This week media mogul Oprah Winfrey‘s television network, OWN, has announced that it will be launching the “OWN Your Vote” as a bipartisan initiative to encourage Black women to go out and vote in the critical 2020 election in November.
“We find our nation on the precipice, a true tipping point,” said Winfrey in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Our audience has a powerful voice. I am proud to be a part of this movement that will create the change we want to see for our country.”
The network will be partnering with various local grassroots and voting rights organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Advancement Project, Fair Fight Action, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Black Women’s Roundtable in addition to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, to provide necessary resources to inform voters on the upcoming 2020 elections.
“COVID-19 and the racial justice movement have highlighted the need for urgent policy reform to balance disparities that exist regarding affordable healthcare, systemic racism, and racial discrimination,” said Tina Perry, president of OWN in a press statement.
“We are proud to announce this important bipartisan social initiative that supports and empowers Black women to use their voice to face the issues in America they find paramount this election season. When she votes, she influences elections, and it has never been more critical to use OWN’s wide-reaching platform to ensure our core audience has the tools needed to register and cast an informed vote this fall.”
