Essence Communications Inc.’s Post

Today, the Essence Music Festival of Culture™, the Global Black Economic Forum, and When We All Vote announced a collaboration to mobilize voters and bring voting to the culture this year. The initiative will launch at the 30th ESSENCE Festival of Culture from July 4-7, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Together, we aim to register thousands of voters, bring together 10,000 volunteers as Essence Voting Squad members, and educate one million voters on the importance of voting, what’s on the ballot, and how their vote impacts the issues they care about most. This year, more than 34 million Black Americans will be eligible to vote — and 5.7 million of these are Gen Z. We’ll ensure that Essence Voting Squad members are ready to voice their concerns on critical issues like economic justice, climate change, and gun violence prevention.

🗳️✨ Your Vote, Your Voice: Why Black Business Owners Must Vote in 2024 ✨🗳️ As Black business owners, we are not only shaping our communities through entrepreneurship but also through advocacy and leadership. The upcoming 2024 Presidential election gives us a crucial opportunity to ensure that our voices are heard, and our businesses are represented at every level of government. Remember, not too long ago, our ancestors had to fight for the very right to vote—a right we must never take for granted. They endured so we could have the power to influence change. Now, it’s up to us to honor their legacy and ensure that the policies that affect our communities and businesses reflect our needs. Why Voting Matters for Black Business Owners: 1. Shape Economic Policies 💼 – The policies created by elected officials will directly impact small businesses, taxation, access to capital, and economic development. 2. Protect Your Rights 🛡️ – Voting helps secure the rights and opportunities necessary for the growth of Black businesses and promotes diversity in the marketplace. 3. Advocate for Your Community 🌍 – When you vote, you’re not just voting for yourself—you’re voting for the future of your community and the next generation of Black entrepreneurs. If you’re not registered to vote, now is the time! Visit https://vist.ly/3mgv6mt to get registered and ensure that your voice counts in the decisions that shape our future. Let’s make sure our businesses and our communities thrive. 🔑 Your business is your legacy. Let your vote be a powerful tool to secure a brighter future! 🗳️💪🏾 #Vote2024 #BlackBusinessExcellence #YourVoteYourVoice #EntrepreneurshipMatters #MakeHistory #blackowned #blackownedbusinesses #supportblackbusinesses #supportourcommunity #sofloblackpages #shopblackownedbusinesses

🗳️✨ Your Vote, Your Voice: Why Black Business Owners Must Vote in 2024 ✨🗳️ As Black business owners, we are not only shaping our communities through entrepreneurship but also through advocacy and leadership. The upcoming 2024 Presidential election gives us a crucial opportunity to ensure that our voices are heard, and our businesses are represented at every level of government. Remember, not too long ago, our ancestors had to fight for the very right to vote—a right we must never take for granted. They endured so we could have the power to influence change. Now, it’s up to us to honor their legacy and ensure that the policies that affect our communities and businesses reflect our needs. Why Voting Matters for Black Business Owners: 1. Shape Economic Policies 💼 – The policies created by elected officials will directly impact small businesses, taxation, access to capital, and economic development. 2. Protect Your Rights 🛡️ – Voting helps secure the rights and opportunities necessary for the growth of Black businesses and promotes diversity in the marketplace. 3. Advocate for Your Community 🌍 – When you vote, you’re not just voting for yourself—you’re voting for the future of your community and the next generation of Black entrepreneurs. If you’re not registered to vote, now is the time! Visit https://vist.ly/3mgv6mu to get registered and ensure that your voice counts in the decisions that shape our future. Let’s make sure our businesses and our communities thrive. 🔑 Your business is your legacy. Let your vote be a powerful tool to secure a brighter future! 🗳️💪🏾 #Vote2024 #BlackBusinessExcellence #YourVoteYourVoice #EntrepreneurshipMatters #MakeHistory #blackowned #blackownedbusinesses #supportblackbusinesses #supportourcommunity #sofloblackpages #shopblackownedbusinesses

I joined NY1 to talk about the importance of Black voters. Specifically Black men. And what Vice President Harris can do to bring more Black voters into the fold.  Watch the full interview: 

As the 2024 presidential election approaches, it's crucial for Black Americans to understand the importance of their vote and the impact it can have on their community. The article "Black Vote, Black Power" highlights the need for informed and active participation in the democratic process, and the importance of supporting organizations that are already doing the work. The author encourages readers to get informed, verify information, vote, attend local government meetings, volunteer, donate, and run for office. He also emphasizes the need to support organizations that are already doing the work, and to run for office if one is not satisfied with the people in government. What steps do you think Black Americans can take to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are met in the 2024 presidential election? How can we ensure that our vote counts?

Tick, tick, tick, tick. It's six months before we vote for our next president; the world will be watching for final numbers, and reading the final counts will have everyone on edge. The worst will be the prior weeks; every cell phone, social media platform, and, yes, music stream will be saturated with political posts on who not to vote for and who to vote for. Brutal negative impact will be everywhere. As a black, dark-skinned female in America at my age, I have seen my share of folks who say and do just about anything to get my vote. I choose not to categorize all issues based on race because race is not the issue in every topic associated with my life. But I am asking one question to the black men in a AMERICA. And that question is this. Do you believe that male black supremacy exist? Final words, vote your truth, and don't hide it this time.

Disenfranchised voters lead to issues and interests being underrepresented in our government. Historically, this has been the reality for Black voters. But PushBlack is transforming how we organize, mobilize, and boost voter turnout. Through the power of storytelling, PushBlack educates and empowers their community, encouraging them to invest in their own power and create lasting political and economic change. Check out this enlightening conversation with Julian W. and Yordanos Eyoel as they delve into the importance of listening, evaluating, and creating lasting community-based solutions. 🎧: https://lnkd.in/eNVwb5NW

The #DNC2024 will take place next week, and here are somethings all voters should know, but especially black voters Read the full article on NewsOne: https://lnkd.in/gM63PxF6

Check out my latest blog and subscribe to my Substack The question shouldn’t be what has candidate x done for the Black Community, it should be which candidate and party brings us closer to liberation and equality - in this instance, it is President Biden and the Democrats. They may not be perfect, and it is our responsibility to hold them accountable, but at least they recognize our history and existence (a low bar, I know) and for now, that will have to do. In comparison, Republicans and Trump want to take us back to 1955 – and we can’t afford to go back. https://lnkd.in/d6p6UGt9

In a recent viral video, Ice Cube addressed the Black community, questioning whether we should vote unless we see direct benefits for us. This has left me a little conflicted because voting is not solely about our immediate interests; its for all of us. And to highlight his mention about people dying for our right to vote? Yes, yes they did die; many Black people laid down their lives to secure our right to vote, including enslaved people, Black abolitionists, Black soldiers, and many others in our rich history. Consider just a few of the following historical incidents: - November 2, 1920: The Ocoee Massacre: On this day, at least 50 African Americans were brutally murdered in Ocoee, Florida, simply for exercising their right to vote. - July 18, 1946: Murder of Maceo Snipes: The day after casting his vote in the Georgia Democratic Primary—the first African-American to do so in Taylor County—World War II veteran Maceo Snipes was murdered. - John Lewis, Hosea Williams, Albert Turner, and Bob Mants: These leaders and many others marched over the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday, risking their lives for our voting rights. - 1964: The murders of Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney by the KKK were a direct consequence of their involvement in voter registration/voting. Please don't listen to people who are out of touch and don't consider our views, or dismiss the seriousness of the sacrifices as an importance for us to vote. People of all races, including white allies, have died to ensure “Black people” have the right to vote. It is our American duty to honor those before us and uphold our individual rights by doing so. 🇺🇸✅