Wikimedia / Screenshot
In February of 2018, Laura Ingraham told LeBron James to “Keep the political comments to yourselves…. Shut up and dribble.”
In June of 2020, LeBron finally decided to heed her majesty’s wise words. Kidding. He launched one of the most important athlete political campaigns ever.
'Shut up and dribble' — Fox News's Laura Ingraham to LeBron and Kevin Durant after their criticism of President Trump pic.twitter.com/0BlokQDIIl
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 16, 2018
Flickr / Michael Fleshman
James is forming a group, More Than a Vote, that is more than just a get-out-the-vote enterprise. It will not only encourage African Americans to register and vote but also expose voter suppression tactics, such as misinformation spread through social media.
“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial. We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.” – LeBron James
James and his business partner, Maverick Carter, are putting up the initial funding. Current and ex-NBA basketball players getting involved include Trae Young, Draymond Green, Eric Bledsoe, Jalen Rose, and WNBA guard Skylar Diggins-Smith. Comedian Kevin Hart and Saints running back Alvin Kamara have also committed.
Flickr / Michael Fleshman
Ironically, LeBron, the three-time champion and four-time MVP has 136 million followers across his Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook platforms — nearly the same number of people who voted in the 2016 election!
Good news in the fight against voter suppression: @KingJames is coming onto the court. https://t.co/oyCC6vNSEr
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 11, 2020
With his expansive social media reach, James can help pressure lawmakers to stop suppressing the voting rights of minorities. The suppression is getting even more blatant, and states like Wisconsin and Georgia aren’t even trying to disguise their racism.
Screenshot/YouTube
In Georgia’s June 9th elections, the state decided to mysteriously close lots and lots of polling places — you guessed it! — mostly in minority neighborhoods. Those that remained open had machines that didn’t work.
What about absentee ballots? Yeah, what about them. Georgians said they waited months for them to arrive, and they often didn’t. And when the lucky ones finally did get theirs in the mail, the criminality was egregious. Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams says her absentee ballot was sent to her with A SEALED RETURN ENVELOPE. She couldn’t send it back.
Hopefully, with LeBron’s help, we can send the GOP back.
