BMCA and Rolling Sea Action Fund host event for undecided voters
Undecided and on-the-fence voters were treated to a robust meal and conversation courtesy of the Black Music Coalition of Atlanta in conjunction with Rolling Sea Action Fund, a super PAC created by the Congressional Black Caucus and advocacy group I Will Vote.
The event took place at Breakfast at Barney’s and was hosted by Atlanta-based entrepreneur and cultural commentator Kenny Burns, alongside noted IP & Entertainment Attorney Shay M. Lawson, who moderated a panel featuring four veteran politicos: Brencia Berry, the Democratic National Committee’s political director, Niccara Campbell, the Rolling Sea Action Fund executive director, Alencia Johnson, Sr. Advisor, Harris for President, and Phillana Williams, Director of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Film, Entertainment & Nightlife.
The event also featured US Congressman Hank Johnson, online social media personality RaeShonda Lockhart, rappers Young Dro and Omeretta the Great, and political influencers Ellaway Amiker and Zackary Kirk.
“We are days away from the election, and we’ve heard a lot of conversations, a lot of panels, but we haven’t heard a lot of action points. It was important to get this particular group of people together that have power, that have platforms, to get those undecided voters who are registered but are maybe unenthused or still undecided out to the polls to make decisions that are important for their communities,” says Lawson
Tuesday’s event was aimed at black voters directly, where they live, work, and play, following a top-down effort by the Harris campaign in recent weeks. The event comes as the final week of early voting is underway in Georgia, where, as of Monday, more than 3 million people have voted, setting a new state record. However, despite the success, many counties with some of the highest percentages of black voters have been slightly lagging.
Black voters are traditionally one of the largest voting blocs for the Democratic Party, but over the last few elections, the base has seen some erosion. And for the Harris campaign, this has been seen as an opportunity for re-engagement for the party’s most loyal base.
“Our work has been to make sure that we’re talking to every single Black voter and making the case that we want them to come vote for Democrats,” says Brencia Barry of the Democratic National Committee.
Black voters are traditionally one of the largest voting blocs for the Democratic Party, but over the last few elections, the base has seen some erosion. This has been accompanied by a rise in membership in the Republican Party and third-party and non-affiliated political references.
Only recently has this core base been invested in, resulting in direct investment from the Democratic Party and the Congressional Black Caucus via ongoing national engagement strategies. In 2022, the CBC created the Rolling Sea Action Fund, a political action committee focused on addressing black issues and providing solutions. For Niccara Campbell, that means having direct, in-person conversations with disaffected and undecided voters at events like the ones held at Breakfast at Barneys’.
“So far in this election, I’ve been seeing a lot of folks disheartened, sad, confused, frustrated, and all rightfully so. I mean, prices are high. We did suffer through a pandemic, and we’re now in a place where we are running against someone who is an insurrectionist and they’re able to run for office, you’re like, so what is the point?” says Campbell.
In an extremely tight election, the role of black voters once again plays a pivotal one. In Georgia, Black voter turnout is still lagging compared to 2020 and is lower than white voters statewide, causing the Harris campaign to touch down in Atlanta again.
Harris has held a massive 20,000+ rally in Clarkston, filmed an episode of Georgia-native Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay in Atlanta, and met directly with local political leaders. The campaign is working daily to drum up black support in Atlanta by partnering with micro-engagement events like BMAC’s panel, partnering with social media influencers and directly engaging with black-owned media.
“It started for us in 2022 when the party made historic investments into black-owned media during a midterm election. It’s incredibly important that we invest in black-owned media because black-owned media is black business,” says Barry.
For influencers like RaeShanda Lias, who was also in attendance, researching the candidates and combating rampant misinformation has led her to grow her already large following. Lias, who has over 2.3 million followers on TikTok and 750,000 on Instagram, has become a new window of political analysis, speaking to those outside the traditional media ecosystem.
“This is the biggest collection of our lifetime; women’s rights, freedom of speech, and the right to vote are all on the line. I know people say that every four years,” says Lias.
Influencers like Lias have become agents in combating voter fatigue, excusing the political process, and tackling misinformation. “We don’t go back to the blocks and hoods, which many of us came from. Many people have not seen change in years and don’t really understand how the system works. You need to break it down for them and let them know, hey, the President is not responsible for a pothole on their streets.”
With less than a week before election day, events like this will remain part of the Harris campaign and for affiliated organizations, such as the Rolling Sea Action Fund, meeting black voters whenever and wherever they are.
For politicos in Georgia, the hope is these events will move the needle in the coming days. Harris will have another rally on Saturday, while Rolling Sea will continue its stops throughout metro Atlanta. The increase in micro engagement events like Tuesday’s brunch at Barney’s shows some signs of success as parts of metro Atlanta are seeing an uptick in turnout after more political events in their communities over the last week. But whether it’s enough is still to be determined.
