Atlanta Black Radio Stations, Urban League Come Together

Atlanta, GA (July 22, 2020) – Atlanta Black radio stations and the Urban League of Greater Atlanta today announced a campaign with the goal of registering 50,000 new voters in the metro area. The Black Radio United for the Vote campaign represents 10 of the top stations in metro Atlanta. The campaign will provide information on voter registration, early voting, absentee ballots, and more. Regional leaders, young activists, celebrities, and on-air talent are lending their voices to share the importance of voting in the 2020 elections.

The radio stations, the Atlanta Urban League and campaign partners will focus on the vote through November and will host a one-day monthly blitz in July, August, and September. The campaign also features a website – MyVoteCountsGA.com -- that makes it easy to register and exercise the right to vote. Additionally, listeners are urged to complete the 2020 Census.

“This is history in the making,” says Terri Avery, director of Branding and Programming at Cox Media Group. “Ten radio stations in Atlanta united for the vote says we are stronger together.”

On July 23, Aug. 20, and Sept. 17, 10 stations will promote the campaign through messaging and interviews with a variety of campaign partners between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The 10 stations include KISS, MAJIC, V103, STREETS, HOT, WAOK, PRAISE, WCLK, OG and CLASSIX.

One of Urban League’s key roles for the campaign is to galvanize community partnerships to help boost the reach and impact among civil rights, community, civic, faith-based, elected officials, and business leaders.

Campaign partners are the 2020 U.S. Census, ACLU of Georgia, Atlanta Counts Census 2020, Black Man Lab, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Georgia NAACP, Metro Atlanta NAACP, Millennial Civil Rights, National Action Network, National Panhellenic Council of Georgia, New Georgia Project, Operation PUSH, Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The Gathering Spot, and several elected officials. The Urban League is eager to expand partnerships to collaborate and build volunteers.

“Radio continues to be a powerful medium for educating people in our communities who want to be engaged in choosing who holds seats of power at the federal, state, and local level but are unsure of how to register, verify registration, or find vital information about early voting and polling sites,” says Nancy Flake Johnson, president, and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta.

“Some voters may be discouraged by long lines and various voter suppression tactics we’ve faced in Georgia. This campaign is needed now more than ever to get out the vote. We are grateful to Cox Media Group and all of the participating stations for spearheading this effort.”

Celebrating its 100-year anniversary in Atlanta, the Urban League recognizes Black voter participation is a key factor in ensuring federal, state, and local policies that will help, not hinder, Black people to take control of their economic success and build solid financial foundations for future generations.

The campaign is targeted to Black citizens who have not engaged in the electoral process or whose participation in the process has declined. In 2016 the national Black voter turnout rate fell for the first time in 20 years in a presidential election to 59.6%. It had reached a record high of 66.6% in 2012 when Barack Obama was on the ballot. That year, Black voter turnout surpassed the rate of whites for the first time in history. Since then, there has been a rise in voter suppression efforts right here in Georgia and in numerous other states, making it harder for Black, Latino, and Native American people to vote.

“This is one of those times when the phrase ‘strength in numbers’ really fits,” Avery says. “As people hear about Black Radio United and the My Vote Counts Georgia campaign and spread the word, we may even exceed our goal and bring even more people into the voting process that is the bedrock of our Democracy. It’s not about party. It’s about patriotism. About ensuring that every citizen has a fair and equal chance to be heard at the ballot box.”

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About Urban League of Greater Atlanta: The Urban League of Greater Atlanta (ULGA) is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to the social justice and economic advancement of African Americans founded in 1920. The ULGA is a person-to-person organization operates as a Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) that supports youth, adults and families to become financially empowered through three key tenants; 1) supporting families to become stable, meet their basic needs and personal wellness 2) supporting families to increase household income through high demand career pathways, education and small business development and 3) gain financial empowerment through financial and money management skills development, financial and credit coaching, asset, and wealth-building strategies. Celebrating 100 years of service to metro Atlanta in 2020, we are a dedicated person to person organization that focuses on social and economic justice and closing the racial wealth gap. For more information call 404-659-6580 or visit our website at www.ulgatl.org. Media contact: diane@larchecommunications.com,404 273-3227.