Rev. Michael Waters Leads Eight-State Freedom Rider Tour to Mobilize Black Voters for Midterms

The Rev. Michael W. Waters is leading an eight-state, 19-city tour retracing the historic steps of the Freedom Riders to encourage Black voter turnout ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The initiative, called "The Ride," is one of several voter mobilization efforts organized by Black church leaders this fall.

Waters, a Dallas-based pastor and civil rights activist, launched the tour in early October. The route follows the path taken by Freedom Riders in 1961, when interracial groups of activists traveled through the South to challenge segregated bus terminals. Waters says the tour is meant to connect the current moment to that history and remind communities of the cost of civic disengagement.

The tour includes stops at churches, community centers, and historically Black colleges and universities. At each stop, organizers provide voter registration assistance, information on polling locations, and education on voting rights protections.

Black church leaders say the 2026 midterms carry particular urgency. Concerns about voting access, economic conditions, and federal policy have driven increased organizing in Black faith communities across the country. Organizations including Faiths United to Save Democracy and the Black Church PAC are coordinating parallel efforts in nine states.

Other strategies being deployed include "text-a-thons," phone banks, and a poll chaplaincy program in which clergy members are stationed at voting sites to de-escalate tensions and assist voters who encounter problems.

The Rev. Barbara Williams-Skinner, a veteran civil rights advocate, is among the leaders training poll chaplains for the effort. She said the program is designed to ensure that every eligible voter can cast a ballot without intimidation or confusion.