LeBron James has been using his massive platform and the incredible attention paid to him to call attention to social justice issues, racism, a lack of equity in education, as well as national politics. But now LeBron James, with the help of his friend Maverick Carter, as well as other major sports figures like ESPN’s Jalen Rose, Atlanta’s Trae Young, and the WNBA’s Skylar Diggins-Smith, are starting a non-profit organization aimed at helping Black Americans get the vote out in larger numbers, whether it’s combating voter suppression or apathy, according to Jonathan Martin of the New York Times.
“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial,” Mr. James told the Times. “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.”
According to the report, James and Carter are going to put up the initial funding for the non-profit, which will not be designed to help any single party but to inspire, educate, and empower Black voters. On Tuesday, James discussed the topic of voter suppression after voters in predominantly black neighborhoods were forced to wait in long lines to vote.
While it’s far from the first time LeBron has waded into politics, it’s the first time that LeBron and his business partners have created an organization for explicitly political reasons.
