The annual Roots Picnic, that has been held for the last 13 years, was unfortunately cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Michelle Obama along with her organisation When We All Vote, have partnered with band The Roots to transform the annual event into a virtual concert.
Set to take place on June 28, the online event will feature a mix of musical performances and appearances by Hollywood’s most famous, to encourage fans to vote and calling upon the potential half a million eligible U.S. voters who are yet to register.
Following the unjust murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others, the time for U.S. citizens to vote is nigh. Unfortunately, voting in the U.S. isn’t compulsory, and with their Presidential Election coming up on November 3 2020, celebrities have come forward to stress the importance of casting a vote to elect members of Parliament who will right the wrongs against racial injustice.
The virtual concert is set to feature an impressive lineup of performances, including SZA, H.E.R and Kirk Franklin, among others. It will also feature a number of celebrity appearances and speeches by Michelle Obama, Janelle Monáe, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tom Hanks, Kerry Washington and more.
Their educational speeches are to help the audience gain a better understanding on the voting system, and why it is so important that they use their voices to affect change.
In a statement made on the Roots Picnic Facebook page, event organisers say: “The partnership comes from a shared ethos of wanting to reach the most underrepresented community of people when it comes to voting, black people between the ages of 21-35. Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote and The Roots have a common goal, to educate and inspire communities to use their voices and vote to make a difference,”.
The Roots Picnic will be available to stream through the Roots’ YouTube Channel on July 28 10am AEST.
