NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BET Media Group (a unit of Paramount, NASDAQ: PARAA; PARA), the world’s largest media company dedicated to empowering the Black community and championing Black culture, is proud to continue its commitment to mobilizing Black voters through comprehensive voter education initiatives, community engagement, and strategic partnerships, leading up to the 5th Annual National Black Voter Day on September 20, 2024. BET has partnered with the National Urban League, NAACP, and over 40 other civic engagement partners to amplify this nonpartisan initiative. It focuses on empowering Black voters to participate in local, state, and national elections each year, protecting Black voters against disenfranchisement and suppression, and educating them on their collective power.
On September 20, BET is committed to utilizing its national reach, scale, and impact to roll out a suite of activities to maximize voter registration and create high-touch local market engagement in key markets. Civic engagement programming will be featured across linear channels, with lower thirds displaying QR codes linked to voter registration information. On digital and social platforms, BET will launch voter education and registration campaigns, including public service announcements from the Divine 9 and young leaders, along with influencer and talent engagement. In-market activations will include Vote Fest Rally in Philadelphia, NextGen America and HBCU integrations, and partner events in key markets. BET will also engage broadcast, radio, and print press to amplify the day’s importance.
“BET is dedicated to educating and amplifying the voices of Black voters and the issues most relevant to the Black community,” said Kimberly Paige, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Lead of Social Impact at BET. “By convening with partners like the National Urban League, NAACP, and more, we are uniting resources and expertise to create an urgent and collective force that not only raises awareness but also drives real change. National Black Voter Day is about ensuring our community’s voice is loud, clear, and impossible to ignore.”
“Our mission with National Black Voter Day is to inform Black voters with targeted, data-driven insights that speak directly to their needs and concerns,” said Tiyale Hayes, EVP of Insights and Multiplatform Analytics and Co-Lead of Social Impact at BET. “Armed with this knowledge, we are mobilizing communities to take action and turn awareness into power at the polls. This is about more than voting—it’s about igniting a movement that ensures the Black community’s voice shapes the future.”
BET’s voting plan revolves around three key moments: Registration on National Black Voter Day (September 20), Early Voting highlighted during the BET Hip Hop Awards 2024, and Turnout on Election Day (November 5). BET will spotlight each phase with tailored initiatives to educate and encourage voter participation across its platforms.
NextGen America + HBCU Integration
BET has partnered with NextGen to host an HBCU campus cookout and concert focused on voter registration among young voters. Hosted by Pretty Vee, with special musical performances from Rapsody and Finesse2Tymes, a National Voter Registration Day event held at North Carolina A&T University on Sept. 17, 2024, further integrating HBCUs into the campaign and solidifying their role in driving voter participation.
A Community Conversation
BET will host “Power in Our Hands: Black Men and the Path to Political Impact,” a community conversation at Philadelphia City Hall on September 20, 2024. The conversation will feature Councilmember Isaiah Thomas and other local leaders. Moderated by Tiyale Hayes, BET’s EVP of Insights and Multiplatform Analytics and Co-Lead of Social Impact, the panel will explore key statistics on Black male voters and discuss the issues most important to them, highlighting the critical role of voting in amplifying their voices. BET and its coalition partners, the National Urban League and NAACP, will be recognized for their work promoting civic engagement, voter registration, and participation ahead of the election.
VOTE FEST RALLY
BET VOTE FEST will kick off in Philadelphia, PA, on September 20, 2024, co-hosted by Yandy Smith and Beano French with a dynamic lineup featuring performances by JT, Pusha T, KUR, Karrahbooo, DJ Diamond Kuts, and Lincoln University’s “ORANGE CRUSH” Roaring Lion Marching Band. The event will also include remarks from Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, Senator Vincent J. Hughes, National Urban League Senior Vice President of Equitable Justice and Strategic Initiatives Jerika Richardson, Pastor Carl Day, and other special guests and performances. Attendees can look forward to interactive civic engagement zones and onsite voter registration stations. The event aims to deliver powerful messages about the importance of voting, inspiring individuals to amplify their voices, register, and take action at the polls this November.
For more information on National Black Voter Day and BET’s broader election initiatives, visit BET.com/VOTE and join the conversation on social media using the hashtags #BETWeVote and #NationalBlackVoterDay.
About BET Media Group
The BET Media Group, a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARAA; PARA), is the world’s largest media company dedicated to entertaining, engaging, and empowering the Black community and championing Black culture. Connecting Black audiences through a portfolio of brands including BET, BET+, BET Gospel, BET HER, BET International, BET Jams, BET Soul, BET Studios, and VH1, the BET Media Group is a thriving media ecosystem of leading interconnected platforms across cable TV, streaming, digital, studios, live events and international. For more information about BET, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For more BET news announcements, follow us on social @BET_PR.
