Black church leaders in Detroit are helping to launch a new voter engagement campaign called "Lift Every Voice and Vote."
It aims to encourage all Black Detroiters to register to vote — and then follow through and vote in every election. The campaign is particularly urging Black voters to sign up to receive absentee ballots for every election.
"If we don’t speak up – others will speak for us," the group's website says. "We can ensure we never miss an election by signing up for the permanent absentee ballot list. Only 13% of Detroit voted last time. Imagine our power if 100% of us were permanent voters."
Charles Ellis is Bishop of the Greater Grace Temple. He said he hopes to get 100% of his own congregation to register to vote.
"I would hope, absolutely, I could get 100% of the congregants to register to vote," he said. "Now we have to move forward with part two, let's get them to actively utilize their voter registration."
Ellis said the message of the campaign is crucial, in the face of current voter suppression efforts that could take advantage of discouraged Black and other minority voters.
"We can continue to talk about what happened 50, 60-plus years ago, and think that this generation will get it, and I think that that's where we're mistaken," Ellis said.
The campaign will rely on a broad social media campaign, under #WhyIVote, as well as messages from the pulpit and from community activists.
