From BlackPAC:
‘WE WILL VOTE!’
BlackPAC Releases New Video Ad to Mobilize Hundreds of Thousands of Virginian Voters of Color in Days Before Election
Final Pitch in BlackPAC’s $1.1 Million Voter Outreach Effort Urges Black Voters to Stand Up to the Politics of Trump on Nov. 7
VIRGINIA – With days to go before Virginians head to the polls, BlackPAC released a new video ad ‘The Stakes’ to reach hundreds of thousands of Black voters in the run-up to Election Day. It’s the final salvo in BlackPAC’s $1.1 million push to mobilize Virginia’s Black voters before the Nov. 7 elections – the largest independent effort of its kind in the state.
Watch the video here. A transcript is below:
The stakes are high. Our access to quality education, good-paying jobs, and healthcare. Our right to a criminal justice system that protects us and respects us. Even our right to vote is under attack. White supremacy stormed into Charlottesville and is being used for political gain. We have fought too hard for progress to watch it pushed back in the name of “making America great again.” The stakes are too high. We won’t be silenced. We will vote.
“Tuesday’s election gives Black Virginians a chance to repudiate the politics of racism, defend their right to vote and ensure good schools and good jobs in their communities,” said Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of BlackPAC. “From our conversations at their doorsteps and online, we know Black voters understand the stakes and are poised to play a decisive role Nov. 7.”
In October, BlackPAC launched an ambitious digital, radio and mail program to reach hundreds of thousands of Black voters. In September, the Black Progressive Political Action Coalition, a 501(c)4 organization affiliated with BlackPAC, launched a field effort to increase Black turnout in November. Since the launch of the canvass last month, BlackPAC canvassers have spoken with nearly 10,000 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.
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, Latinos 4%, and AAPI voters 1%. Democratic Governor 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.
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About BlackPAC:
BlackPAC’s mission is to galvanize the political power of Black voters. Driven by opinion research and in-depth conversations with voters on the doors, BlackPAC is building a base of knowledge on the issues, values, and messages that most effectively motivate Black people to vote. Additionally, by identifying and training the next generation of activists and political organizers, BlackPAC is rallying Black voters around an agenda to dismantle structural racism and increase social and economic opportunity.
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