Hailey Bieber and Oge Egbuonu know what you'll be doing on or, ideally before November 3—voting. The model and filmmaker who directed 2016's Loving teamed up with Levi's, plus a group
of activists, scholars, and friends for a PSA encouraging voters to fulfill their civic duty in 2020. The campaign arrives in a year with 70 million eligible young voters, 86 state legislative chambers holding elections, and a concerted effort to suppress voters via attacks on the USPS.
"I had a vision to put together a beautiful and powerful call to action to educate and inform the next generation of voters," Bieber said in a statement. "Oge is an incredible force and she really helped me bring my idea to life. This election to me is the most important in my lifetime and I’m at the age now where I truly understand the impact my generation and the next has. My hope with this call to action is that it would encourage, educate and inspire this next generation to vote in November and to understand why it’s important."
Jaden Smith, Crazy Rich Asians director John M. Chu, and Black Lives Matter Youth Vanguard Thandiwe Abdullah lead a PSA motivating voters to get educated about their voting status, voting rights, and registration information. Directed by Egbuonu and written by poet Jazmine Williams, the campaign spotlights the upcoming election's vitality during a pandemic and reckoning on race.
"This is the same year that brought a pandemic, which disproportionately killed Black and Brown Americans and Indigenous people," the 17 participants explain. "The same 2020 that took the breath of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, and Dominique Fells. So on November 3rd 2020, know that voter suppression will be present. . .you will be discouraged. . .Tuesday will be imperfect. Vote anyway."
In addition to this initiative, Levi's has created a series of hoodies and T-shirts reminding the world to cast a ballot. You can shop the collection, register to vote, and watch the brand's #UseYourVoice LIVE series at levi.com/itsyourvote. You can also text LEVIS to 788-683 to check your registration with Rock the Vote.
Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation are donating a collective $2.6 million towards the following voting rights organizations. Get informed and involved, below:
- ACLU
- Black Futures Lab
- Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute
- Brennan Center
- Fair Count
- Generation Citizen
- Ignite
- Justice for Migrant Women
- Live Free
- me too. International
- Movement Resource Project
- National Domestic Workers Alliance
- Native Organizers Alliance
- One Fair Wage
- Power California
- re:power
- Rock The Vote
- She the People
- SignVote
- Sister Rising
- Students Learn Students Vote Coalition
- Supermajority
- United We Dream