By Kelby Clark

在不到50天的时间内，这将是选举日，BET希望全国黑人选民知道投票的重要性。

On September 18, the network—along with partners the国家城市联盟,变化的颜色，还有其他45个其他品牌和基层民权组织 - 作为其为期一年的全国公民参与活动的一部分，举办了有史以来第一个国家黑人选民日#ReclaimYourVote. In a year marked by a global pandemic and widespread social activism, the initiative is a push for eligible voters to take action—and protect their rights to ensure they can participate—in the country’s democratic process.

“在这个投票季节的所有不同日子里，从国家选民注册日到投票日期，我们都想直接与黑人选民交谈，并确保黑人社区意识到他们作为投票集团的集体权力和力量，”188bet网址怎么打不开BET首席社会影响力和传播官Jeanine Liburd说。“创造一个致力于揭开2020年总统选举之前投票和参与黑人选民的过程的一天，成为实现这一目标的逻辑方式。”

这一天包括在社会和数字上推出易于消化的教育资源，包括一个五步计划that helps ensure voters’ ballots are counted on Election Day. The #ReclaimYourVote campaign includes messages from celebrities like actor and rapper T.I. and NBA player Blake Griffin to encourage voter participation. In addition, the brand is airing PSAs and conversations with key politicians and activists across its linear network to further raise awareness ahead of November.

“There’s not a lot of space on linear where this conversation is being had and that’s where we shine,” says Liburd. “Then, to have a complement of it across our digital platforms, as well as support from our talent and our partners who are on the ground doing the work makes it a really powerful combination of efforts.”

A Consistent Message of Empowerment

#ReclaimyourVote运动于2月推出，是BET漫长的历史上最新的，旨在解决和授权其受众掌握关键政治事件的声音。过去的举措包括2016 “Vote Your Voice” PSA campaign和extensive political coverage and programmingaround the 2014 congressional midterm elections. #ReclaimYourVote also aligns with the social justice initiative“更改内容”that the brand announced in June with the goal of eliminating systemic racism and inequality in America.

BET’s three-point mission to entertain, engage, and empower the Black community laid a foundation for the #ReclaimYourVote initiative’s three main objectives: demystify the voting process, encourage voter participation, and address misinformation, all of which are aimed at making sure eligible Black voters have the information and confidence they need to make their voice heard at the polls.

Initially, there were plans for multiple community activations such as registration stations at historically black colleges and universities. But, in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, the brand decided to lean into social media andrely on grassroots partnerswith experience in directcommunity outreach.

“We intentionally did not put BET in the #ReclaimYourVote campaign name because we wanted other brands and other people to feel their ownership in a comprehensive, consistent message,” says Liburd.

The brand provided partners with a toolkit that included assets and informational resources to share on National Black Voter Day and coined the #ReclaimYourVote hashtag to use across social platforms in the leadup to this Friday. Liburd also notes that the campaign, while timed to the presidential election, is intended to maintain momentum among audiences and encourage participation in multiple races, including key local and state events.

“We have to be engaged on every level,” says Liburd. “This presidential election is certainly an important one, but just as important is your local elections that happen every year. When your child is or is not going to school because of COVID-19, that’s a local issue decided by people voted in during a local election. Convictions of police officers in fatal civilian shootings are also decided by local officials.”

In the 2016 presidential election, Black voter turnout fell 7%, and targeted voter disenfranchisement and suppression continued to silence Black voices in the aftermath. Black voters make up 12% of the electorate, meaning黑人美国人继续拥有足够的集体力量to shift the overall outcome and reshape current politics.

“我们都一起朝这个方向前进，”伊伯特说。“如果每个人都在拐角处，如果每个人都在开展的车道上工作，那就是改变的方式。但是，当我们都以相同的任务和相同的工具在角落工作时，这使我们变得更加强大。”

访问www.BET.com/ReclaimYourVoteto learn more.