Virtual Event AUG. 6-7
Building Power & Policy in Defense of Black Lives
00 days 00 hours 00 minutes
The multi-hour broadcast will be filled with energy, celebration, education, electoral justice, and a vision for Black Lives before the biggest election of our time, and long after.
On August 28, 2020, at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT, the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) and Electoral Justice Project will host the 2020 Black National Convention (BNC) live broadcast. Together, we will ratify a Black political agenda days after the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and ahead of November, when Black voters will play a pivotal role in determining whether we have four more years of domination or a new set of challenges to overcome.
You. Every Black person in America, every teacher and mother, every domestic worker and immigrant, every factory worker and youth, every father and restaurant worker, every grandparent and union member, inspired this event.
At M4BL, we’re under no illusion that it’s going to take a lot of hard work and all of us to win at the polls in November. We saw you in the streets, in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless other Black people who have been killed at the hands of vigilantes or law enforcement. Millions of people made a clear and distinct call to end police violence, to defund police, and to reinvest those resources into a shared vision of community safety that actually works. Combined with COVID-19 and four years of Trumpism, Black communities are demanding: justice; accountability; a divestment from policing; and an investment in flourishing, sustainable communities. We know how important it is to you that our families have what we need to thrive, that we earn beyond a living wage, and that our children and our children’s children grow up to live long, prosperous lives. The Movement for Black Lives has spent the last six years building a self-determining united front with Black organizations and leaders across the country. Building alternatives is our jam, so we knew we needed to build something special to seek Electoral Justice together. The 2020 Black National Convention is also rooted in Black history. We take inspiration and guidance from the 1972 National Black Political Convention, which taught us the lesson of “unity without conformity” that still resonates today. From our elders and ancestors, we learned it is possible to bring Black people from all political ideologies and backgrounds together to mobilize around a common vision for Black liberation. To honor our ancestors and to lay a path to freedom for future generations, we will build on the history of Black power-building and the righteous anger and momentum in the streets to build a movement that will extend to the November elections and beyond. “National standards mean that there is a baseline of defending Black lives, but we’re not just asking for the floor—we’re asking for the ceiling. To defend Black life means that not one person is killed senselessly by their government or a city official. It is not enough to say we shouldn’t be murdered...murder is already illegal in this country. What we want is for people to say we defend Black life because we want to celebrate you in the living. We intend to continue to advocate for real solutions, to connect those real solutions to local communities, and we will not let up until the budgets of our federal government, our state government, and our city government matches the requirement of what it takes to keep Black people alive in this country.”—Jessica Byrd | Co-founder, Electoral Justice Project
The Black National Convention is a virtual event that will be streamed for everyone to enjoy, with a program that is tailored to the specific political priorities and cultures of Black people.
You do not have to register to watch the live stream of the virtual event; however, if you want to stay up to date on information about the BNC program and M4BL’s initiatives, opportunities for collaboration and networking, and details on how to purchase BNC merchandise, please join our email list and text DEFEND to 90975 for text updates.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mvmt4bl/
Instagram: @mvmnt4blklives
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mvmnt4BlkLives | @mvmnt4blklives
Please email [email protected]. You can also text or leave a voicemail at (202) 524-0722.
11:00AM – 11:30AM ET
2:00PM – 2:30PM PT
11:30AM – 12:25AM ET
2:30PM – 3:25PM PT
12:25PM – 12:30PM ET
3:25PM – 3:30PM PT
12:30PM – 12:45PM ET
3:30PM – 3:45PM PT
12:45PM – 1:30PM ET
3:45PM – 4:30PM PT
1:30PM – 1:45PM ET
4:30PM – 4:45PM PT
1:45PM – 2:45PM ET
4:45PM – 5:45PM PT
2:45PM – 3:00PM ET
5:45PM – 6:00PM PT
3:00PM – 4:15PM ET
6:00PM – 7:15PM PT
4:15PM – 4:30PM ET
7:15PM – 7:30PM PT
4:30PM – 5:00PM ET
7:30PM – 8:00PM PT
5:00AM – 5:30AM ET
8:00AM – 8:30AM PT
5:30PM – 6:00PM ET
8:30PM – 9:00PM PT
11:30AM – 12:00AM ET
2:30PM – 3:00PM PT
12:00PM – 12:30PM ET
3:00PM – 3:30PM PT
12:30PM – 12:45PM ET
3:30PM – 3:45PM PT
12:45PM – 1:00PM ET
3:45PM – 4:00PM PT
1:00PM – 2:00PM ET
4:00PM – 5:00PM PT
2:00PM – 2:15PM ET
5:00PM – 5:15PM PT
2:15PM – 4:30PM ET
5:15PM – 7:30PM PT
4:30PM – 5:30PM ET
7:30PM – 8:30PM PT
5:30PM – 6:00PM ET
8:30PM – 9:00PM PT
6:00PM – 9:00PM ET
9:00PM – 12:00AM PT
9:00PM – 11:00PM ET
12:00AM – 2:00AM PT
Associated Press
Los Angeles Times
Chicago Tribune
Time
Aljazeera
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
VOA
Yahoo Life
PennLive
The Atlanta Voice
The Salt Lake Tribune
Los Angeles Sentinel
COLORLINES
If you require ADA-related accommodations for your attendance at this event, please email Vilissa Thompson at [email protected] as soon as possible so that we may assist you.
You cannot get to Black Liberation or Freedom without including Black Disabled People.