NCBCP determined to ensure all eligible votes are counted on Election Day

Actor Danny Glover, civil rights pioneer Dr. Joseph Lowery and other Black leaders ratify Unity 2002 Agenda

Washington, DC - As the Justice Department announces its intention to file lawsuits alleging voting rights violations in counties in Florida, Black leaders have been busy developing the Unity 2002 Agenda, a unified plan created to maximize Black voter turnout and eliminate voting improprieties during the mid-term election. A significant initiative since the impending lawsuits, as well as the recently passed Martin Luther King, Jr. Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act," came a little too late to have a significant impact on this years election. An election that will determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives, the U. S. Senate, and thirty-four state gubernatorial races.

The 2000 election debacle did not hold up the principles guaranteed in the Constitution of equal protection for all, especially for minorities and underserved communities," said Melanie Campbell, executive director of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP). It is important that as we gear up for the 2002 mid-term election cycle, we find ways to ensure that all eligible votes are counted on Election Day, not two years later."

Ratified during the National Coalitions Unity 2002 Summit held here last week, the Unity 2002 Agenda is a non-partisan voter registration, education, mobilization and election protection unity plan that utilizes the collective power and resources between the National Coalition's 80 member organizations and strategic partners. Actor/activist, Danny Glover; Hillary Shelton of the NAACP; Dr. Yvonne Scruggs Leftwich of Black Leadership Forum; Dr. Ron Walters of the African American Leadership Institute, and leaders from over 50 national and regional organizations identified problems reported from the polls in 2000 and 2001, and presented solutions for systems and resources necessary to prevent those problems from occurring this year.

Major problems reported include long lines, the purging of registered voters as possible felons" from voter lists, inadequate voting equipment in counties with large minority populations, and the disproportionate number of disallowed votes in heavily Black precincts.

The Summit also addressed the responsibilities of each member organization, the role of the Black Church, and committed to starting immediately to educate the public on voting equipment. They will also utilize the Internet to disseminate updated information on voting rights, precinct information, and to field problems.

The group agreed to leverage the power of the media by disseminating a unified national message to mobilize the Black vote, and to allocate more resources to advertising in Black media.

The Unity 2002 Agenda will have a major impact on the November election. Were talking about 80 of the nations leading organizations working on a unified plan," says Richard Womack, NCBCP chair. Coalition members include the NAACP, Black Leadership Forum, the National Urban League, and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.

The NCBCP will facilitate the Unity Agenda through its programs: Operation Big Vote (OBV), Black Womens Roundtable (BWR), Black Youth Vote! (BYV!) and Voices of the Electorate (VOTE).

The womens division of the NCBCP, BWR addresses issues related to civic participation, leadership development, and legislation related to Black women. Programs include regional Sister Circle Listening Sessions, the Power of The Sister Vote Civic Education and Mobilization Campaign, and the BWR National Health, Wealth and Wellness Campaign.

BYV is a broad-based coalition of organizations and individuals committed to increasing the political and civic engagement of Black youth under the age of 35. The 2002 Campaign will include the annual Black College Tour and utilizing prominent hip-hop artists for a national media campaign. VOTE will continue to focus on Election Reform as its primary campaign, concentrating on the critical amendments needed to the newly passed Election Reform Bill. A major focus is removal of the photo ID requirements for first time voters, which will adversely effect low income voters who often times do not have photo identifications or utility bills in their name.

Finally, as it has since 1976, Operation Big Vote will continue to conduct massive voter registration, education, and mobilization drives in local African American communities. For more information on the National Coalition or its programs, visit www.bigvote.org.

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