Voter Mobilization Now Focus of “A Call to Colors” Campaign- GDN Exclusive Part XXI
by Cash Michaels, GDN Contributing Writer 10/17/2018With voter registration in North Carolina now ended, voter mobilization – especially on historically black college and university (HBCU) campuses throughout the state – is now the top priority between now and Election Day, November 6th, of the “A Call to Colors” campaign, says sponsor Attorney Peter Grear, Publisher of Greater Diversity News (GDN).
“We’ve been trying to do some of the mobilization, as much as possible, through mobilizing our HBCUs, with the request that their National Alumni Associations contact all of their local chapters to ask all of their members to volunteer 8, 16 or 24 hours or more between now and November 6th, to work towards voter mobilization,” Grear said during an October 10th conference call meeting with various civic leaders and organizers from across the state. The call was hosted by NC NAACP President, Rev. T. Anthony Spearman.
Grear also noted that local NAACP chapters should be contacted for information on where those local alumni members should concentrate their efforts so they wouldn’t spend unnecessary time searching for where to work.
“The NAACP can, hopefully, put them to work doing something in their respective communities,” Atty. Grear added.
Richard Kingsberry, President of the Fayetteville State University National Alumni Association, said he has “challenged” Chapter Presidents all over the United States to get involved with their local NAACP to follow the Call to Colors framework.
Grear followed that he received a “good reception” upon his visit to Pitt County recently to visit with the HBCU Coalition there.
“They informed me that they have 23 HBCU organizations represented in their Pitt County coalition,” Grear continued, saying that they will be contacting the local NAACP representative, but also meeting to develop and ratify an action plan.
Mondale Robinson, State Director for voter mobilization for the national NAACP, said he is in process of hiring 160 people, with pay, to fan out across the state – particularly in five important targeted counties: Wake, Pitt, Cumberland, Mecklenburg and Guilford – to target black voters and maximize their turnout for the November 6th election.
Robinson added that the NAACP’s effort was based on solid research on what it takes to get black voters to the polls.
Dr. Spearman, NC NAACP President indicated that the NAACP and various community leaders will be visiting various HBCU campuses across the state with get-out-the-vote rallies over the few weeks before November 6th.
He reiterated that with the NAACP GOTV campaign, it is hiring people with pay to canvass the state to turn out the black vote, those in the community can both make a difference this election, and earn a living at the same time.
There was also strong sentiment that once the midterm elections end, the voter registration effort for the 2020 presidential election, including training, should immediately begin.
“As soon as one election dies down, we need to be ramping up for the next election,” Dr. Spearman said. “We don’t need to wait.”
The early-voting period begins October 17th, and ends Saturday, November 3rd. Election day is November 6th.
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