On Tuesday, Hip-Hop mogul Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combs revealed a multi-tiered plan to encourage voting in Black and Latino youth as a drastic method to affect the election. Citizen Change is the Bad Boy Records CEO’s non-profit, non-partisan leg that he hopes to empower and educate the masses.
“This is not just about talk, this is about action. The Forgotten Ones, the over 40 million minorities and young people, will decide who will be the President of the United States. And I have the numbers to prove it,” Diddy said at New York University (NYU) in front of a minions of spectators and fans. “According to the latest CBS/The New York Times poll Bush and Kerry are running neck and neck. The last election was decided by just 537 votes. We will make a difference. You do the math.”
Combs (aka Citizen Combs) also revealed that Citizen Change’s outreach would include conventional methods like direct mail, phone calls, door-to-door solicitation and modern methods like email and internet. The purpose of the organization is the bear influence on the November 2 election.
Defying convention, Diddy also stated that his efforts would incorporate his distinct abilities as an entertainer.
“T-shirts will be sold all over the country and will be used to start a revolution through fashion. I also have members of our coalition moonlighting as models. What we’re gonna do with this campaign, we’re gonna put snipes [flyers] all over the country and they are gonna look hot and the kids gonna get with it. The T-shirt ain’t saying vote in 2004. It’s as dramatic as it is. Vote or Die. This election is life or death. And this is a true fashion statement.”
However, he also divulged that Citizen Change would address serious issues like jobs, healthcare and education with a focus on the swing states. In a number of larger cities there will be parties to encourage voting.
Citizen Change will incorporate other power players in the political landscape as well.
Citizen Change cohort James Carville, co-anchor of Crossfire on CNN, said he was impressed with Combs’ drive as it pertained to the election.
“He called me and he had a plan, he had passion. It seemed like a great thing to do,” Carville said.
Combs recently met with presidential hopeful John Kerry at the NAACP convention in Philadelphia.