LeBron James‘ voting rights group “More Than A Vote” has launched a new campaign focused on fighting against voter suppression in red states where Republican-backed laws threaten to restrict access to the polls, especially for Democratic and black voters.
The group, which is backed by collective of NBA superstars, created a 30-second ad narrated by James for their new campaign called “Protect Our Power.” It specifically aims to combat black voter suppression in Georgia, where Democratic politicians, including President Joe Biden and Democrats running for senator performed better than many experts predicted in the 2020 elections.
Republican leaders in Georgia and other red states have been pushing for tighter election security following the unsubstantiated claims of mass voter fraud by former President Donald Trump. Activist groups like More Than A Vote argue that these new requirements would have little effect on election security, but would hurt minority voter turnout, especially in the black community.
In the ad, James says that politicians are silencing voters by “using every trick in the book and attacking democracy itself.” The ad shows clips from last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, as well as images from the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
“This isn’t the time to put your feet up,” James said. “Or to think posting hashtags and black squares is enough. Because for us, this was never about one election.”
The ad was first broadcasted during the All-Star game in Atlanta on March 7, which coincided with the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday, the historical day in 1965, when late Congressman John Lewis (D), who represented Atlanta, led a march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The peaceful protestors were met with violence from police, but the event marked a turn in the fight for voting rights.
