Lizzo
BCOTWC
www.becauseofthemwecan.com
By BOTWC Staff
Billboard recently reported that Lizzo and Nonprofit organization, HeadCount, is getting young people to register to vote at every stop on her tour.
Melissa Jefferson, also known as Lizzo, is a Grammy award-winning pop artist that has never been shy of activism. The Detroit native claims activism is her calling; she started her website Lizzolovesyou.com in 2020 after George Floyd was killed at the hands of police. It serves as a means to spread awareness and connect with the Black community on social issues. She hosts an annual Juneeteenth event and even used her platform to raise money for abortion funds after the Roe V. Wade overturn. In an exclusive interview with Billboard earlier this year she said, “I don’t just make pledges to organizations and donate money to people because of optics or because I feel like I have to — ain’t nobody else doing it.”
“This is why I was put here. This is my calling to do good and you ain’t never going to see me do something I don’t want to do, and you ain’t never going to see me do something just for clout,” she added.
The “Good As Hell” singer made quite the statement during her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards. After winning the Video for Good award she stated, “I don’t know what ‘Video for Good’ means, but I do know what your vote means. It means everything to me. It means everything to making a change in this country. So, remember when you’re voting for your favorite artist, vote to change some of these laws that are oppressing us,” she encouraged her fans and supporters.
You can always expect Lizzo to practice what she preaches! In her recent partnership with HeadCount, a nonprofit organization that promotes voter registration through the power of music and culture, Lizzo is promoting voter registration. The organization works with artists to combine civic participation and their favorite fun activities. Since they started, they have reached over a million people and have gained 40,000 volunteers across the country. With its partnership with Lizzo, HeadCount will be stationed outside her tour stops to encourage young people to register to vote and to provide concertgoers with voter registration information in order to prepare for this year’s upcoming midterm elections. This year’s election, in particular, is very pivotal considering the recent political events surrounding gun control and civil and women’s rights.
HeadCount made a statement saying, “Gen Z represents a significant demographic that could greatly affect laws and policies across the country.” With only 50% of people between the ages of 18-24 registered to vote, this organization is dedicated to making sure the number of voters increase by November 8th.
This isn’t the first time that HeadCount has taken this initiative; in the past, they’ve partnered with Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Idles, and others!
We’re excited to see Lizzo join HeadCount in an effort to encourage voting and have fun doing it! For more information on how to vote with Lizzo, visit here.
