Executive Director of “When We All Vote” to Speak at Big Bethel AME
“Stephanie L. Young to Stress the Critical Role of Registering to Vote”
Stephanie L. Young began life in the deep south roots of an AME church as the daughter of a pastor and a registered nurse in Atlanta, Georgia. Her father, Rev. McKinley Young pastored Big Bethel AME church and understood the power of social justice and political empowerment as one of the early members of the Concerned Black Clergy. Her generational AME foundation made it easy for her to become the voice of so many who needed to be heard as elections in the United States became more contested. As executive director of When We all Vote, a non-partisan voting initiative launched by former first lady Michelle Obama in 2018, she has developed strong political and communications skills to help increase the number of Americans engaging in the voting system. She will return to those roots as keynote speaker for the Lay Day worship service Sunday, October 9, 2022, 10:00am at Big Bethel AME Church where Rev. John Foster, Ph.D. currently serves as Senior Pastor. When We All Vote is a leading national, nonpartisan initiative on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in every election by helping to close the race and age gap. “I grew up understanding that I needed to be a part of positive things that are moving our country, our people and our communities forward,” Young said in a recent interview with Ebony Magazine. “I recognized that I could be a catalyst for change in some way, shape or form early on. I got it pretty honest, and this desire was handed down to me due to my parents being very civically engaged. Later on, I got the political bug and worked in the Obama Administration at the White House, worked on Capitol Hill and did all those amazing things. However, what I really love about the work that I’m doing right now is that I’m able to marry my two loves—which is pop culture and politics.” When We All Vote brings together individuals, institutions, brands and organizations to register new voters across the country and advance civic education for the entire family and voters of every age to build an informed and engaged electorate. Their key role is to empower supporters and volunteers to take action through voting, advocating for their rights and holding elected representatives accountable.
Traditional ways of getting people to vote was going door to door, engaging them face to face to get potential voters registered. The 2022 version involves creativity, utilizing a variety of people and platforms which may include sliding into DMs, social media, texting and imaging to bring a cross culture of people together to promote registration. During her time as Executive Director, Young has created and implemented the inaugural Culture of Democracy Summit— a four-day convening that brought together a cross section of industry leaders from technology, music, sports, entertainment, corporate and civic engagement to explore individual and collective roles in expanding and protecting Democracy. The bi-annual Summit included a keynote address from Michelle Obama, 85+ speakers, 1,000+ in-person attendees, 179k+ livestreams, 205M+ impressions and 73k engagements on social media. She also led a brand refresh for the organization, expanded the celebrity Co-Chair roster and implemented new advocacy and chapter leader organizing programs. As the Chief Communications and Culture officer, she created and implemented a messaging, cultural and partnerships strategy which helped register over 500,000 voters and engage with 100 million Americans in 2020 – the largest increase in voter participation in over 120 years. Through her leadership she created the #CouchParty with DJ D-Nice, the first virtual live voter registration event that reached over 400K voters.
Young has more than 15 years of experience as a senior strategic communications, engagement and content strategist with a proven track record of building strong connections and developing creative solutions for issues involving culture, entertainment, justice, politics and activism in the public and private sectors. Her work path includes the Obama White House, Congressional leadership, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment and BET Networks. In these roles she demonstrated the influence politics, pop culture and the entertainment industry can have on each other to create a more fair, progressive and just society through artistry, activism and storytelling. During her time in the White House, she had the unique opportunity to serve in two critical roles as the Associate Communications Director and then as the Senior Public Engagement Advisor. She led the press strategy around domestic policy announcements and created and managed critical relationships for the President in the African American community. Prior to the White House, she worked on political campaigns and for the House Democratic Leadership in Congress where her roles included time as the National Press Secretary for the House Majority Leader and Communications Director for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). She is a graduate of Hampton University and has lived in Atlanta, Georgia; Cape Town, South Africa; Dallas, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida and Washington, DC before moving to Brooklyn, NY where she currently resides. It was during her time in Cape Town that she was exposed to the power of organizing, voting and justice as the country transitioned from Apartheid to Democracy.
The theme for Lay Day worship service is “Living a Global Witness Ministry That Transforms, Transcends and Liberates.” The AME Church was founded in 1787 and represents the first civil rights movement in the USA. The leader, Richard Allen, was a clergyman who later became the first elected and consecrated bishop of the AME church. He embraced the basic theology of Methodism but rejected the practice of separatism and discrimination against people of color. The second civil rights movement was in 1955 sparked by Mother Rosa Parks, a lifelong AME.
WHO: Big Bethel AME Church
WHAT: Lay Day Worship Service featuring keynote speaker Stephanie L. Young
WHEN: Sunday, October 9, 2022 starting at 10:00a.m.
WHERE: 220 Auburn Avenue, NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
About Big Bethel AME:
Historical Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, recognized for its landmark neon blue “Jesus Saves” iconic symbol over the urban skyline has been a part of the Atlanta community since the area was known as Marthasville in the 1800’s. For more than 170 years it has been at the center of community and social action hosting U.S. Presidents William Taft, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and South African leader Nelson Mandela. The church continues its role as a social change agent today as the driving force behind revitalization of the Sweet Auburn corridor between Jesse Hill Jr. Drive and Piedmont Road. For more information on services and programs, go to www.bigbethelame.org.
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