ATLANTA – The Georgia NAACP has joined forces with the NAACP National Youth & College Division and Chance the Rapper this fall to register thousands of concert-goers to vote as part of the organization’s #staywokeandvote campaign.
The tour is scheduled to be in Georgia on September 21-23, 2016, at selected college/university campuses, to include: Savannah State University, Georgia State University, Interdenominational Theological Center, Spelman College, and Kennesaw State University. NAACP Members of Georgia’s oldest, largest, and most widely recognized grasstops-based civil rights will be on hand at the groundbreaking artist’s performances across the country as part of the Magnificent Coloring World Tour. NAACP College Chapter members will be available to help first-time voters register and vote in the Nov. 8th election.
“From the ballot box to the board room, the NAACP has always worked to ensure every eligible voter has unfettered access to participate in the search for the common good,” said Francys Johnson, president of the GA NAACP.
“This voter empowerment campaign is part of our ongoing post-Shelby election administration monitoring and voter empowerment program in Georgia,” Johnson said. “The NAACP will mortgage every asset we have to defend the unfettered access to the ballot. It was paid for with the blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors – voting is sacred.”
“Chance the Rapper is an artist whose music praises and lifts up our common humanity, and whose call for action speaks to the yearning of this moment,” said Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO of the NAACP. “This year, more than it has in a generation; we must use the power of our voices and our votes and exercise our sacred right to vote.”
A native of Chicago, Chancellor Bennett has emerged as a brilliant performer who has united artists through poetry and soul. Outside the studio, the self-made artist has united a collective of Hip-Hop’s stars to create his latest album, Coloring Book.
“Voting and becoming knowledgeable about this year’s upcoming presidential election is imperative. With a great deal of help from the NAACP, I have been able to provide this awesome opportunity for people to sign up and make the pledge to vote at a few of my upcoming shows,” Bennett said. “This is super important to me because I want my fans to know that their voices matter and that their vote counts now more than ever.”
In the era of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, where police brutality, criminal justice, and voting rights issues are at the forefront of national conversations, music provides a unique opportunity to create a world for all people thrive if we are committed to becoming active, informed, and vocal citizens. The NAACP Youth and College Division intends to bring the intersection of arts and activism to inspire civic action for a new generation.
“Chance the Rapper is a unique artist whose independence is a reflection of our millennial generation, who for the first time match the number of baby Boomers in the electorate”, said Stephen Green, director of the NAACP Youth & College Division. “We’re pleased to join with Chance and the millions of young people who this year to become passionate activists and agents of change this year.”
NAACP NEWS www.naacpga.org 100 Edgewood Avenue, Suite 1610, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 The newest member of the E93 team, Dougie Styles will serve as our host as we kick-off our first stop at Savannah State University today. We are also pleased to have Fly Guy DC formerly known as Sucha Fly Guy DC who is one of the hottest young hosts to grace the Atlanta circuits today along with up and coming artist, Daetrius Craig to join the tour stops in Georgia. Born and raised in Washington, DC, you could say Fly Guy DC inherited some presidential qualities because he continues to lead the youth and deliver an encore experience every time he hosts. Unfortunately, all the credit cannot be given to Washington, DC. Eight years ago he moved to Atlanta, GA with his family and it is safe to say that he has taken on a southern mentality; you can truly call him an “ATLien”.
However, his mix of DC swagger meets southern charm and that has made him a true crowd- pleaser in most of the southeast states within the past few years.
“I’m glad to be a part of the “Stay Woke & Vote” tour with a historic organization like the NAACP. While we are experiencing trying times in America I’m glad that I can use my voice to be an influence to raise awareness within my community to inflict change and get my peers to Show Out and Vote”, said Daetrius Craig. In addition to distributing registration information and signing up volunteers, NAACP Youth and College Division members at each tour stop will run an Information Table to provide civic engagement resources and NAACP membership information to attendees. Please see specific tour stop information below:
- Wednesday, September 21, 2016 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Savannah State University Savannah, Georgia
- Thursday, September 22, 2016 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Interdenominational Theological Center Atlanta, Georgia
- Friday, September 23, 2016 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Spelman College Atlanta, Georgia
- 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, Georgia
Additionally, Chance the Rapper will hold a concert on October 8, 2016, in Atlanta, Georgia, to increase voter participation amongst millennials through voter registration and voter mobilization efforts as a final push before the October 11th Georgia Voter Registration Deadline. Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. The Georgia NAACP has had an unbroken presence in Georgia since 1917. The Georgia NAACP maintains a network of branches throughout Georgia, from cities to small rural counties. The Georgia NAACP has been the most effective and consistent advocates for civil and human rights in Georgia. The NAACP’s half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
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