BET Networks Announces Social Impact Campaign, #ReclaimYourVote, in Partnership With the National Urban League
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, at META:2020, BET Networks announced #ReclaimYourVote, a social change campaign in partnership with the National Urban League and key national organizations committed to harnessing Black collective power and increasing Black participation in the 2020 Census and the 2020 Election.
“We couldn’t be more excited to launch this campaign with Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, a perfect partner who shares our commitment to amplifying our collective voices.”
The nationwide #ReclaimYourVote campaign will layout the most significant issues, break down otherwise confusing processes, and highlight specific ways where we can reclaim our collective power by harnessing the power of media, entertainment, and technology to drive civic engagement. #ReclaimYourVote will leverage this opportunity through community activations, television spots, compelling print, social and digital media platforms and urge the Black community to be counted in the census and to take a stand and vote.
“The 2020 Census and presidential election are pivotal moments for our communities that will produce lasting effects for generations to come, so we’re tackling the critical issues of voting rights and voting suppression head on with #ReclaimYourVote,” said Scott Mills, President, BET Networks. “At BET, we take this mission very seriously because we’re uniquely positioned to mobilize our partners across media, entertainment and technology to drive civic engagement outcomes for the black community like no other brand can.”
“Our nation’s pursuit of liberty, justice and economic empowerment for all hinges largely on the right to determine who will govern us and how. But the right of African Americans to vote—our right to participate in the civic processes of this nation— quite simply, is under attack,” National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said, referring to findings analyzed in the 2019 State of Black America® report. “Campaigns such as #ReclaimYourVote are essential to harness our collective power and protect our fundamental right to vote.”
The year-long non-partisan campaign was revealed during the network’s day-long social impact conference ‘META: 2020’ in Los Angeles. META is designed to explore how the most influential people and platforms across these sectors can work together to impact outcomes for the Black community, with a 2020 focus on driving civic engagement ahead of 2020 elections. The convening featured special guest speakers including Senator Kamala D. Harris, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Angela Rye, Andrew Gillum, Elaine Welteroth, actress Skai Jackson, and many leaders within the social activism space including NAACP President Derrick Johnson, NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill, Rashad Robinson, President of Color of Change and many more.
The next phases of #ReclaimYourVote will focus on rallying the community around the critical matters that directly affect them with issues-based content and comprehensive analysis.
“Right now, our participation doesn’t match our power. Our goal with #ReclaimYourVote is to build on the long history of work from our national and local organizations to mobilize our community—especially our young voters and African men because their power combined with the proven strength of black women is our true superpower,” said Jeanine Liburd, Chief Social Impact and Communications Officer, BET Networks. “We couldn’t be more excited to launch this campaign with Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, a perfect partner who shares our commitment to amplifying our collective voices.”
Kicking off the campaign are a series of spots that will launch starting Saturday, February 22, during the 51st NAACP Image Awards airing LIVE at 8 PM ET/PT on BET. Watch and share the first spot in the series at www.bet.com/reclaimyourvote.
Download the #ReclaimYourVoice spot featuring TIP “T.I.” here. h
Join the conversation on social media by logging on to BET’s multiple social media platforms and using the hashtags: #ReclaimYourVote and #BETVote and following us @BET, @BETVote, and @BETNews.
For more information go to BET.com.
About META convened by BET Networks.
META: Media, Entertainment & Technology Alliance, is BET’s invitation-only social impact conference created to explore how the most influential people and platforms across these sectors can work together to impact outcomes for the African American community. Given the importance of this year’s presidential election, the February 2020 convening is focused exclusively on the importance of galvanizing the Black vote on Election Day and beyond.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in nearly 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks—BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET Networks around the globe.
About The National Urban League
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization established in 1910 dedicated to the economic and political empowerment of Black people residing in urban localities and cities. The Urban League has stayed true to its original mission over the years, providing pathways to home ownership, economic literacy, jobs, educational and professional development to about 2 million constituents each year. The National Urban League conducts most of this work through its 90 Affiliate entities, across 36 states and the District of Columbia.
