2018 midterms
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Andrew Gillum Is Winning by Being His Natural, Black Self
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum isn’t afraid to tell you he is a proud black man. The political implications of being “too black,” long a concern for black candidates running for statewide or higher office throughout U.S. history, don’t scare him. He embraces his blackness because he believes in himself and knows black candidates before…
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White Nationalist Who Threatened Stacey Abrams' Campaign Poses for Picture With Brian Kemp
In late September, The Root ran a story about a campaign event held by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams in Augusta, Ga. Here’s what we wrote at the time. This is a pretty smart campaign stop—she’s tied with Secretary of State and Republican nominee Brian Kemp less than two months from Election Day and African-American…
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#VotingSquad: Michelle Obama Wants You to Get Your Friends and Family to the Polls and Vote
There are only 11 days left before the 2018 midterm elections, and efforts to make sure people get out to the polls and vote are ramping up. Michelle Obama, co-chair of When We All Vote, has launched a new digital campaign that aims to get all Americans involved in making sure their friends and family…
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Voter Suppression Is Real and It Really Affects Black People
I think we all can agree that the 2018 midterm elections are critical. This means that our votes matter more now than ever. But what happens when you’ve registered and are ready to participate in this good ol’ democracy but can’t? Let’s talk about voter suppression. Voter suppression is simple—it’s a set of tactics used…
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Black College Students in Florida Use Early Voting to Make Sure Their Voices Will Be Taken Seriously
Jacksonville, Fla.—Kamiyah Robinson didn’t have to leave the campus of the oldest HBCU in Florida, Edwards Waters College, to vote for the first time. The college has been an voting site for more than 18 years. But 2018 is the first time residents can cast ballots during early voting on campus. Voting was delayed momentarily…
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Michelle Obama and When We All Vote Unveil New Site That Helps You Cast Your Midterm Ballot
It’s something of an understatement to say that anticipation is high for this year’s midterms. Researchers and pollsters around the country are predicting record high turnout for the 2018 elections—with one NPR story predicting as many as 47 percent to 50 percent of eligible voters will cast a ballot this year. If that seems low,…
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Why the Democratic Party Hasn’t Canceled Keith Ellison—For Now
Less than a month after Al Franken was accused of groping a woman, the U.S. senator from Minnesota resigned from his seat under pressure from his Democratic colleagues. Two months have passed since Rep. Keith Ellison, also a Democrat from Minnesota, was accused of assaulting a woman. He is still deputy chairman of the Democratic…
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Janelle Monáe and Angela Rye Have One Message: Go Vote
The midterm elections are coming in November, and this vote comes at a critical point in our nation’s history. After all, we as Americans have the power to decide who will lead our country out of the despair of this Trumpian regime (barring no interference from Russia—let’s be real). Regardless, we must do our part…
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Watch: In New Ad, Jordan Davis’ Mother Says Son’s Death Inspired Her Congressional Campaign
In a new campaign ad, Lucy McBath, mother of Jordan Davis and U.S. Congressional candidate for Georgia’s 6th District, shares how her beloved son’s death was a“catalyst” for her decision to run for elected office. McBath shared the ad on her social media accounts last week. “I never planned to run for office. After my…
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Jenifer Lewis Calls on Cardi B and Nicki Minaj to Get Out the Vote!
She’s the straight-talking grandmother on black-ish and the self-proclaimed “Mother of Black Hollywood,” but “Auntie” Jenifer Lewis also has issues. Political issues, that is. Just ahead of the highly-anticipated New York primaries on Thursday, Lewis made another in her ongoing series of musical social media posts, encouraging millennials to “get woke” and “get out and…