ACLU organizer urges attendees at Holt Street anniversary to 'be ready' for elections, sets 5% turnout goal
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
MONTGOMERY — During the 70th‑anniversary commemoration of the Montgomery bus boycott at Holt Street Memorial Baptist Church, Kenya Shavers, the ACLU of Alabama’s voting‑rights coordinator, used her platform to press for immediate organizing ahead of upcoming state political deadlines.
Shavers described Project Move — which she said “stands for making our voices echo” — as a statewide effort to increase voter turnout by an explicit target of 5 percent. She listed traditional community hubs as the focus of the work: churches, barbershops and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. “Organizing now must mean something just as bold… We made text bank. We made canvas with tablets,” she said, describing modern tools alongside older grassroots tactics.
She urged members of the assembled community to be prepared to “show up at the State House in January” when the legislature reconvenes and to organize for the Alabama primary on 05/19/2026. Shavers framed those asks as a continuation of the boycott legacy — ordinary people making organizers’ work possible — and encouraged congregants to translate commemoration into civic action.
Shavers also thanked local mentors and staff and identified a coalition of community partners; she asked attendees to support door‑knocking, phone banking and civic education that targets younger voters and high‑turnout precincts. She said the ACLU’s work focuses on places with dense Black and brown populations, noting engagement on campuses and in community spaces.
The program did not include detailed budgets or a breakdown of how the 5 percent target would be measured or resourced; Shavers’ remarks were a public call to action rather than a formal program launch with operational specifics.
Shavers described Project Move — which she said “stands for making our voices echo” — as a statewide effort to increase voter turnout by an explicit target of 5 percent. She listed traditional community hubs as the focus of the work: churches, barbershops and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. “Organizing now must mean something just as bold… We made text bank. We made canvas with tablets,” she said, describing modern tools alongside older grassroots tactics.
She urged members of the assembled community to be prepared to “show up at the State House in January” when the legislature reconvenes and to organize for the Alabama primary on 05/19/2026. Shavers framed those asks as a continuation of the boycott legacy — ordinary people making organizers’ work possible — and encouraged congregants to translate commemoration into civic action.
Shavers also thanked local mentors and staff and identified a coalition of community partners; she asked attendees to support door‑knocking, phone banking and civic education that targets younger voters and high‑turnout precincts. She said the ACLU’s work focuses on places with dense Black and brown populations, noting engagement on campuses and in community spaces.
The program did not include detailed budgets or a breakdown of how the 5 percent target would be measured or resourced; Shavers’ remarks were a public call to action rather than a formal program launch with operational specifics.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
