Editor Note: This story previously held a live stream with the panel.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – An important political forum is taking place in Charlotte next week as part of a conversation about getting more Black men to vote.
At 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, the Charlotte Black Voter Project is presenting “The Barbershop Series: Let’s Talk – Black Men and Voting.”
There will be a panel of Black men discussing concerns about Black men and voting. The panel includes Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board Member Dee Rankin, Mecklenburg County Commissioner Authur Griffin, No Grease Co-Founder Damian Johnson, and West Charlotte High School student Bobby Forrest.
During this election season, candidates are trying to encourage every voter to go to the polls. Politicians have been courting Black voters to help lead them to victory.
Pew Research reports that by November 2024, there will be 34.4 million Black voters in America. The research shows during the last presidential election in 2020, 92% of single-race Black non-Hispanic voters chose Biden, while 8% voted for Donald Trump. Some who voted for Trump were Black men.
The Center for American Women and Politics shows Black women have traditionally outvoted Black men in previous elections. The panelists will discuss how to turn those numbers around.
The organization reports that during past elections, 41.9% of Black men voted — as opposed to 47.8% of Black women. The group also researched how white men and women voted. It shows 57.1% of white men have voted during past elections, as opposed to 58.2% of white women.
WBTV will stream this conversation live on Monday starting at 6 p.m. WBTV’s Dedrick Russell will moderate the panel.
If you have a question that you want answered during the discussion you can email Dedrick at dedrick.russell@wbtv.com and put “Let’s Talk: Black Men and Voting” in the subject line.
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