Black Greek organizations pushing to get more people to the polls

INDIANAPOLIS — The presidential election is just over 100 days away and there's a new push to get more people to the polls.

Black Greek organizations are leading the charge on the new effort in some communities.

"No one has the luxury to sit back and say, 'Well, I'm just not going to vote,'” said Dr. Stacie NC Grant, president and CEO of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

On Wednesday, her sorority garnered national attention and made history after presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris made a stop in Indianapolis for their Grand Boulé international conference.

WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE | VP Harris delivers speech to Zeta Phi Beta sorority

"She’s our Vice President and she made a decision to address our constituents on the successes of the Biden Harris administration and our members can then make our choices from there," said Dr. Grant.

The buzz surrounding the presidential election has kicked off a big effort to educate and mobilize Black more voters in 2024.

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The sorority is joining eight other Black Greek organizations known as the “Divine Nine" to make it happen.

"As members of the Divine Nine, we don't tell our members who to vote for or how to vote, what we do is educate them about the vote,” said Dr. Grant.

"It's one of our national projects and mandated projects to register people to vote and this year we want to go a step further as getting them to the poles,” added Omega Psi Phi member Michael Falker.

Falker is also a part of the local chapter of the NAACP serving over voter registration in Marion County.

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"Minority voters are a huge part and invaluable to the electorate, they're absolutely necessary to have that support to win,” explained Dr. Laura Wilson, an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Indianapolis.

In 2008 and 2012, the Pew Research Center reported the largest black voter turnout in nearly two decades when Barack Obama was on the ballot.

Those numbers rose again in 2020 for the first time since 2012 with Harris on the ticket as the Vice President for Joe Biden.

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"I think that does play into the identity politics, right. It's very exciting to see a candidate that looks like you and has that background and experience,” Wilson told WRTV.

Wilson also added she believes a new Democratic nominee can change the dynamic of the race and get Americans excited again about the election.

The Divine Nine is hoping to build off this excitement to reach Black communities and get historic voter turnout once again in 2024.

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"We'll be doing educational forums, joint zoom calls, having sessions maybe in the supermarket maybe even in the barbershop,” said Dr. Grant. "Right now, the work is to get the word out to vote."

The election is November 5. The last day to register to vote in Indiana is October 7.