NBA star LeBron James takes on voter suppressionNBA superstar LeBron James has launched an organization promoting and protecting black Americans' voting rightsWASHINGTON - A conservative commentator once advised him to "shut up and dribble," but basketball legend LeBron James is bringing star power to a voter mobilization movement as concerns over disenfranchisement swell ahead of November's presidential election. With barely 20 weeks before Americans cast their ballots, "King James" is making a foray into US politics to protect voting rights of blacks and upend what he calls a "structurally racist" system. The move comes on the heels of a voting fiasco in the state of Georgia this week that multiplied concerns about voter suppression, particularly affecting people of color. The group Fair Fight said it looks forward to working with James and other stars "to stop voter suppression and protect the right to vote for Black voters across the country." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was imperative to "inoculate" communities against an erosion of voting rights.

Source: Bangkok Post June 12, 2020 06:00 UTC