leadership of their own spheres of influence. The charge is simple: register 5 new voters before the deadline, ensure 5 people get to the polls, and volunteer 5 minutes, 5 hours or 5 days to make sure we have the highest turn out ever.

Learn more and sign up to support this NAACP initiative here: https://www.naacp.org/mobilize-your-five/

Thursday, August 29, 2019

As an African American voter what three issues are most important to you?

The Democratic Primary is in full gear, and we are hearing potential presidential candidates talking about what THEY think are the most important things to black voters.

You hear some candidates talk as if voters of color only care about criminal justice reform or police brutality. Issues like education, environmental racism, healthcare, a livable wage, the economy, or domestic terrorism are also of importance to African American voters

That leads us to this question. As an African American voter what three issues are most important to you?

Take the poll below. You may pick three issues or add your own.