All over the Global Black Pride festivities this week, you will likely see the Human Rights Campaign’s iconic blue and yellow equals sign. The organization will be participating in Global Black Pride events all week, mobilizing people around the upcoming presidential election and sharing resources and education relating to healthcare and finances.
“We plan to have a significant presence,” Nik Harris, the Vice President of Strategic Outreach for HRC, told Georgia Voice. HRC’s presence will be seen on the equality carpet at the influencer award dinner on August 30 interviewing attendees; at Piedmont Park for the festival on August 31 and September 1 sharing information on their HBCU Program, which mobilizes and supports HBCUs in enhancing policies and services that promote LGBTQ equality, and their HIV+ and Health Equity program, which works to combat HIV stigma and misinformation; and in the Global Black Pride March on September 1 alongside Kelley Robinson, their president and one of this year’s Global Black Pride Grand Marshals.
“We always love anytime we can tout the first queer Black woman to lead the Human Rights Campaign,” Harris said. “We’re really proud [of that]… Kelley continues to use her voice to be a champion for LGBTQ community, as well as Black and Brown community, as a Black queer woman herself. We’re excited to support her, and we hope folks are going to come out and march with her”
You’ll also see their Get Out the Vote global ambassadors using the weekend as an opportunity to engage voters ahead of November’s presidential election.
“We will be sharing a lot of education around getting out the vote, what it means to go vote, and trying to register people,” Harris said.
Harris added that the organization will be working not only to get more people voting but organizing them around supporting the Harris-Walz ticket, which HRC officially endorsed in July, with their vote and their involvement.
“Now that you’re registered, let’s talk about the real choice between these candidates, and how we believe that a Harris-Walz administration is an administration that is supportive of LGBTQ people and Black people,” they said. “We’re excited to be in Atlanta, and we know Georgia is also a swing state. So where else would we be? We’re out there doing this work to make sure that people truly do show up. I don’t want any regrets. This is the time to get activated right now, and we’ll have opportunities for folks to door knock, phone bank, you name it. We’re going to have opportunities to do it. We just need people to show up and get involved.”
To learn more and keep up with the Human Rights Campaign, visit hrc.org.