We're here in Atlanta which in the 1960s was the crucible of the civil rights movement.
Now in 2020, it's one of the city that's become the heartbeat of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Joe Biden won the presidential nomination on the shoulders of older black voters in the south.
But it's younger people of color and progressives
that could transform georgia's future which has for 28 years voted republican.
But the support for him here is lukewarm at best.
How do you feel about Joe Biden?
This election is about more than just Donald Trump and Joe Biden,
it's also about how Americans view the modern day civil rights movement.
Black Lives Matter doesn't mean anything to the people behind that movement.
People think that that is a political statement saying that Black lives matter instead of just
a statement of our humanity.
They're here to dismantle the western prescribed family structure.
Black Lives Matter has touched every community in the country, not just major cities like Atlanta.
So I've come to a rural county half an hour south of the city where Ebony Carter, a
first-time candidate and activist is running in a district that has voted republican for two decades.
What's it like going out campaigning with your daughter?
We have fun.
I mean, we live together so us canvassing is like anything else we just be chopping it up.
She's my brave little girl, she always take chances.
Ebony is running a grassroots campaign focused on expanding healthcare and better funding.
for public schools.
She canvasses with her mum, Deborah, and baby daughter Nairobi.
When you campaign, you're really just trying to meet people where they are.
People are on Instagram, I'm gonna be on Instagram, if people are at home, I'm coming to your house.
As soon as I say I'm running for office, people will be like,
oh, like, that's so cool, some people though they're like, oh you're 25?
Do you know how to do a budget? Hold on one second guys, stay right here, please.
I just want to stop by and give you one of these.
My name is Ebony Carter and I'm running for state representative.
What I'm getting most from people is that like, this is not the time to not vote like, if you're doing anything
right now you need to be voting.
This is your first year get to vote? — Are you registered to vote?
There's a lot of crazy stuff going on in the world and I would like
to have a say so on what's going on.
But even though you're not into politics you know that it's important to vote this year, right?
Do you think Joe Biden speaks to younger people of colour in this country?
No ... I mean ... — That's very honest.
Yeah, I have to be really clear with that one.
However, I think that Joe Biden is overwhelmingly the best choice for the job.
And I'm honoured to be on any ticket with anyone who is actually going to fight for American lives
and I think that's what he's going to do.
Black Lives Matter is getting absolutely hammered in the conservative press at the moment
has that stigma made it harder
for you to talk about it?
People think that that is a political statement saying that Black lives matter instead of just a
statement of our humanity.
I'm always going to be fighting for Black people, always going to fight for black people,
but what I'm doing now is trying to represent the people of Georgia who feel like
they have not had someone truly representing them for what they need and who really cares about them.
While the Black Lives Matter movement may be inspiring a younger generation
to seek formal political power, it's also being weaponised by the Trump campaign.
I came to see the president's son talk at a rally in the city of Savannah.
Watching the president's son here deliver a speech that is a mixture of stand-up comedy
and conspiracy tinged misinformation ... Actually when you speak to a lot of people in the crowd
here, you hear that you used to describe Black Lives Matter protests.
Black Lives Matter doesn't mean anything to the people behind that movement.
The organisation itself is a domestic terror organisation.
Why should businesses be burned down?
That's not appropriate.
Why should police officers be murdered? It's disgusting.
You're living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs. What the hell do you have to lose?
Four years ago, Donald Trump won just 8% of African-American support but this time around
he's seeking to energise a conservative movement among Black voters with initiatives like Black
voices for Trump launched here in Atlanta.
What do you prefer? Blacks for Trump or African Americans for Trump?
Angela Stanton King is one of the biggest names in that group. She's a former reality TV star who
was recently pardoned by Donald Trump for her role in a car theft raid.
She announced her run for Congress in the seat that was held by civil rights icon John Lewis,
just weeks after receiving that pardon but she has practically no chance of winning here.
This community has been voting democrat for 140 years and the definition of insanity is
to continue to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.
Why do you think Donald Trump and republicans in general have gone so badly at the ballot box
with African-Americans?
I haven't ... I can't say that
they've done badly, I mean, he's the president ... — When you look at the polls right ...
Well, that goes to show you why it's important for the Black community to stop aborting
their children if you want to have bigger numbers and votes then stop listening to democrats telling
you to abort your children, they want to pay for it when you abort your children you abort your votes.
It's a pretty radical view.
I mean, I wouldn't say it's radical, but i mean if you execute a Black
life that's a Black vote.
Angela's extremist views on abortion do not represent the majority view
among Black Americans or the public as a whole but there are darker forces at play in her campaign.
Angela's social media is littered with slogans tied to QAnon, a far-right anti-semitic
conspiracy theory that claims Donald Trump is secretly waging a battle against a deep state
democrat-run cabal engaged in pedophilia. Followers also believe that the online furniture retailer
Wayfair, is selling children in overpriced cabinets and that Trump is planning a day of reckoning
known as the storm.
You have been accused of sympathising with the QAnon on conspiracy theory.
Who accused me of that? — Many people and I just wanted to ask you
about a few tweets ... — No, I need you to be factable.
So when you tweeted, 'this isn't about covid-19 or Black Lives Matter,
this is a major cover-up for pedophilia and human trafficking.'
That has nothing to do with QAnon.
What did you mean by that? — Exactly what I said.
Well, give me some evidence. — I don't think it needs any explanation.
OK, so when you said, 'did Ghislane Maxwell tip off authorities about Wayfair' What did you mean by that?
Exactly what I said, what's the next one?
So do you believe that an online ... — Exactly what I said ... You can read.
Do you believe an online ...? — Exactly what I said, what's the next one?
Do you believe that an online furniture retailer is peddling a global pedophilia conspiracy?
You don't want to answer questions about QAnon?
I don't know anything about QAnon, you know more than I know.
None of my tweets say anything about QAnon so you're making accusations.
What about this tweet?
Angela?
What about the tweet when you said, 'the storm is here'? That's QAnon.
It was raining that day. — It was raining that day?
Yeah.
It was raining that day.
Disinformation campaigns are just one element of modern-day voter suppression
which is rife in Georgia. Black Voters Matter is dedicated to registering African-American voters
and getting people out on election day. I joined Fenika Miller in Peach county,
as she traveled through some of the area's poorest neighbourhoods with limited access to the ballot.
This is tough work, right? — This is very tough work.
And you do it every day? — 365 days a year, 24/7 worked just about.
So they closed the precinct that was on this side of town.
They used to have a precinct that was closer down here but we don't anymore.
We don't have public transportation in this community or in this county at all ...
How does that affect people trying to vote?
We have to do a lot of rides to the polls, we have to do a lot of ...
How y'all doing? Are y'all registered? I'll get them.
Despite those barriers, there's enthusiasm for change here.
Do you know who you're voting for yet? — Of course! Not for Trump.
How are you guys feeling about Joe Biden?
That's who I'm voting for.
With the George Floyd situation, everybody become more conscious and with that, I think it's going to manifest
itself at the polls.
But that's not the only kind of viewpoint Fenika is hearing.
No ... I think that sometimes that's just misinformation.
And I think propaganda sometimes. All I'm saying is, let's not fall for the and make sure
that the rug is not pulled from up under our feet and our communities.
Five days a week. — Dangerous, right?
It's very dangerous. We're living in dangerous times under a dangerous administration.
Hello! I won't get too close to y'all.
Despite these dangerous times, Ebony is convinced her new brand of politics can win
the old-fashioned way:
out on the streets, trying to change people's minds.
They play some pretty good tunes in this square.
Why am I doing this? Because somebody has to.
I know that people are going to be like, wow like, 'she got way more votes than I thought she would
get, she got way more support than I thought she would get, got way more donation donations than
I thought she would get' and I really just want to show people that like, it's possible.