Local, USA

Metcalfe Park: Black Vote Rising

By Brad Lichtenstein and Miela Fetaw

On April 7th, 2020, Wisconsin held its primary election at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. It is estimated that almost 16% of Black voters were disenfranchised in Milwaukee, the largest city in a key swing state. Mother-daughter activist team, Danell Cross and Melody McCurtis, are determined to prevent this from happening again.

Webby-nominated METCALFE PARK: BLACK VOTE RISING follows Cross and McCurtis as they organize their Black community of Metcalfe Park to prepare for the 2020 presidential election and its challenges: reduced polling stations, disinformation campaigns, and the surging pandemic. Canvassing door-to-door to reach residents who are missed by social media campaigns, they deliver voting instructions along with food and COVID-19 safety kits. Cross and McCurtis also try to convince neighbors to vote, ones whose faith has been tested by the system and remain cynical about what a president will do to change things on their block.

Explore Your Vote: America 2021, our collection of featured films and content relevant to the issues being debated in 2021. Follow the conversation with our #YourVote programming.