When righteous anger over the murder of George Floyd brought millions out in the streets, the 2020 U.S. elections offered a ray of hope in the fight for change. But decades of disenfranchisement and voter suppression left many Black Americans feeling like their vote didn’t count.

 

Unable to stand by, Chicago’s mayor Lori Lightfoot wanted Black voters to matter. To do so, the City of Chicago launched ‘Boards of Change’. Plywood boards that barricaded storefronts during the protests, by many seen as symbols of destruction, were transformed into voting booths, meant to inspire residents in low-turnout neighborhoods to create systemic change, through the power of their vote. The booths also initiated the crucial first step in the voting process: registration, through a simple smartphone scan.

 

The message resonated throughout the nation, especially when Mayor Lightfoot, standing in front of the boards, called out President Trump for his blatant attacks on democracy.

 

Boards of Change empowered Black Americans to know that their vote counts, and Chicago saw a record number of registrations and voters. Today, Boards of Change lives on at the DuSable Museum for African American History, as part of a historical moment for the Black community.