Rev. Jasper Williams Launches the "99 1/2 Won’t Do Project” to Fight Voter Suppression and Low Voter Turnout

The following announcement was submitted by Southeast Regional News.

Friday, August 24, 2012, from 12noon to 2pm, over one hundred interfaith leaders and collaborating nonpartisan organizations will be gathering from across the state of Georgia at Salem Bible Church in West Atlanta (2283 Baker Rd, Atlanta, 30318).

Their purpose? To eradicate the 600,000 deficit of eligible but unregistered African American citizens in Georgia.  They’ll be teaming up to accomplish this statewide goal through “The 99 ½ Won’t Do Project”, spearheaded by Reverend Jasper Williams, Jr., Senior Pastor of Salem Bible Church and undertaken with his son Pastor Dr. Joseph L. Williams.

“I am not wanting to undertake this effort to be ‘great’”, made crystal clear the Senior Pastor, known as one of America’s most influential spiritual leaders of this generation.  “My only interest is in fighting those trying to take our rights away.  Voter suppression has impaired our country’s capitalistic system.  If we can’t trust what we[Americans] have in the voting system, then what can we trust?”

Dr. Joseph L. Williams elaborated, “The black faith community has been disjointed in our collaborative efforts in addressing voter suppression, and its effects, not just here in Georgia, but nationally.  Through Dad’s leadership, we’re looking to empower faith leaders to ‘be on the same page’ in Georgia, addressing their fellow believers and communities with unified messages, with the solidarity of hundreds of other faith leaders and believers alongside them.  That solidarity is what’s been missing – and that’s what we know can inspire, uplift, and charge us collectively forward, to overcome what no one of us can do alone.”

At Friday’s luncheon launching, “The 99 ½ Won’t Do Project” will be introduced as a new voter mobilization initiative, designed to be a collaborative effort between faith-based organizations, community organizations, and motivated individuals who desire to see the African American community in Georgia registered and represented at the polls.   “The Project” vision has 100% of supporting organization’s members registered to vote in the November 2012 election.  Along with training, participating leaders will be provided informational literature, educational seminars on ballot candidates and referendums, and will have the opportunity to sponsor candidate forums for voter inquiry and accountability.  “The 99 ½ Won’t Do Project” will also facilitate citizen voting through support in absentee balloting and transportation assistance to polling venues.

“I want to see the people win,” the Senior Reverend expressed with longing.  “The way I see it, it doesn’t matter whether President Obama wins or Mitt Romney wins, the people are going to lose anyway, because our jobs have been sold overseas and those jobs are not coming back.”

“We can’t do nothing unless we vote – we’ve got to be armed.”