Capital B’s Black Political Power Tour hits ATL Wednesday – Capital B News

It can’t be overstated: The stakes are high for black Atlantans in the November general election. From three recently passed bills that will change how Georgians go to the polls to concerns about inflation, affordable housing, the yawning racial wealth gap and gun violence, many are those who wonder how to put everything into context before going to the polls. .

This week, Capital B has you covered as our Black Political Power summer tour makes its second stop, this time in Atlanta as part of our annual Capital B Fest.

“Georgia is at the forefront of some of the most important political conversations in the country this election cycle, and we wanted to create an event that would center the concerns and questions of Black residents whose votes will be so meaningful in November,” said Lauren Williams, co-founder and CEO of Capital B.

Just consider: Georgia’s 2.4 million Black voters represent about a third of the total number of eligible voters, making the Black electorate essential in a state that has gone from incumbent President Donald Trump in 2016 to his opponent and current president Joe Biden in 2020. .

The importance of black voters here mirrors that of the national electorate: more than a third of the estimated 30 million black voters eligible to vote for president in 2020 live in nine of the most contested states, according to Pew data Research Center.

To add context and depth to the issues important to these voters, Capital B will host two days of programming at Pittsburgh Yards in west Atlanta, highlighting how our journalists covered these stories here on the ground.

The event kicks off on Wednesday, June 26 with panel discussions covering the impact of Georgia’s new voting rights legislation, how Atlantans protect each other from gun violence, and the issue of school choice in through the lens of Georgia’s recently passed legislation to create publicly funded voucher accounts to pay for some students’ private schools. You can register for free for the first day here.

On Thursday, we’re back with a deep dive into Black wealth and inequality in Atlanta, with panels on Atlanta’s growing housing insecurity, building wealth through entrepreneurship, and a special panel with the authors from the new book “Fifteen cents on the dollar: How Americans closed the black-white wealth gap. » Free registration for day two is here!

Over the course of two days, Capital B Atlanta’s editorial and community engagement teams will speak with authors Ebony Reed and Louise Story, Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Lewis, Mothers Against Gang Violence founder Tekesia Shields, State Senator Donzella James, Invest Atlanta President and CEO Eloisa Klementich and many other Atlanta leaders, community organizers, residents, activists and elected officials.

We’ll close out the event Wednesday evening with a live debate watch party, where we’ll gather at Wild Heaven Brewery in the West End, just 2 miles from Pittsburgh Yards to watch Biden and Trump face off for the first time of this election cycle. . Register here for the watch party!