More Than A Vote, Led By LeBron James, Exceeds 10,000 Volunteers

NBA Athlete and Akron native LeBron James' effort to ramp up the number of poll workers across the country has surpassed 10,000 volunteers.

James leads More Than a Vote, a coalition of Black athletes and artists that initiated an effort called We Got Next, which aims to gain poll workers in Black electoral districts, the New York Times reported Wednesday (September 30). Next, it will focus on increasing poll workers in 11 cities in particular, including Cleveland, Detroit, Birmingham, Houston and others.

We Got Next collaborates with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. It will be recognized during the Miami Heat vs. L.A. Lakers during the NBA Finals. First-time poll workers will sit in as “virtual fans,” according to the Times.

More Than a Vote launched after fatal police shootings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, both of which sparked nationwide outrage.

"We are focused on systemic, targeted voter suppression in our community and have a specific mission: educate, energize and protect Black voters," More Than a Vote explains in an open letter to fans. "We are driven by a shared understanding that our influence and prominence, particularly among young people, is a responsibility to continue the tradition of Black athletes working together to fight for justice and equality."

Separately, the LeBron James Family Foundation announced Thursday morning (October 1) that it would hold leadership forum aimed at discussing varying viewpoints to promote community change.

The ‘I Promise Huddle’ is an invite-only forum held October 6 through October 8. Speakers will include experts in health, business, education and other fields.

“As the nation and communities across the country continue to struggle with systemic injustices, the LeBron James Family Foundation is launching the 'I Promise Huddle,' a reoccurring forum focused on convening diverse perspectives and opposing viewpoints to share learnings and best practices, ask hard questions, highlight solutions and accelerate transformative models to dramatically improve communities, systems, and education for all students and families,” the organization said in its announcement.

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