Oakland Community

Oakland “Ride Out to Vote” is a collaboration between Brianna Noble, Yoram Savion, and Kyla Searle, the film celebrates democracy as a collective act with nods to the Pony Express

Oakland – Today marks the release of Ride Out to Vote (ROTV), a short get-out-the-vote film for online audiences from Brianna Noble of Mulatto Meadows/Humble, director Yoram Savion, and creative producer Kyla Searle. ROTV inspires viewers to get their ballots to the polls and to post pictures of their experience using the hashtag #RideOutToVote.

In the lead up to this November election, Ride Out to Vote (ROTV) is a visual call to action. Taking its cue from Black equestrian activist and owner of Mulatto Meadows, Brianna Noble, whose iconic image went viral after she rode her horse through the streets of Oakland during the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations, ROTV brings together Northern California equestrians of color with a nod to the legendary Pony Express. The Pony Express was a California-based mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders during the 1800s, carrying mail all the way to Missouri. Leveraging Humble Heels Down Fists Up, the social activism arm of the Mulatto Meadows platform, ROTV builds on Humble’s work, inspiring positive change from the saddle. The idea for the video originated with Humble team members Nia Tahani Wilkes and Liz Rice and Liz’s father, Dr. Dan Rice.

“In the midst of a global pandemic, Americans are risking their health, braving long lines, and combating voter suppression to exercise their right to vote,” said creative producer Kyla Searle. “ROTV honors that effort; it uplifts voting as an epic act. It says: this moment is urgent, your vote is critical and we are riding with you.”

Ride Out to Vote follows a relay of diverse equestrians of color including a para dressage rider, a polo player, and western riders carrying ballots through ranches, grasslands, and mountains, across San Francisco to the Pacific Ocean, and landing in Oakland where a saddlebag full of ballots is dropped off at the courthouse.

Brianna Noble notes that, “Using the inspiration of the Pony Express really allows us to convey a sense of urgency to our audience to get out and vote. We wanted to show the diversity of our community in a fun uplifting manner.” ROTV includes community members on foot engaging with the riders and dropping ballots into their saddlebags. By illustrating democracy as a collective process, ROTV celebrates the great lengths that people take in order to vote in the United States.

Collaborating artists include Brianna Noble, director Yoram Savion, and creative producer Kyla Searle. ROTV features a diverse group of equestrians including polo player Dale Johnson, para-equestrian Andie Sue Roth, Humble volunteer Elizabeth Rice, and cowboy Brandyn Hartfield. Featured community members include retired cowboy Albert “Randy” Harris who starred in Larry Clarke’s Cutting Horse, dancer Johnny Lopez of Turf Inc., Samar Hmeidan of equestrian sportswear company Ariat International, and Richard Humphrey, acclaimed roller dancer and classic car owner.

On Thursday October 29th, at 3pm Brianna Noble and selected equestrians will participate in the ROTV call-to-action in real time, leading a local group of community members around Oakland’s Lake Merritt to the Alameda County Courthouse to drop off mail-in-ballots. Community members are encouraged to “ride” along on bikes, skateboards, roller skates, or scooters. The ride is co-organized by Molly Gore of “Fuck Talking, Go Vote.” Details and information for the ride can be found on both the heelsdownfistsup.com website and fucktalkinggovote.com. By leading voters in posting visual content of their own journeys to the polls using the hashtag #RideOutToVote, ROTV is creating an online community of voters engaging with the prompt “How are you showing up this election?”