We need you to protect the polls. Although, you have decided not to vote. There are millions of your people that will be heading to the polls on election day. White Supremacists and Trumpites have been and are arming to scare your people away from the polls. White nationalists have shot protesters in the head, white vigilantes are roving our cities armed with bats, and police are blaring their sirens in front of polling sites as a way to deter voters from pulling up. In all things, Black folks should be able to move freely and unhindered by white supremacy. From the voting booth to the corner store. We need you to mobilize to protect your people. This election is about choosing an opponent, not a champion. On November 4th, we will be once again forced into the octagon, and when the bell rings we want to be facing an opponent we know that we have more leverage on because we’ve watched the tapes, we’ve crafted our game plan, and sized up their weaknesses. We too have done the math and there are multiple ways to get to the same answer. So, Black Men Build believes in voting. We know that the real work happens locally though, and every day on the ground. It happens during, after, and in between elections. It’s the work that you brothers do everyday in the community that will continue to create the conditions necessary for a mass movement of Black people to revolutionize this country. This letter is addressed to the brothers that are choosing not to vote, because it’s going to take all of us. The non-voters, the voters, and the brothers who’ve had no choice in the matter because they’ve had their vote taken by prison. We know that a voter registration card is not a black card, and whether you vote or not, your contribution should be measured in your dedication to your people, not in how many votes you’ve cast. As Black men, we need to consolidate and organize together for the betterment of all Black people. Don’t let these talking heads devalue your position and attempt to light fake fires where there are none. The only smoke BMB got wit’ you is the one we sharing. With love, The BMB camp
BLACK MEN BUILD
2020 23
