“I Will Not Be Silenced”: BlackPAC Launches Digital Ad Campaign in Support of Democratic Slate in Virginia 

Great stuff — see video and press release below…

‘I Will Not Be Silenced’

BlackPAC Launches Digital Ad Campaign in Support of Democratic Slate in Virginia 

Digital Ads and Web Video to Urge 400,000 Black Virginians to ‘Stand Up to White Supremacy’ by Voting for Northam, Fairfax, and Herring

BPAC Canvass Has Already Gained Commitment to Vote from 5,000 Black Virginians

VIRGINIA – With less than two weeks remaining until Virginians vote for governor and other state-level offices, BlackPAC is launching a digital advertising campaign to move nearly 400,000 Black voters to the polls in support of the Democratic slate, including gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam, lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Justin Fairfax, and attorney general candidate Mark Herring. BlackPAC’s digital campaign will reach 400,000 Black voters and urge them to take a stand against the rising tide of white supremacy recently on display in Charlottesville.

See the campaign’s web video, “Silenced” here.

The digital launch follows the airing of a radio ad, “First Time,” in Norfolk, Richmond, and Roanoke-Lynchburg markets earlier this week. In September, the Black Progressive Political Action Coalition, a 501(c)4 organization affiliated with BlackPAC, launched a 100-person field effort to increase Black turnout in November. Since the launch of the canvass last month, BlackPAC canvassers have spoken with more than 5,000 Black voters, 90% of whom pledged to vote on Nov. 7.

In August, BlackPAC released a poll, conducted following protests by white nationalists in Charlottesville, finding Virginian voters of color feel “under attack” and that they believe that this year “isn’t politics as usual.” The poll showed Black voters are paying close attention to the news and placing racial justice issues on equal footing with traditional bread and butter issues like jobs and education.

“From now until Election Day, we’re going to let Black voters know they have a chance to fight back against the kind of politics that are grounded in racism, fear, and division that we saw demonstrated in Charlottesville and are seeing every day in Ed Gillespie’s Trump-like campaign,” said Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of BlackPAC. “Ralph Northam, Justin Fairfax and Mark Herring stand with Black voters on the issues of racial and economic justice they care about, and we believe Black voters will propel them to victory on Nov. 7.”

Voters of color are poised to play a decisive role in the election. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Black voters accounted for 20% of the vote share. Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe won in 2013 by maintaining the same level of support among the black electorate that President Obama won in 2012, despite the usual midterm drop-offs.