With less than 30 days until the election, the Harris-Walz ticket is capitalizing on its momentum by announcing the “Souls to the Polls” initiative in partnership with the National Advisory Board of Black Faith Leaders.
According to a press release obtained by EBONY, “Souls to the Polls” is a month-long voter engagement initiative that will encourage and empower Black voters across denominations in key battleground states to put their faith into action at the ballot box.
Beginning on Sunday, October 13, “Souls to the Polls” will feature gospel performances, national and state faith leaders, senior elected officials and surrogates throughout the battleground states.
“Souls to the Polls” continues the Harris-Walz campaign’s engagement with Black voters across battleground states, given the high stakes of the upcoming election.
The initiative is being led by distinguished clergy such as Congressman Reverend Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO), Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Bishop Leah D. Daughtry, Bishop William H. Murphy III, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, Reverend Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, Reverend Matthew Lawrence Watley, and Reverend Dr. Amos C. Brown, Reverend Dr. Howard-John Wesley and Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson.
In an official statement, the Harris-Walz 2024 National Advisory Board of Black Faith Leaders expressed the importance of the ticket and the “Souls to the Polls” initiative.
“Vice President Harris has been a faithful servant to both God and the American people for her entire life. The Vice President is a woman of faith and principle and is the only candidate who has always been a friend and advocate to the Black church and faith communities across the country,” the statement read. “Vice President Harris has been clear: She is not taking a single voter for granted and is committed to earning each and every vote.
“She has led the current administration in delivering real progress for Black communities across the country, from record investments in Black-owned businesses to lowering healthcare and childcare costs so that no American ever has to choose between paying bills or putting food on the table,” the statement continued.
“We are honored to join her in the fight to make true the promise of America for all.”
For more than 60 years, Black churches have been critical to the struggle for justice by exercising the right to vote against racism and voter suppression tactics. Whether holding rallies, marches, voter registration drives on Sunday mornings or voting after the benediction, Black churches who subscribe to the “Souls to the Polls” ethos are essential in the fight for democracy and the mobilization of voters.
“We gather in our churches on Sunday morning, you have morning worship, and then after the service, you get on the church buses, church vans, get in cars, and people go to vote,” Bishop Jackson said.
