"I Have A Right To Vote"

I Have A Right To Vote is a voting rights anthem and music video purposed to: raise awareness around voter suppression, encourage voter education and registration, and increase voter motivation leading up to the 2020 national election. Composed and video directed by Nolan Williams, Jr., I Have A Right To Vote features a stellar cast of celebrities speaking the words of historical voting rights icons, including: Billie Jean King, Billy Porter, Chef Carla Hall, Christopher Jackson (from the original cast of HAMILTON), Hill Harper, Ebony Jo-Ann, and Ryan Jamaal Swain (F/X Network's POSE). The video also features the national touring company of STIRRING THE WATERS ACROSS AMERICA (Williams' theatrical concert production from which the song is drawn), cameos by luminaries like businesswoman Sheila C. Johnson, and American citizens at iconic places across the country — from New York’s Times Square to Milwaukee’s Art Museum, and from the “Rocky” Steps in Philadelphia to the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles — all affirming their right to vote! 

In May 2021, I Have A Right To Vote was awarded a Telly Awards Bronze Prize for Best Social Impact Video.

I Have A Right To Vote is executive produced by Bohemian Foundation and David Frederick & Sophia Lynn; produced by NEWorks Productions and Dale A. Mott/Edgewood; edited by award-winning filmmaker Maria Cataldo (Netflix: JEFFREY EPSTEIN: FILTHY RICH) and Kadesh DuBose & KmBd Studios; music produced by Williams and Robert Ellis; and features animations by Marina Martins & Pigmental Studios and Atlanta-based artist Andre Thompson.

I Have A Right To Vote is a non-partisan project. It is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

The America Song Project is a viral video campaign celebrating American democracy and the peaceful transition of power. Conceived by Nolan Williams, Jr..—composer, producer, music director and cultural curator—and produced by NEWorks Productions, the project features American music theatre performer Kevin McAllister and inspirational artist Monique Steele Griffiths singing Williams' adapted lyrics for the patriotic anthem, America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee). 

America was originally penned in 1831 by Samuel Francis Smith, a Baptist minister, journalist and author. Drawing inspiration from the God Save the Queen melody, Smith wrote American patriotic lyrics to this English hymn tune, premiering the song for an Independence Day celebration on July 4, 1831.

Now, this former de facto U.S. national anthem has been revised by Williams as a call for national unity following one of the most contentious elections of our lifetime. In the words of President Ronald Reagan:

"The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle." 

To date, the America Song Project has garnered over 1.3 million combined views on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.