Video: LeBron James Narrates More Than a Vote's Ad Promoting Voting Rights
March 5, 2021
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James' More Than A Vote campaign has placed its focus on the state of Georgia ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend in Atlanta.
On Friday, More Than A Vote released an ad narrated by LeBron:
Darren Rovell @darrenrovell“More Than A Vote” evolves into “Protect Our Power.” Post election work for group starts during NBA All-Star Weekend with an aim to thwart Georgia black voter suppression efforts. @KingJames, who has spearheaded efforts for the group, is the narrator. https://t.co/hod2DbIaox
In the ad, James calls for Black voters to fight for their rights and against suppression. LeBron added that those opposing Black voters are "using every trick in the book" and "attacking democracy itself" to stop them.
Some of the imagery featured in the video includes Black Lives Matter protests as well as the Capitol riots that occurred in Washington, D.C., in January.
The state of Georgia played a particularly big role in the November elections, as Democrat Joe Biden won the state in the presidential election, marking the first time Georgia went blue since 1992.
Also, Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won runoff elections for the state's U.S. Senate seats, giving the Democratic Party the majority in the Senate.
Per Chris Bumbaca of USA Today, More Than A Vote executive director Addisu Demissie explained that the campaign is targeting Georgia due to attempts by the state legislature to pass laws that would limit voting options:
"What we see right now in Georgia is a concerted effort to make it harder for Black people to vote, period. Everything from making it illegal to take people food and drink in lines—and we know those lines end up in Black communities more than other communities—to eliminating [early] Sunday voting, which is about as an egregious an attempt to stop Black people from voting because of our souls-to-the-polls tradition in our community."
More Than A Vote's current focus has been dubbed "Protect Our Power," with the goal of fighting against legislation that would make it harder for Black people to vote.
Back in July, More Than A Vote made a big impact in Florida by raising $100,000 to help restore the voting rights of residents with past felony convictions.
Now, More Than A Vote is taking its efforts to Georgia and on a national scale to ensure that Black people continue to have proper representation.