Black Men Vote Org Plans to Register 1 Million Black Male Voters With New Initiative

A new initiative aims to prepare Black men to register to vote by the time the 2024 presidential election rolls around.

Last Friday, Black Men Vote announced a brand-new nationwide campaign to register 1 million Black male voters by November 24. According to “Strength in Numbers” initiative, this will be the most ambitious effort and will partner with Rock the Vote, Microsoft, as well as the National Basketball Association Social Justice Coalition.

The group unveiled the initiative at a summit that featured Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson out of Mississippi, as well as former Maryland Lt. Gov and Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele amid the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference.

“Registering 1 million Black men to vote has the potential to change the electoral landscape locally, on a state level, and nationally," Black Men Vote board member Joe Paul said to CBS News. “It’s time for Black men to step up and take our rightful place in helping to shape the future of our nation, and the strength in Numbers Initiative is a critical first step.”

In particular, the group is targeting Black men between the ages of 18-35 while also building on previous outreach.

Just two years ago in 2020, the Black Men Vote engineered a multi-state campaign that focused on the importance of voting. The group used well-known figures such as rapper T.I., actor Marcus Scribner and activist Thelonius Floyd, who is the brother of George Floyd. Additionally, the initiative ran multiple public service announcements of several NBA players.

“The solution to challenges faced in every community begins with access to the right to vote,” said James Cadogan, executive director of the NBA Social Justice Coalition. “Using our collective voice in our democratic process is essential to achieving lasting change -- particularly for those who have been historically left out and left behind.”

African American voters made up approximately 12.5% of the U.S. electorate, with a record 30 million eligible to vote in 2020, according to Black Men Vote. Unfortunately, Black men have substantially lagged Black women in voting.

Of the eligible Black women in 2016, 64% said they voted, while of the eligible Black men, 54% said they voted, according to Pew Research Center.

“As we help give Black men the tools necessary to participate in our electoral system, our families and communities will benefit,” Paul said.

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