LeBron James Joins Other Black Athletes, Entertainers to Form Voting Rights Group

Just over two years after Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James was told to “Shut up and dribble” by Fox News’s Laura Ingraham because of his criticism of Donald Trump, King James made a major move to ensure our so-called president doesn’t get re-elected.

The basketball All-Star joined the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young and the Phoenix Mercury’s Skylar Diggins-Smith as well as other black athletes and entertainers to create More Than a Vote, a group aspiring to preserve voting rights for black communities, promote their participation in the 2020 presidential election, and raise awareness about voter suppression.

“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial. 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,” James told the New York Times.

The recent protests over George Floyd’s murder by police in Minneapolis and the increased awareness around the fight for racial equality prompted the formation of More Than a Vote. “Because of everything that’s going on, people are finally starting to listen to us—we feel like we’re finally getting a foot in the door,” James said. “How long is up to us. We don’t know. But we feel like we’re getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference.”

This is just the latest in the basketball star’s legacy of making an impact off the court. Among his other admirable endeavors are opening an elementary school and bankrolling tuition so low-income students can attend the University of Akron.

More Than a Vote certainly sounds like a slam dunk to us. Critics can shut up and vote. Or challenge James to a pick-up game. Either way, if the group can mobilize enough black voters, we know who the biggest loser will be come November.

Cover Photo: Icon Sports Wire / Contributor (Getty Images)

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