Quick facts about BLOC
About BLOC: Since its inception in 2017, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC) has been centering underrepresented Black voices in Wisconsin to ensure a high quality of life and access to opportunities for members of the Black community. BLOC is the only Black-led political organization in Wisconsin, and its year-round field program is critical for building trust and engaging Black voters in election years.
In 2020, BLOC drove turnout, quickly pivoting from door-knocking to social media, texting, and phone calls due to the pandemic. In the face of state measures limiting mail-in voting, BLOC was able to motivate Black voters whose turnout was crucial for Joe Biden’s narrow victory in Wisconsin. Since the 2020 election, BLOC has grown its ambassador program and expanded its presence from Milwaukee to include Racine and Kenosha as well.
Since local issues are top of mind for many voters, BLOC focuses significant attention on local races and endorses candidates in local school board, court, and city council elections. Between elections, BLOC engages potential voters by hosting community events, outreach, and giveaways, building trust and a sense of community. For example, at the beginning of the school year, it provided 1,000 book bags to school children, and over the holidays, provided toys to 700 families.
The centerpiece of BLOC’s outreach is its year-round ambassador program. Ambassadors engage deeply with potential voters, learning about their concerns and bringing their perspectives back to BLOC to inform its positions and activities. Ambassadors are paid a living wage, and there is a waiting list for these coveted positions. BLOC plans to supplement its ambassador outreach with a podcast series set to launch in late 2023.
BLOC has a strong media presence, with ongoing media coverage about its work engaging Black voters in Wisconsin (for example, Black Votes Matter: BLOC's Organizing in Southeast Wisconsin PBS Wisconsin, 9/16/22, Milwaukee Black voter mobilization ahead of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election WUWM, 3/21/23). In addition, BLOC was featured prominently in the video Dress Rehearsal, which was shown in the Crooked Media pre-game show at the 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee. BLOC supplements its media presence with paid advertising on social media (Facebook, Youtube, TikTok, Instagram) and more traditional channels (billboards, buses, radio).
In addition to its public outreach, BLOC supports candidates in critical races and meets regularly with elected officials in the counties where BLOC is active.
At stake in 2024 are Wisconsin’s 10 electoral College votes as well as control of the Senate, with Democrat Tammy Baldwin’s seat on the line. Flipping the Wisconsin Supreme Court to progressive control in April 2023 opened the door to redrawing Wisconsin’s gerrymandered maps. Should new, fair maps be approved, competitive state legislative and US House seats may emerge.
Flip the Vote’s support means that BLOC can:
Continue to expand and develop its ambassador program, going deeper, widening its reach, and engaging people multiple times.
Grow its work in the Racine and Kenosha areas which, along with Milwaukee, have significant African American populations and are key for statewide victory.
Fight for a democracy in which all voices are heard, by preventing voter suppression and big money influence in politics, advocating to redraw gerrymandered districts to fairly represent BIPOC communities, and restoring the right to vote to all incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Americans.
Establish, train, and support a pipeline of candidates for local and statewide electoral office.