Image via Black Voters Matter
Black Voters Matter
Today, Black Voters Matter (BVM) and its local partners are gearing up for a final push to increase voter turnout in the Wisconsin Supreme Court primary. The nonpartisan race is high-profile and has the potential to fundamentally shift the balance of power in Wisconsin’s highest court, and issues facing Black communities, including reproductive justice, affordable housing, healthcare, higher wages, and safety, are on the ballot, making the black vote essential to creating a more equitable state for all Wisconsinites.
BVM, a national organization with a mission to support and amplify the work of local and grassroots groups, looks to increase voter turnout in Black communities. The organization has partnered with several similar-minded organizations, including Black Leaders Organizing Communities (BLOC), Souls to the Polls, Wisconsin C3 Table, Working Families Power, Center for Racial Justice, Leaders of Kenosha, Wisconsin Voices, and Metcalfe Park Community Bridges. The goal of these partnerships is to build power in predominantly Black communities in Wisconsin through voter education, advocacy, engagement, and outreach.
BVM and its partners have been working tirelessly to ensure that Black voters understand the issues and candidate stances. In cities like Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, Black Leaders Organizing Communities has been active in building long-term political power through voter engagement and issue-based activism. Souls to the Polls, in addition to providing rides to the polls, has worked to educate voters on the importance of this election and the ramifications that the Supreme Court race could have for the next ten years.
Working Families Power recently produced and distributed thousands of nonpartisan voter guides to help people understand the candidates’ stances on issues like reproductive rights and voting rights. They were also key organizers of the Bigger than Roe march in Madison on January 22, the anniversary of the passing of Roe v. Wade. Metcalfe Park Community Bridges provides numerous resources for the Milwaukee community through its Black Vote Rising campaign. Today, members of all of these organizations are making phone calls and canvassing the Metcalfe Park Community. For those with concerns over COVID-19, they will be providing voter safety kits, including masks, as well as sharing precinct and other voter information.
In Kenosha, Leaders of Kenosha (LOK) are working to ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities in Kenosha and throughout Wisconsin by empowering underrepresented and underserved communities with resources, education, and civic engagement. They are building a network of individuals dedicated to the creation of justice, equality, and unity in the Black community. Wisconsin Voices, in coalition with Building Unity, hosted a candidates forum in Racine recently and will continue Saturday stops in Beloit and Green Bay later this month.
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The partnerships formed between Black Voters Matter and local organizations have been instrumental in building political power in predominantly Black communities through voter education, advocacy, engagement, and outreach. Black voters matter, and this final push could make a difference in creating a more equitable state for all Wisconsinites.
