This week, art activism takes center stage in North Carolina with a new image, “VOTE” by Chapel Hill-based artist and Professor of the Practice of Art, Art History & Visual Studies at Duke University Beverly McIver.
The mural, located at 514 New Bern, Raleigh, NC, is a vibrant and serious image of a Black man with the word “vote” above his head as he points to the viewer reminiscent of the Uncle Sam, “I want you” poster circulated during World War I.
McIver’s piece is part of People For the American Way Foundation’s national Defend the Black Vote campaign, a massive, multi-platform, nonpartisan GOTV campaign to mobilize Americans nationwide to turn out the vote and defend voting rights in the 2024 presidential election.
In North Carolina, lawsuits have been filed that could purge up to 400,000 voters from the voting rolls. Additionally, the state is facing absentee ballot release delays impacting early voting. To promote the importance of voting in North Carolina the Defend the Black Vote campaign is working with Artists For the American Way to engage voters through peer-to-peer texting, billboards, and art activations.
“I like to create images that can catch people’s attention and inspire thought and action,” said McIver. “We have to get out there and vote because this election is extremely important, which is why I’m going to take people to the polls, I’m going to make phone calls, whatever it takes to get people out to vote.”
“Beverly’s mural speaks directly to what America needs right now and that’s for every eligible voter in every community across the country to cast a ballot and make their voices heard at the polls,” said People For the American Way Foundation President Svante Myrick. “The antidote to efforts to suppress the vote is massive voter turnout. That’s why we have to empower voters to turn out in record numbers to protect our freedoms.”
