(AllHipHop News) Lebron James and Kevin Hart are teaming up to form a voting rights group to ensure African-Americans can get to the polls.
Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police last month and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests, as well as chaos at the polls in primary elections in Georgia on Tuesday, James has convened a group of sports and entertainment figures like Hart to help black voters.
The organization, called More Than a Vote, will focus on inspiring African-Americans to register and to cast a ballot in November’s presidential election, but also tackle any efforts to suppress the black vote by making it difficult to get to the polls.
“Because of everything that’s going on, people are finally starting to listen to us – we feel like we’re finally getting a foot in the door,” the basketball legend tells the New York Times. “How long is up to us. We don’t know. But we feel like we’re getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference.”
The Los Angeles Lakers star, who expressed his fury on Twitter that black voters in Georgia seemed to have to wait longer in line than those in majority-white districts, says he will also be looking out for any tactics aimed at keep African-Americans away from the polling booth.
“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial,” James adds. “We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”
Republican politicians in multiple states have been accused of attempting to make it more difficult for people of color to vote, using voter ID laws as well as providing worse polling facilities in certain districts.
In addition to James and Hart, the sportsman’s NBA colleagues Trae Young, Jalen Rose, Draymond Green, and Udonis Haslem are involved in the initiative, as well as women’s NBA player Skylar Diggins-Smith. They also hope to sign up musicians and other entertainers to the project.
