Community Change Action Chief of Programs Afua Atta-Mensah, who attended events at the Georgia stop of the Democracy on the Line tour, communicated with Blavity the importance of this campaign. “We did this tour to make sure that our folks–Black and brown voters–are heard,” Atta-Mensah explained. “We know as people of color, our votes matter. That’s why the GOP is hard at work to restrict our voting rights.”
She noted the host of issues at stake if Republicans retake Congress, including Black seniors’ access to healthcare, child tax credits that keep minority children out of poverty, and abortion access for Black and brown women. “We have to enshrine our rights in legislation and vote for people who will protect our rights.” Atta-Mensah also highlighted the work of other organizations such as Black Male Initiative Fund, which also participated in the Georgia portion of the get out the vote drive and provides services for vulnerable communities such as homeless people and youth in the state. Such work, she explained, is “creating a space for Black men to be honest and vulnerable, and talk about the impact of local and national politics.”
Rep Bowman, before boarding a plane to Milwaukee, laid out the stakes for the campaign that he and people like Atta-Mensah have been waging.“This is about reminding people, this is your country, all of this belong to you. Your vote caries incredible weight and decides the direction this country is going.” Pointing to the importance of participation in our electoral system, he summed up: “imagine how healthy our democracy would be, how much healthier it would be, if everyone voted.”