African American Turnout in NC

is one for the history books. At the end of early voting on Saturday, 49.7% of all registered African American voters in NC had cast their votes. And of those votes, 61% came from WOMEN. By contrast, turnout among White voters was only 38.7%.

The person who deserves much of the credit for mobilizing the African American community is Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President of the North Carolina NAACP. He delivered a powerful GOTV speech during this year's NC NAACP State Conference:

Election 2012: The Heart of the Matter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CZmHmeNgRQ&feature=youtu.be

Following the Conference, the NAACP launched its "Million Voters March III Campaign" with a tour around the state. The goal was to

1. Inspire one million African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, other minorities, progressive Whites, and friends in the labor and faith communities to vote early;
2. Challenge and report on tactics being used to suppress and block voter participation; and
3. Educate the electorate about the important and critical issues facing North Carolinians in this election.

It worked beautifully. With a legislature solidly under Republican control and the spector of a Republican governor rubber-stamping their regressive policies for the next four years, we here in North Carolina are facing a grim future even though President Obama will win with or without our state. We absolutely do NOT want to become another South Carolina!

Therefore, it is critically important that we keep the tremendous energy and momentum forward alive and burning bright after this election. Please join us on February 9, 2013, for the 7th annual HKonJ Rally and March - Mobilizing to End Poverty & Economic Injustice - when we bring the People's Assembly to Raleigh to demand of the General Assembly to do the People's business and not business as usual.

http://hkonj.com/

crossposted from http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/04/1155592/-African-American-turno...