Down to Earth
Life Of The Political Party: Michele Barnwell’s #PARTYGIRLS
It’s an election year. Which means hyped-up debates and opinionated talking heads but hopefully a lot of “I Voted”
stickers on your Instagram feed. One group that Michele Barnwell wants to flaunt those stickers? Young African-American women.
Join the party. Get out & vote!
A self-described “news nerd,”
Michele, who is a principal exec for Reel Roost, noticed the lack of multicultural millennial women participating in political conversation. She wondered what this group of women was thinking & feeling about this year’s highly emotional election.
Women of color are a super important part of the American electorate.
Women of color are a super important part of the American electorate. Michele’s research found that, in 2012, black women voted at a higher rate than any other demographic and played a key role in the re-election of President Barack Obama. When it came to the 2016 election, Michele wanted to know the opinions of millennial women of color voting for the first time. And she wanted to see if it was possible for those in political opposition to be heard & treated with respect.
That’s how #PARTYGIRLS was born. #PARTYGIRLS is a feature-length documentary & digital docu-series that follows the lives of 6 women of color, ages 19-25, who will vote for the first time this year. From different backgrounds, religions & locations, the women navigate politics and their changing ideas about the election, during a road trip across the United States that ends at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The stand-alone episodes in the digital docu-series will air before the Presidential election in November on ITVS/PBS’s YouTube channel.
Embrace the #PARTYGIRLS spirit!
“The women featured in #PARTYGIRLS were so open about what they were feeling,”
Michele says. “That’s a really challenging thing for most people to be. I was constantly amazed about their honesty.”
Regardless of whether you vote every election or if this will be your first opportunity to participate, here are a few tips to embrace the #PARTYGIRLS spirit before you show up at the polls on November 8, 2016:
Register to Vote
Keep in mind that you can only vote in the state in which you registered. If you recently moved to a new state, check out your new state’s website or check out Rock The Vote to make sure you are correctly registered.
Find Out Where to Go
Every registered voter is assigned a polling location based on their home address. Visit a website like 411, enter your address & the site should provide your nearest polling place.
Bring the Right I.D.
Be sure to check out your state’s voter identification requirements. Several states have made recent changes in requirements.