November 1, 2024
Black Music Action Coalition Uses Lyrics To Mobilize Georgia Voters
The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) is activating in Georgia to help get out the vote. The BMAC’s mission is to utilize the power of music “to create systemic change.” The coalition’s goal is to power music to reach the masses by mobilizing—literally.
The BMAC’s “It’s Your Fight…VOTE!” bus transports Georgia residents to polling locations and political rallies. The latest destination was the “Harris For President” rally, where the buses drove members of the “Georgia Student Voter” organization. Each bus is adorned with music lyrics that speak to the culture and current political moment.
“BMAC is steadfast in our commitment to use the power of our voice to make positive, long-lasting change. We chose the words of artists who have moved the needle through music to adorn our bus and the image of the great truth teller, Muhammad Ali, to be the face of our bus as it moves through Georgia, fueled by the power of voters…It’s Our Fight…VOTE,” said Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, BMAC CEO and President.
Historically, music and civic engagement have always been intertwined. The efforts of musical artists like Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder to speak to Black people with lyrics are cataloged in the annals of history.
The BMAC bus engages in this rich history by emblazoning these messages across its buses with lyrics from legends:
James Brown’s: “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud’; Queen Latitfah’s: “U.N.I.T.Y., love a Black woman from Infinity to Infinity”; Kendrick Lamar’s: “I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA”; Public Enemy’s: “Fight the power, We’ve got to fight the powers that be”; Beyonce’s: “And when they carve my name inside the concrete, I pray it forever reads– freedom.”
BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on Stevie Wonder’s continued efforts to get Americans involved in the election process.
Wonder set out on the “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” tour. His goal is “joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war.”
The icon was joined on stage at his Oct. 17 show in Baltimore by former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. President Obama reinforced Wonder’s message: “Get out there and vote.”
The last day to vote in the presidential election is Nov. 5. To find a polling location in your area, go to vote.org.
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