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More Than a Vote, the civic engagement nonprofit founded in 2020 by four-time NBA MVP and Los Angeles Lakers legend Lebron James is refocusing on women and reproductive rights this year. James has announced that he is passing on the organization’s leadership to nine-time WNBA All-Star Nneka Ogwumike in the lead up to the American Presidential election on November 5, stating, “It’s only right that this election be about women athletes.”
More Than a Vote was created as a call to action following the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police. James and a group of Black athletes and entertainers teamed up to encourage African Americans to register to vote and tackle voter suppression by raising awareness of its tactics, such as misinformation spread through social media. The group advocated for criminal justice reform and opposed police violence. It helped turn 10 sport arenas into voting sites and partnered with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to recruit poll workers during the 2020 general election, signing up more than 10,000 volunteers. The organization raised about $4.2 million in 2020.
Many WNBA players and teams were extremely active during the last presidential election cycle and since. With the Presidential election approaching, James has shifted the focus of More Than a Vote to align with current issues surrounding women’s reproductive rights. Early this year, he started discussions with Seattle Storm Forward and the players union president, Ogwumike, who volunteered as a poll worker in 2020. They spoke about current issues facing the US, such as abortion rights and the increased attention on women’s sports.
In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade – the landmark 1973 ruling that gave women the constitutional right to abortion. Since then, in 28 states access to abortion has been restricted and 14 have made it illegal. Last month, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos have the same rights as children under state law. Actions such as this are continuing to put women’s health in danger across the country. Additionally, access to birth control is out of reach for many and the country has a high maternal mortality rate – ranking 55th in the world.
“I started More Than a Vote to give athletes a place to educate themselves and get active authentically to who we are,” said James in an email. “It’s only right that this election be about women athletes. We’re all following their lead right now and Nneka is the perfect person for this election. I’m excited to support her vision.”
“It’s more than just abortion,” Ogwumike said in an interview. “It’s all about educating people about all the different roles that exist in society that support and protect the freedoms of women when it comes to family planning, IVF, birth control, everything. There’s just a lot that’s at stake.”
More Than A Vote will partner with Reproductive Freedom for All Foundation to exclusively focus on women’s rights and reproductive freedoms with support from Athletes for Impact – a coalition of athletes using their status and platforms for social change and transformation. Ogwumike will be accompanied by a group of women athletes who all feel strongly about the cause, including fellow basketball players Cameron Brink, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Lisa Leslie, Jewell Lloyd, Chiney Ogwumike, Kiki Rice, Breanna Stewart, Sheryl Swoopes and A’ja Wilson, as well as the NWSL’s Madison Hammond.
“Women’s sports have experienced incredible growth over the course of my 13-year career in the WNBA. But over that very same span, I’ve watched legislators chip away at my rights and the rights of every athlete who make these teams and leagues shine,” said Ogwumike in a statement. “We cannot stand idly by as women’s freedoms slip away, and that’s why I’m taking a lead through More Than a Vote to educate and prompt action around this issue. ‘We Decide Our Future’ sends a very clear message: no one else should have the power to make decisions over our bodies and our healthcare.”
The group’s 2024 senior campaign adviser is Stephanie Schriock, who was the president of EMILYs List – an organization dedicated to electing Democratic pro-choice women to office. She explains how the non-profit has begun working with athletes on how to speak about issues related to reproductive rights and how it has hired content creators for digital advertisements to raise awareness. The organization outlined its new focus in a new video that stated: “They want to put bans on our bodies, but our body is our business”.
Source: Seattle Times and Hollywood Reporter
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