Chance the Rapper is having a magnificent moment right now. His most recent album Coloring Book has notched a place on all of the most noteworthy album rankings: Billboard, Rolling Stone, etc. His concerts sell out, his fans sell out to get a closer view, Beyonce hugs him, and even Hillary Clinton retweets him.
This country is also having a moment, though, in not so magnificent of a fashion. The presidential election, now 27 days away, will be a fragile decider in issues that have been percolating and spilling over into the national consciousness: immigration reform, education, and police brutality, domestic and international terrorism percolate. Nobody disagrees that these things matter.
As pressing as these concerns may be, what is more pressing is the notion that the demographic of people who will be most affected by this election are not using their numbers to prevent a catastrophic affront to civil liberties and foreign relationships.
The NAACP, founded in 1909, is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization and has chosen to take this challenge head-on, again. In the era of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, where police brutality, criminal justice, and voting rights issues are at the forefront of national conversations, music provides a unique opportunity to create a world for all people to thrive if we are committed to becoming active, informed, and vocal citizens. The NAACP Youth and College Division intends to bring the intersection of arts and activism to inspire civic action for a new generation. That’s why the NAACP has partnered with Chancellor Johnathan Bennett, known professionally as Chance the Rapper, to activate voters throughout the Magnificent Coloring World Tour. This happens in several ways: 1) registering first time voters 2) ensuring that those who are registered, pledge to vote 3) ensuring that voters have updated information on where to vote.
Chance the Rapper’s audience represents a generation of young voters, those between the ages of 18 and 29, that make up 49 million eligible voters or 21 percent of the electorate and constitute the largest voting bloc, surpassing the baby boomer generation. The NAACP and Chance the Rapper have a unique opportunity to unite this generation to return the ballot box or register if they have not done so.
As we travel with the tour, hundreds of young voters are making commitments to vote on November 8th and are mobilizing others to as well. We are taking a page out of Chancelor’s book to “give it all we got.” Join us in the fight!
