NBA star LeBron James has continually used his platform to spread awareness about issues impacting the Black community. As Election Day nears, the Akron, Ohio native is furthering his efforts by teaming up with other influential individuals for the creation of an organization designed to protect the voting rights of African Americans, The New York Times reported.
The nonprofit—dubbed More Than a Vote—was launched to encourage the Black community to register to vote and to spread awareness about voter suppression tactics being used throughout the country. The collective of athletes and entertainment stars who are a part of the effort include NBA players Trae Young, Draymond Green, Udonis Haslem and Derrick Rose, retired NBA player Jalen Rose, WNBA star Skylar Diggins-Smith, NFL player Alvin Kamara, comedian Kevin Hart and others. More Than a Vote will work in concert with other nonprofit organizations focused on voting rights to drive impact.
“We feel like we’re getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference,” James told the news outlet. “Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial. We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”
Voter suppression has been pushed back to the forefront of a national conversation following the stretched lines and delays at polling stations throughout the state of Georgia during the primary election.
Politician Stacey Abrams recently released a book titled Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose and the Fight for a Fair America that takes a deeper look into the issue. “The point of the book is to really layout in granular detail, but also with historical context, how voter suppression has gone beyond Jim Crow to these labyrinthine administrative rules that trip up anyone who doesn’t have a law degree and a phalanx of lawyers at their side to help them get through the process if they are one of the intended targets,” she told NPR.
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