Ep 19: 2020 Election: The Power of Your Vote
Updated: Mar 16, 2021
Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. the vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. you must use it because it is not guaranteed. you can lose it. - John Lewis
This year is a critical election year with so much at stake, and with voter corruption taking place, hundreds of thousands of voters are being purged without their knowledge. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the importance of this presidential election, local elections, why you should being aware of voter suppression, and why checking your voter registration is vital.
Our panel includes community activists on the ground educating others on their voting rights and helping drive voter registration for North Carolina and beyond.
La'Meshia "LA" Whittington, has made it a personal mission to advocate for agriculture, climate justice, economic justice, rural communities, and communities-of-color. Alongside her brother, they co-founded TW2 Inc 501(c)3, a non-traditional satellite Arts school.
She is also the co-founder of The Scale Academy of Performing Arts. La’Meshia lеаdѕ work nationally in policy/advocacy, community engagement, and rеѕеаrсh on the intersections of human rights, ѕосіаl rights, and еnvіrоnmеntаl juѕtісе, specifically environmental racism present in сommunіtіеѕ-оf-соlоr. La’Meshia is the Deputy Director for Advance Carolina 501(c)4 and the Campaigns Director for the 501(c)3 sister-org: the NC Black Alliance. She is the co-convener of the NC Black & Brown Policy Network, former National Democracy Campaigner for Friends of the Earth and Chairwoman of the FRENC Fund Administration. After coordinating over 250 water and land rescues during the climate disaster Hurricane Florence and coordinating immediate supply drops to residents post-Hurricane Michael, Lа’Mеѕhіа became a founding board member of Democracy Green, a community-bаѕеd disaster relief organization.
Keith Grandberry, is an experienced political strategist and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) specialist that has a wide-ranging experience having worked on national and international strategic political projects. He has worked on the campaign advisory board for President Obama, and consultant for Big Brother, Big Sister of America as Urban Strategist, and former consultant White House Advisor Bob Brown. He has worked as a consultant and advisor on special projects over the years for the family of Nelson Mandela.
He is currently a member of the Leadership Team with Ground Game International LLC— an international political consulting company with a proven track record for providing services for successful political campaigns, issues campaigns, grassroots, canvas operations, and more.
Sanja Whittington, has committed her work to life-long service and environmental justice. Her beginnings as a community organizer, leading efforts to support residents facing houselessness and homeless, providing home care services and coordinating resource drops for elders, to successfully standing in the community and defeating a poisonous dirty corporation who threatened to move in her rural town in Black communities. Sanja serves as the Executive Director of Democracy Green, an environmental-democracy organization that specializes in advocacy and disaster relief. Democracy Green supports a mutual aid site housed in Eastern North Carolina and coordinates supply drops and dispatch during times of climate disasters. Sanja’s proudest achievements are her two children: Robert Jr. and La’Meshia Whittington.
Grab your pin! Not just to take notes, but to write down who you will share this vital information with to make sure every one of your friends and family member's vote will count in November and beyond! Until next time, stay safe tribe!
Voter registration toolkit:
To check your registration in NC go to: wevotenc.org/pam
For all other states, go to: https://www.usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration
Latest on policy and economic issues: www.ncblackalliance.org
View video or listen to the audio below:
Reach out!
La'Meshia Whittington
Email: lameshia@advancecarolina.org
Keith Grandberry
Email: kggrandberry@gmail.com | Instagram: @kggrandberry
Sanja Whittington
Email: sanja@nclcvf.org