Tina Knowles-Lawson, the mother of global superstar, has partnered with haircare brand African Pride and Still I Vote to launch a new voter initiative to encourage the Black community to vote.
“I mentor kids, Tina’s Angels and Richard’s Warriors, and we had this big call with all the kids. I just wanted to check in with them to see how the death of Mr. Floyd and everything that was going on with this pandemic [was affecting them],” she told Essence.
“And I just saw so much hopelessness, many tears, and many feelings that no matter what they do or what their families do, whether they voted or whatever they did, was not going to make a difference and things were going to remain the same.”
The perception is usually that African Americans are not proactive voters. According to the Brookings Institute, the Black community has higher voter turnout than Hispanics and Asians. Black voter turnout was within one percentage point of whites in 2008 (65.2% compared to 66.1%) and was actually higher than whites in 2012 (66.6% compared to 64.1%). In 2016, voter turnout for Blacks dipped to 59.6%.
While that number was lower than whites (65.3%), it was still higher than Asians (49.3%) and Hispanics (47.6%).
Voter suppression is a factor when it comes to the silencing of the Black vote — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp being a prime example of this.
This is why as many of us must get out to vote as possible.
“Every product company, every business, especially the ones that are in the Black community or that appeal to the Black community, they should do their part. [African Pride] stepped up, and they wanted to do something and they wanted to make a difference. A lot of companies just take and when it’s time to give back, you don’t hear from them. So I really applaud them in this effort to team up with us, and I look forward to a good relationship with them.”
