Local, Service-Based Nonprofits Team Up To Put On “B’Cause U” Voter Empowerment Workshops In The Inland Empire

Rialto (April 2018) – Hoping to boost voter turnout for the upcoming mid-term and future elections, a collaborative of local nonprofit service organizations are pooling their resources to educate, empower, and motivate residents (ages 16 years and older) to register, vote, and become more involved in all levels of government that affect our lives.

The nearly 20 nonprofits — who have named their partnership Inland Empowered — are hosting two “B’CAUSE U” Voter Empowerment Workshops this month on Saturday, April 7, 2018, at the Carolyn E. Wylie Center, 4164 Brockton Avenue, in Riverside, and on Saturday, April 14, 2018, at San Bernardino Valley College, 701 S. Mount Vernon Avenue, in San Bernardino. The workshops will begin at 10:00AM.

An opening performance by members of Youth Action Project will set the stage for the workshops, followed by the first presentation on “What Government Is & What It Is Supposed To Do For You.” Marc K. Fudge, Ph.D., Professor of Public Administration at Cal State University of San Bernardino (CSUSB) will present on April 7, and Dr. Brian Janiskee, Chair of the Department of Political Science at CSUSB will be the April 14 presenter.

Spoken word and dance performances by Destiny Muse, Chelsea Davis, Caleb Collins and others will precede and then follow the second presentation on “Understanding What Propositions Really Mean & Why Your Vote Matters.” Joan Donahue, Vice President of the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Riverside will make the presentation on April 7, and Jill Vassilakos-Long, Co-President of the LWV of the San Bernardino Area will present on April 14.

“Our collaborative chose to design a creative, educational program that will allow people to gain a better understanding of government on local, state, and federal levels and to become more involved in the decisions each level makes that impact their everyday lives,” said Lisha Smith, Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Inland Empire Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc., who manages Inland Empowered’s planning meetings.

“Inland Empowered believes that knowledge is power,” she added. “That’s what we are offering through these workshops, knowledge to awaken people to the realization of the power that lies within their vote.”

The workshops are free, but individuals attending are asked to register through Eventbrite.com.

Free refreshments will be provided and there will be raffle drawings during the workshops.

Members of Inland Empowered

100 Black Men of the Inland Empire

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

BLU Educational Foundation

Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Fair Housing Council of Riverside County

Inland Empire National Pan Hellenic Council

Inland Empire Section, National Council of Negro Women, Inc.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary

League of Women Voters of Riverside

League of Women Voters of the San Bernardino Area

NAACP of Riverside & San Bernardino Counties

Riverside African American Historical Society

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

The Group, Riverside

Youth Action Project, Inc.