National Action Network and Conference of National Black Churches launch ‘Get Out The Vote’ campaign
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The National Action Network (NAN) and the Conference of National Black Churches (CNBC) announce a new joint Get Out the Vote Campaign ahead of the 2024 elections that will focus on the key issues before Black Americans.
The effort is a response to the concerted, ongoing effort to undermine the power of the Black vote in dozens of states, as courts simultaneously continue to chip away at affirmative action, healthcare access, and other hard-won civil rights.
“The Black Church was the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement, particularly in the effort to unlock the vote for Black southerners,” said Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of the Conference of National Black Churches (CNBC) and National Action Network (NAN). “We again find ourselves in a season of duress, from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to the attacks on equity in education, jobs, and the vote. CNBC stands as a single unit for the six largest predominantly Black denominations of Christianity, in partnership with the activism and advocacy of NAN, to ensure our voice is heard at the polls.”
Rev. Al Sharpton announced the new, nonpartisan campaign Wednesday night at CNBC’s Annual Consultation in Orlando. During his keynote address at the organization’s Leadership Recognition Dinner, the civil rights leader stressed that elections influence everything from local zoning to national health policies. The campaign will begin in January with training sessions for clergy, chapter leaders, and youth organizers to help get out the vote.
“Black Americans’ civil rights are under attack at this very moment – that isn’t a warning, it’s simply the state of current affairs,” said Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN). “We need to ensure Black Americans know this election season is about more than one person over the other. It’s about the ability of our grandchildren and their grandchildren to go to the best schools, get the best jobs, and see the best doctors. NAN and CNBC are ready to hit the ground running in January to ensure this election is a referendum on the future of equality for this nation.”
At least 29 states have since enacted nearly 100 new laws in the decade since to make voting more restrictive, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. An analysis of these laws found many were racially discriminative.
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