IMAGINE BLACK REFRAMES BLACK CIVIC POWER: JOY IS THE STRATEGY

Alley-Oop the Vote presented by Imagine Black and Imagine Black Futures on May 7, 2026 at the PSU Viking Pavillion

Alley-Oop the Vote is a benefit basketball game promoting joy and democracy.

Alley-Oop the Vote Brings Basketball, Community, and Democracy to PSU’s Viking Pavilion This Spring

PORTLAND, OR, UNITED STATES, March 31, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a political landscape defined by urgency, alarm, and burnout, one Portland organization is making a bold and deliberate choice: JOY.
On Thursday, May 7, 2026, Imagine Black Futures and Imagine Black will host Alley-Oop the Vote, a family-friendly basketball benefit event at Portland State University’s Viking Pavilion — a celebration designed not just to turn out voters, but to fundamentally reframe what Black civic engagement can look like in Oregon.

The event arrives at a pivotal moment. With May 2026 local elections approaching and a national political climate that has left many communities, particularly Black communities, exhausted and disengaged, Imagine Black is investing in something different: a civic infrastructure rooted in collective energy, cultural pride, and the kind of belonging that brings people back to the polls year after year.

For decades, voter mobilization has run on urgency and fear. That playbook produces turnout in a crisis. It does not build a voting bloc that shows up between crises. Imagine Black is building the latter, a community of engaged Black Oregonians who participate not because they’re scared, but because they feel seen, celebrated, and connected to something larger than a single election cycle.

“Urgency has its place, but urgency alone is not a strategy for the long game. When people show up because they feel seen, celebrated, and connected — that’s not a feel-good moment. That’s how you build a voting bloc that doesn’t disappear between election cycles. Alley-Oop the Vote is the work.”
— Joy Alise Davis, President and Executive Director of Imagine Black Futures and Imagine Black

Alley-Oop the Vote merges basketball culture with civic education. The event features a real benefit game with community leaders, elected officials, and cultural icons on the court together, alongside opportunities to learn about what’s on the May ballot, connect with neighbors and organizers, and encourage voter education and participation. The format is intentional: when democracy looks and feels like something you already love, you protect it differently.

The event also serves as a direct investment in Imagine Black’s long-term civic infrastructure. As Oregon’s local elections grow increasingly consequential, shaping housing policy, public safety funding, climate commitments, and economic investment in Black communities, Imagine Black is building the year-round relationships and cultural touchpoints that keep Black voters engaged and powerful across cycles, not just in October of election years.

Alley-Oop the Vote is open to the public and designed to be a full family experience. Tickets start at $20, with complimentary access available for Imagine Black’s members. A ticket sponsorship program allows supporters who cannot attend to fund access for community members who otherwise could not participate because accessibility is not an afterthought. It is part of the strategy.

EVENT DETAILS
DATE: Thursday, May 7, 2026
LOCATION: Viking Pavilion, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
TICKETS: $20 - $75 | events.humanitix.com/alley-oop-the-vote
TEXT: Text SWISH to 833-391-1294 for the ticket link
SPONSOR: Sponsor Alley-Oop the Vote to enhance support and create a special group experience. Contact Quintin at quintin@imagineblack.org

About Imagine Black
Imagine Black is a Black-led civic engagement organization rooted in Oregon, committed to building long-term Black political power through organizing, civic education, and community-centered programming. Operating as both a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4), Imagine Black works to mobilize Black voters, develop Black political leadership, and imagine — and create — a future where Black communities in Oregon thrive. Learn more at imagineblack.org.

Nicole Early
EARLY PR
nicole@earlypr.com

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