More Than a Vote

More than a Vote is a nonprofit organization fighting for African-Americans's voting rights,^[1] as well as advocating criminal justice reform in the United States.^[2]^[3] It was founded in June 2020, amid the Black Lives Matter protests following the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, by NBA basketball player LeBron James and other black athletes and entertainers.^[4]^[5]^[6] More Than a Vote works with non-partisan VoteRiders to spread state-specific information on voter ID requirements.^[7]

In August, 2024, WNBA nine-time All-Star, Nneka Ogwumike, took over leadership of the organization, refocusing its attention to reproductive rights for the 2024 election cycle. Ogwumike is joined by a coalition of WNBA. players including, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Cameron Brink, Chelsea Gray, Naz Hillmon, Jewell Loyd, Jordin Canada, and Allisha Gray, who will help to educate the public on threats to women's reproductive rights^[8].

Stephanie Shriock, previous president of Emily's List, was named as the organization's 2024 senior campaign advisor^[9].

References

^ Ramsay, George (August 18, 2020). "LeBron James speaks out against voter suppression with 'More Than A Vote' campaign". CNN. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ Turman, Jack (March 5, 2021). "LeBron James' More Than a Vote launches new campaign to defend voting rights". CBS News. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ Fenn, Martin (August 8, 2021). "LeBron James and More Than a Vote Shift Focus From Voting Rights to Enormous Campaign on Criminal Justice Reform". Sportscasting. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ Martin, Jonathan (June 10, 2020). "LeBron James and Other Stars Form a Voting Rights Group". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ Rohlin, Melissa (June 23, 2020). "LeBron James Launches Website For More Than A Vote To Help End Black Voter Suppression". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ Morgan, Emmanuel (July 30, 2020). "More Than a Vote is more than a statement for LeBron James and other athletes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ "Partner Organizations • VoteRiders". VoteRiders. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
^ Weprin, Alex (August 13, 2024). "LeBron James Passes Leadership of 'More Than a Vote' to WNBA Star Nneka Ogwumike". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
^ Ganguli, Tania (August 13, 2024). "W.N.B.A. Star Takes Over Voting Organization Started by LeBron James". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2024.