Taylor Swift used her platform to fight for Black Lives Matter and mail-in voting

Though she’s been criticized in the past for her silence when it came to politics, Taylor Swift is now refusing to stay mum and calling out systemic racism and voter suppression in the United States. On June 9th, Swift used her platform to draw attention to the importance of electing officials at the local and state levels to begin to bring about tangible change.

“Racial injustice has been ingrained deeply into local and state governments, and changes MUST be made there,” Swift tweeted on Tuesday.

“In order for policies to change, we need to elect people who will fight against police brutality and racism of any kind,” she wrote.

Swift also attached Barack Obama’s June 1st essay on the death of George Floyd and ongoing protests, which she called “a fascinating read about changing policy at the state and local levels.”

Racial injustice has been ingrained deeply into local and state governments, and changes MUST be made there. In order for policies to change, we need to elect people who will fight against police brutality and racism of any kind. #BlackLivesMatter

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 9, 2020

In the article Swift is referencing, Obama wrote, “It’s important for us to understand which levels of government have the biggest impact on our criminal justice system and police practices…Yes, we should be fighting to make sure that we have a president, a Congress, a U.S. Justice Department, and a federal judiciary that actually recognize the ongoing, corrosive role that racism plays in our society and want to do something about it.

“But the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels,” Obama wrote.

This article written by @BarackObama is a fascinating read about changing policy at the state and local levels. https://t.co/kwwFjaXCuC

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 9, 2020

Swift rounded out her call-to-action by demanding the U.S. government allow voting by mail in the upcoming 2020 election in November. The idea has been tossed around due to the lingering threat of the coronavirus, however, mail-in voting has been trashed by President Trump, who believes mail-in voting heightens the chances of voter fraud. (To be clear: This is completely unproven.)

“No one should have to choose between their health and having their voice heard,” Swift argued.

We need to fight for mail-in voting for the 2020 election. No one should have to choose between their health and having their voice heard. https://t.co/4ImsKW1fQN

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 9, 2020

The Lover singer linked to Vote.org, so her followers can check their voting status and see if their state currently offers the option to vote by mail. With the countdown to election day ticking, it’s important we learn what rights we have in terms of voting and how we can make sure every citizen gets the opportunity to choose who leads them into the future.