Today, Black Lives Matter Global Network and its Managing Director, Kailee Scales, released a grassroots campaign video to announce the launch of the organization’s voter engagement and voter turnout initiative, BLM’s #WhatMATTERS2020. The campaign aimed to maximize the impact of the BLM movement by galvanizing BLM supporters and allies to the polls in the 2020 U.S Presidential Election to build collective power and ensure candidates are held accountable for the issues that systematically and disproportionately impact Black and under-served communities across the nation.
This week BLM’s #WhatMATTERS2020 will launch a grassroots campaign video featuring real people sharing their vision of America and what matters most in the lead up to the 2020 US Presidential election. As a part of the launch, the BLM’s #WhatMATTERS2020 campaign video will have a cinematic run; airing in 38 theaters, across 476 screens, and be shown in 46 convenient stores across Milwaukee, Detroit, and Philadelphia.
BLM’s #WhatMATTERS2020 campaign focuses on issues concerning racial injustice, police brutality, criminal justice reform, Black immigration, economic injustice, LGBTQIA+ and human rights, environmental injustice, access to healthcare, access to quality education, and voting rights and suppression. The campaign will mobilize in the key battleground states of Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin among others, BLM’s “What Matters 2020” aims to vigorously engage underrepresented communities in the electoral process, educate the Black community about candidates and the issues that impact Black voters most, promote voter registration among Millennials, Generation Z, the Black community, and allies, and combat the increased threats of disinformation during this election cycle affecting BLM constituents and the public at large.
During the course of this campaign, BLM Foundation and BLM Action Fund will create content and build awareness through a series of digital engagement strategies. BLM Foundation and BLM Action Fund will also interact directly with constituents, spread awareness and promote voter registration in Black communities in battleground states. BLM Foundation and BLM Action Fund will collaborate with local BLM Chapters and other organizations to impact the 2020 election.
“We believe Black people should see ourselves and the issues that affect us most centered during this election cycle,” said Kailee Scales, Managing Director, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. “We will continue listening very closely to candidates and hold them accountable for addressing the issues that disproportionately affect Black people, by calling for and amplifying the policies and platforms that will help transform our communities. Ultimately, through this campaign, we seek to increase the power of Black voices and votes in this election cycle and beyond.”
BLM Global Network will also engage its local chapters in this nationwide initiative by collaborating and amplifying local GOTV and voter engagement activities.
“We will engage and empower all Black folks, our allies, and under-served communities to use our collective voices and votes to achieve the outcomes we want, need and deserve in 2020,” said Angela Waters Austin, cofounder BLM Lansing/BLM Michigan. “We know the stakes of this election are high in Michigan and many other battleground states and we won’t stop working for electoral justice until we are safe, protected, and our families can thrive. This initiative will inspire and motivate people to ask themselves and their candidates are you really addressing What Matters in 2020?”
