Black pastors and elected officials rallied in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood last week to send a voting-season message to Black men: Don’t sit out this election.
The rally marked the start of a voter registration and turnout effort titled “Brothers, Get in the Game.” The enterprise will combine the efforts of 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland, the Prince Hall Masons, the Nation of Islam, several historically Black fraternities and others.
Just a few of the names in attendance: State Rep. Terrence Upchurch, Judges Charles Patton and Jeff Johnson, Woodmere Mayor Ben Holbert and pastors C. Jay Matthews and Aaron Phillips.
Officially, it was a nonpartisan event. But Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin still found a way to plug the Democratic ticket, saying that he personally would do everything he could to help Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Griffin, who attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, spared no adjective conveying Democrats’ post-convention enthusiasm.
“Many of us are fresh off of participating or watching one of the most invigorating, energetic, exciting, exhilarating, unified and, yes, historic Democratic National Conventions of our lifetime,” he said. “However, as our former First Lady Michelle Obama said, that’s not enough. Now we have to do something.”
Ward 5 Council Member Richard Starr hosted the group at Friendly Inn Settlement. He said he aims to rally 1,000 Black men at Zelma George Recreation Center at the end of September.
“There’s individuals who say, ‘I don’t do the politics,’” Starr said. “Politics been doing you.”
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Leading the voter work is Voices for a Better Future, a political action committee run by local campaign consultant Kenn Dowell, under the branding, “Boots on the Ground with 1,000 Black Men.” Launched in 2023, the super PAC received a jolt of $300,000 this April from the campaign committee of former U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, federal election records show.
