The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) revealed that nearly 145,000 people tuned in to watch the 2020 Black National Convention (BNC) which took place on Aug. 28th.
The three and a half hour livestream broadcast — the recording for which is still available at BlackNovember.org — featured a series of panel discussions, performances, and short interstitial videos of local and national organizers around the country talking about urgent issues essential to Black voters.
From voting rights, the war on Black people, violence against women, trans and gender non-conforming people and reproductive rights, to gentrification, housing, farming, food and climate justice, the program was geared toward engaging, informing, and mobilizing Black communities towards the presidential election and beyond.
At the convention, M4BL launched a Black national agenda guided by the Vision for Black Lives (V4BL) — a comprehensive and visionary policy agenda endorsed by over 50 Black-led organizations in the Movement for Black Lives ecosystem, along with hundreds of allied organizations and individuals.
“The Black National Convention was really an inheritance. In 1972 in Gary, Indiana, more than 10,000 Black people converged to debate and dialogue in principled struggle about Black political ideology. Today, just as 50 years ago, there are real, urgent conversations that are worthy of an alternative, self-determining space for Black communities.” said Jessica Byrd, co-founder of the Electoral Justice at the Movement for Black Lives and executive producer of the BNC.
“Often we are asked about what others are doing for Black people. The Black National Convention was an affirmative offering for all Black people to talk about solutions because we know best as organizers how to move forward.”
With direction by award-winning filmmaker and writer Dream Hampton, the 2020 Black National Convention was hosted by Activist and Actress Angelica Ross. Speakers and performers included: Angela Davis, activist, scholar and author; Patrisse Cullors, co-founder, Black Lives Matter; Tarana Burke, founder, #MeToo Movement: Raquel Willis, award-winning writer and transgender rights activist; Derrick Johnson, president, NAACP; Tiffany Loftin, director, NAACP Youth & College Division; and LaTosha Brown, co-founder, Black Voters Matter Fund.
For highlights from the Black National Convention, visit www.BlackNovember.org.
