DALLAS — Time is winding down to the November general election. That means it's crunch time for organization like Black Voters Matter (BVM).
“We’ve been on our bus tour here in the State of Texas since Friday,” said Denita Jones, North Texas regional organizer for Black Voters Matter.
The team is working hard, trying to sign up as many eligible voters as possible, before the Oct. 11 voter registration deadline in Texas.
“We’ve gone to East Texas, North Texas, you know, and South Dallas. We’ve been all over,” said Jones.
The national voting rights group, Black Voters Matter, has made many community-based stops, including at the State Fair of Texas and Paul Quinn College campus in Dallas.
“In communities of color, we have become synonymous with people stopping in for election, getting ramped up, and taking off, and leaving us with nothing. BVM is on the opposite side of that scale,” said Jones.
The group’s mission with its voter mobilization bus tour is to educate and empower people about the voting process.
“It’s seeing people that look like us, trying to get us to vote,” said first-time voter Jazzmine Smith.
Smith and her classmate Mackenzie Johnson stopped by the Black Voters Matter booth on Monday. They said they are staying on top of the most pressing issues this election season.
“Equality for everybody, especially minorities. Especially from LGBTQ. I feel like right now, our voices are getting taken away from us. And we need more people be able to be like, 'hey, I’m here for you.' This is what I’m doing. So, me, my vote is going towards everybody that needs that vote,” said Johnson.
The Black Voters Matter team said it’s wrapping up this leg of its Texas tour with a stop in Plano, Texas.
To learn more about Black Voters Matter visit https://blackvotersmatterfund.org/our-purpose/.