September 18th Declared Black Voter Day

In partnership with the National Urban League and other key civil rights organizations, BET has announced the next phase of its #ReclaimYourVote campaign, which declares the first-ever National Black Voter Day to be recognized on September 18th, 2020.

The announcement comes 100 days out from Election Day and aims to energize and galvanize Black voters nationwide to take collective action toward civic engagement. The date coincides with the country’s first early voting day, in South Dakota and Minnesota – the latter being ground zero of the fight for racial justice since the killing of George Floyd.

“With 100 days until Election Day—it is critical for BET to utilize all of our resources and partnerships to drive Black civic engagement across the country, and the National Black Voter Day is a key part of this effort,” said Scott Mills, President, BET. “We will use the momentum of the fight against systemic racism to galvanize those marching in protest to march to the polls in November.”

#ReclaimYourVote launched earlier this year to identify significant electoral issues, demystify confusing civic processes, share ways to remain protected while voting in a COVID-19 environment, and highlight specific opportunities for Black Americans to reclaim our collective power through civic engagement. To date, #ReclaimYourVotehas leveraged activation’s, talent, civil rights partnerships and television spots to urge the Black community to be counted in the census and to take a stand and vote.

In the days leading up to National Black Voter Day, BET and its impact partners will launch an array of initiatives and provide content to inform, empower and mobilize Black Americans’ participation in the November elections. The resources will ensure voters have access to voter registration information, provide guidance on voting rights restoration for eligible voters and engage the candidates on the issues that matter most within our community.