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ATHLETES + VOTER ENGAGEMENT | Voting + Political Activism + Involvement

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 | 5:00 PM ET - 6:30 PM ET

(View encore program at Facebook.com/athletesvoices)

ATHLETES + VOTER ENGAGEMENT | Voting + Political Activism + Involvement

Eleven days remain until the final ballots are cast in the November 2020 Presidential election. Vote by mail. Vote in person. The right to vote. The DESIRE to vote. Does my vote count? How can I ensure that my voice is heard? Blue? Red? Third party? Anyone but ...?

On October 22, the second installment of “Pitch for Change” will explore these questions and more. Featuring speakers currently on the frontlines of voter engagement - including athletes, influencers, academics, faith leaders, and legal experts - the webcast will be an unparalleled opportunity to gain historical perspective, real time insight and suggestions for how you can take action now.

Opening remarks and context will be provided by Steve Levitsky, professor of government at Harvard University and coauthor of the 2018 New York Times bestseller, How Democracies Die.

Featured athletes on the webcast include:

  • Anquan Boldin | NFL Legend + Philanthropist + Players' Coalition

  • Thaddeus "Titus O'Neil" Bullard | WWE Superstar + Entertainer + Philanthropist

  • Margaret "Midge" Purce | Harvard'17 + US Women's National Soccer Team + Sky Blue FC forward + Co-Founder of Black Women's Player Collective

Subject matter experts and activists include:

  • Alexander Keyssar | Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard University, author of numerous books including The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States (2000) and Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College? (2020)

  • Pastor Mike McBride | Faith Leader + Gun Violence Prevention Activist + Strategist + Storyteller

  • Desmond Meade | President, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition

  • Franita Tolson | Professor of Law at University of Southern California Gould School of Law with a focus on election + constitutional law

Inequity in access to the democratic process is not a new phenomenon. Although the days of limiting the right to vote to white, male landowners is in the past, according to the nonpartisan coalition Election Protection, 23 states created new obstacles to voting in the decade preceding the 2018 election.

In her dissent in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg stated, “Throwing out pre-clearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”

Florida is today seen as perhaps the ultimate battleground state, with a population representing a microcosm of the country as a whole. With the exception of 1992, when it sided with incumbent, Florida has voted with the winner in every presidential election since 1964. In 2020, it will again be a crucial swing state in the presidential race.

Pitch for Change has curated a fascinating group of influencers who will share their first-hand accounts, historic perspective and suggested action items to ensure ALL voices are heard on November 3, 2020.

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Previous
October 1

The Origins of Change | The Role of Sports in Breaking Down Barriers, Creating Movements + Leaving a Legacy

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Next
December 10

Mental Health + Emotional Well-Being