Coalition kicks off campaign to engage Black voters ahead of midterms
CBSN
Washington — More than 40 organizations are joining forces as a coalition to mobilize African American voters for November's midterm elections, with the announcement of a multi-state voter engagement and organizing effort expected Monday, officials familiar with the campaign told CBS News.
The National Unity 2022 Black Voting and Power Building Campaign, or Unity 22, will focus on building a broad intergenerational coalition to maximize resources, providing tools to Black voters and fighting back against historic attacks on various rights, according to press releases from the groups.
"It's not just talking about, this is what's on the ballot and this is why you should vote, but really literally organizing as we have been doing for the past year," said Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. The organization is leading the campaign along with national and state-based partners like the NAACP, National Urban League, National Action Network, Black Voters Matter, NARAL, Emily's List and Building Back Together.
Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.