Rally and free rap concert in North Philly aims to mobilize young Black voters

An effort is underway to get young people in the Black community registered to vote ahead of Nov. 5.
BET is scheduled to host its fifth annual Vote Fest at The Met Philadelphia from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday. It’s an unusual event in which people can register to vote and enjoy a free rap concert. BET and CBS News Philadelphia are both owned by Paramount.
Philadelphia’s very own KUR is one of three rappers set to perform. He said he’s excited to be part of something bigger than himself.
“When I was younger, I used to think that voting didn’t really mean as much,” KUR said. “But as I got older, my perspective changed and I started to feel like we need to vote.”
The event is expected to draw about 3,000 people. It’s all about making sure every eligible voter is ready to pull up to the polls on Election Day and showing the strength of the Black vote.
“We know that Pennsylvania is a key state in this national election,” BET Executive Vice President of Insights and Multiplatform Analytics Tiyale Hayes said, “and what we know from our data is 65% of all registered Black voters live in the Philadelphia DMA [designated market area].”
Earlier in the day, BET hosted a panel discussion at Philadelphia City Hall, where city leaders talked about the impact of voter suppression on communities of color. Councilmember Isaiah Thomas suggested making Election Day a federal holiday and giving everyone the day off to vote.
“Similar to the way we celebrate July 4 and Labor Day and Memorial Day, Election Day should be right there with those other federal holidays,” Thomas said. “It will put us in a position for it to be more of a cultural norm for people to vote and be involved in elections.”
Some voters said the stakes are too high this election not to get involved.
“I’m a registered voter and I also work the polls,” David Black from North Philadelphia said. “Obviously, this election is very important, so I’m glad to be a participant in it. So I hope for the best for the country.”