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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2016)
Page 10 The Skanner October 26, 2016 News Black Women’s Roundtable Launches National Vote Effort By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor T he Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) and the Unity’16 Campaign of the Na- tional Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCB- CP) recently announced a nationwide “Get Out the Vote” campaign. BWR is the women and girls empowerment arm of The National Coalition on Black Civic Participa- tion. A plan called “State of Emergency #Poweroft- heSisterVote” will focus attention on key battle- ground states in the race for the White House. Those states include Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida. The goal of the campaign is to maximize the African American voter turnout for Nov. 8. The three-week push will include several “get out the vote” activities in the above states. The volatility of the election cycle that has given rise to a reality TV star and real estate mogul, Don- ald Trump, has made the turnout strategies for both parties of vital im- portance. No one expects the turnout percentage to be what it was in 2008 and 2012 when a histor- ic candidate like Barack Obama, was on the top of the ticket. To complicate the effort further, there has been a noteworthy “enthusiasm gap” between the Clin- ton campaign and the Trump campaign, with Trump speaking to con- sistently larger crowds than his competitors and Clinton sticking with relatively safe talking points on her stops. Even though (BWR) and the Unity’16 Campaign ef- fort is non-partisan, the constituencies targeted in their campaign are Af- rican Americans likely to vote for Democratic candidates — particular- ly with Donald Trump on the scene. President Obama’s back-to-back victories showed the power of mi- nority voters. Soon after President Obama was elected, new voter ID laws popped up in states with Republican Gover- nors and legislatures. Political analysts won- der if the same constitu- PHOTO BY JERRY FOSTER Plan will focus attention on key battleground states Next Level of Praise Musical Life Change Church held a musical Oct. 22 to promote its upcoming Father Shift conference Nov. 3-5. Pictured here are Monivoi Vataiki (left), Theresa Young, Michaela Dean, Sharde Dennis, Brandie Turner and Dan Wiedeback (back). For more information, visit www. facebook.com/LifeChangeChurchPdx. encies will turnout at the same levels as they did four and eight years ago. African American wom- en have maintained the highest voting percent- age of any group in the American electorate for the last two presidential cycles. “Black women are a powerful force when it comes to getting our families and friends out to vote and we are the ‘secret sauce’ to who gets elected to the White House, Congress, state and local elections,” said Melanie Campbell, the convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable. “We are working to en- courage our millennial Black women to take the lead in ensuring that they use peer-to-peer in- teraction to encourage young people to vote and to get their communities to vote.” “It is vital for Black millennials to seize our voting power in order to hold elected officials ac- countable to win on the issues we care including criminal justice and po- licing reform,” said Ta- mika Mallory of Justice League NYC. The “get out the vote” efforts will include four town halls: • Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama – Oct. 23-29 • Florida, North Caroli- na – Oct. 30-Nov. 5 • Virginia & Pennsylva- nia – Blitz Weekends – Oct. 30 and Nov. 5. A detailed calendar can be found at www.unityc- ampaign.org. OBITUARY: William F. Johnson October 17, 1952 - October 15, 2016 V tober 27, 2016 from noon ietnam veteran William F. John- until 5 p.m. son also known William and Ruby were as Heavy, passed married in Portland, Or- away October 15, 2016 in egon in 2005. However his home in Portland, Or- they had been together egon. William was born for 32 years. William October 17, 1952 in Kan- leaves behind Ruby (wife sas City Mo. Services will Portland), William Jr. be held at 11 a.m. at the (son Kansas), Moeshie Salvation Army, 5325 N. (daughter California) Williams Ave. Portland, Jeanne (daughter Port- Or. on Friday October land) Donta (son Port- William F. Johnson 28, 2016. land) LaNae (daughter Viewing will be held at Portland), many grand- the Rose City Mortuary, 5625 NE Fre- children, one great grandson, and sev- mont St. Portland, Or. on Thursday Oc- eral nieces , nephews and cousins.