The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation

Press Releases

All Media inquires, please contact:
Angelo Greco at (917) 499-2688  angelo@trillmulticultural.com
Lon Walls at (301) 996-1669  lwalls@wallscomm.com
Tyrice Johnson at (205) 643-4755  newmedia@ncbcp.org

Nov 1, 2022

NATIONAL COALITION ON BLACK CIVIC PARTICIPATION RECENTLY HELD ITS UNITY ’22 ‘POWER OF THE BALLOT’ GOTV COMEDY TOUR AND ORGANIZING WEEKEND IN PITTSBURGH

Washington, DC (November 1, 2022) –The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), in partnership with its national partners, state affiliates and local partners recently brought its Unity ’22 “Power of the Ballot” 30-Day GOTV (Get Out the Vote) National Comedy Tour & Organizing Weekend to Pittsburgh, PA, for a successful weekend of events and canvassing in the community.
 
The 30-day Unity ’22 National “Power of the Ballot” GOTV Tour & Organizing Weekends have been focused on five battleground states: Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania, with a mission to celebrate and uplift the leaders, organizers and activists doing the Black civic engagement work; and to help increase Black voter turnout in the five states. The tour activations include a “Power of the Ballot” evening of comedy & GOTV rally; door-to-door neighborhood canvassing; text banking; early voting mobilizations, and more.
 

On Friday, October 29, the group held their GOTV Rally and comedy show at the Kingsley Association. With dozens of guests in attendance, rally speakers included: Melanie L. Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and National Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable; Rev. Dr. Judith Moore, Convener of the Pittsburgh - Mon Valley Black Women’s Roundtable, Christina Cue, Unity ‘22 National Campaign Manager; and several Pittsburgh community leaders. The crowd was energized and ready to enjoy an evening of comedy; featuring award-winning comediennes Meshelle “The Indie-Mom” of Comedy, BPhlat, and Vanessa Fraction.
 
The weekend of events continued with neighborhood canvassing on Saturday, October 29, starting at Bethesda Presbyterian Church. Volunteers went door-to-door to distribute literature and resources on the importance of voting.

Campbell said, “Pennsylvania is a battleground state where Black voter turnout will have statewide and national consequences for decades to come. We are working round the clock in every community to make sure Black voters are informed and empowered to own their power through the ballot. Our ‘Power of the Ballot’ GOTV Comedy Tour and GOTV activations in Pittsburgh served two goals: 1) to thank and bring joy (through laughter) to the leaders, organizers and activists who are working hard to get out the Black vote and 2) to energize the grassroots activists who are engaging our communities to canvass and knock on doors to register, motivate and mobilize our people to ‘own their power’ and to increase the Black vote share in the 2022 midterm Elections. Our weekend of organizing allows us to reach hundreds of Black voters throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. I can’t give enough praise to our affiliates, partners and volunteers in the state for their leadership, hard work and role in elevating the needs of our communities, defending the vote, and saving our democracy time and again.”
 

Rev. Dr. Moore said “Our organization is bringing together hundreds of Black voters to help them flex their political power in the upcoming election.  We are already seeing the positive impact our work is having in Pittsburgh and the entire state of Pennsylvania.  Black political power in Pittsburgh is shifting the outcome of every election towards issues of justice, equity and economic empowerment. The Power of the Ballot Comedy Tour was powerful and much needed. It helped bring our community at a time where we are faced with so many challenges and obstacles in the daily work we do. Our members are putting in the work to ensure we are inspiring hundreds of Black households in the Pittsburgh-Mon Valley area  to use their collective power and keep critical issues front and center in this election.”
 

The Unity ’22 GOTV National Tour is powered by AARP, NEO Philanthropy/State Infrastructure Fund, National Education Association, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), The American Postal Workers Union and The Kapor Center. Pittsburgh partners include The Pittsburgh - Mon Valley Black Women’s Roundtable, Onyx Women Network, Sisters Saving Ourselves Now, and Take Action Advocacy.
For more information, visit www.unitycampaign.org.
 
Contacts:
Melissa Young, 267-515-1150,
melissa@mashstrategies.com
Angelo Greco, 917-499-2688, angelo@trillmulticultural.com 
Lon Walls, 301-996-1669, lwalls@wallscomm.com 
 

NCBCP Unity ’22 GOTV Tour national and state partners include: 100 Black Men of America, Incorporated, A. Philip Randolph Institute, AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, Black Women’s Roundtable, Black Youth Vote!, Black Church Action Fund, Black Voters Matter, Building Back Together, Center for American Progress, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, D4 Women in Action, Incorporated, Emerge, EMILY’s List, ERA Coalition, Family Values @ Work, HBCU Green Fund, Higher Heights Leadership Fund, Hip Hop Caucus, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated, International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute, LCCRUL/Election Protection, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, League of Women Voters USA, Live Free, National Urban League, National Action Network, NAACP LDF, NAACP, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Action Network, National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, National Black Justice Coalition, National Council of Negro Women,  National Partnership for Women’s & Families, National Education Association, National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL Women), People for American Way, Power Rising, Save a Girl Save a World, Sisters Lead Sisters Vote, SEIU, The Collective Education Fund, The King Center,  Unerased Black Women Speak, #WinWithBlackWomen, Higher Heights Leadership Fund, American Postal Workers Union (as 10/25/22).
 

###

The Unity ’22 Campaign is a national and multi-state organizing, non-partisan, integrated voter engagement campaign focused on a number of issues, including increasing Black voter turnout and providing voter protection tools for Black voters to ensure their votes are counted in the 2022 Mid-Term Election. The Unity ’22 Campaign is a diverse group of over 50 national and state-based partner organizations and NCBCP/BWR affiliates and networks.  NCBCP launched its Unity ’22 National Campaign in July 2022.

National Coalition on Black Civic Participation | 1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 5th Floor - Suite 500, Washington, DC 20023, USA.

Phone: (202) 659-4929 | ncbcp@ncbcp.org

© 2023 National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. All rights reserved. Powered by ARCOS | Design by PlusThree