>> announcer: this is "nightline." >> tonight, she who votes, the power of women of color. >> i'm going to tell you something right now, women of color can make this happen. >> at the ballot box. >> i'm determined to make my vote count. >> get your tias and abul las and come out to vote. >> and -- >> could they be key to delivering the democrats the white house? reconciliation camp. >> opportunity to come together, not be color blind, need to celebrate each other's differences. >> lessons learned here may help heal the racial divide.

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thanks for joining us, tonight the growing political clout of women of color. galvanizing others across the country to get out the vote, taking action to bring about change in politics they say is overlooked and long overdo. abc's genet norman. norman. norr

>> no excuses people. when november 3rd comes, we're going to be like ahh, we did it, all of us together, we did it. there you go. >> woo! >> reporter: this group of women is on a mission. >> who said politics is boring? >> reporter: as the music blasts, they're blasting out thousands of text messages to women of color living in key battleground states. >> send, send, send. >> reporter: their message, vote. >> i hit 1,000. >> that's so cool. >> having a national tex the vote day. women from 38 states participating in this event. >> how many did you get? >> 1,000. >> 4,000. >> reporter: leading the charge is amy allison, founder of group

called she the people, launched what she says is first national mobile voter registration effort focused entirely on women of color. >> tell you something right now, women of color can make this happen. we have never had in this country a strategic and targeted effort to reach women of color. yet women of color are the critical vote. >> reporter: women of color are fastest growing voting bloc in the country, allison believes they could prove pivotal in delivering democrats a definitive victory. >> it's clear that women of color have a decisive role to play in 2020 election. michigan, trump won the state by 10,000. people of color who did vote, over 205,000 people. in pennsylvania, won by 44,000,

and 268,000 did not cast a vote. in texas. trump won in 2016,20168,20168,,6 women of color who didn't vote, over 2 million. >> i accept your nomination. >> reporter: it's actually the downballot races that determines top of the ticket. >> downballot races fuels the conversations that drive higher turnout. >> reporter: record 215 women of color are running for congress. one in texas. >> run on behalf of communities to lift them up. women of color have been doing this for years, time to have seat at table. >> reporter: if she wins, would flip dallas area district and be

first afro-latina to serve in congress. seeing a lot of women of color running. what is behind that? >> seeing donald trump in office is wake-up call for women who considered running for public office but didn't think they had enough degrees or qualifications. >> times have been tough but many of you here have been putting in work to save the very fabric of this country. >> reporter: said she never imagin imagined she'd run for congress one day. >> moved to dallas, resigned to thinking this was just going to be red area and weren't going to see a lot of changes. >> reporter: some argue that texas is a swing state. is that what you believe? >> i do. never felt it more than i do this moment. >> reporter: texans haven't voted for democratic presidential candidate since

jimmy carter. but polls show president trump and former vice president joe biden in a dead heat. 38 electoral votes. if biden pulls off win here, trump would have virtually no path to victory. >> quarter of the state is women of color, most likely democrats. with population that dwarves the numbers that trump won that state. true battleground state. >> reporter: campaign hopes to drive voter turnout in the suburban district she's hoping to represent. >> i'm running for congress. >> reporter: opponent is former trump administration official who calls herself part of a conservative squad. >> i'm beth van dyne, never defund the police or side with criminals. >> that's why we stand w van duyne. >> reporter: viewed as toss-up. some view as battle to define

the suburban vote. do you feel there are misconceptions of who lives in suburbs and who are the voters? >> there is huge misconception. i'm a soccer mom, suburban mother and wife in the suburbs. what i want for my children, family and community is the safety and prosperity that's afforded within the american promise. and color of my skin does not change that. >> reporter: 36-year-old grew up on the border in el paso, texas. mexican-american mother met black father in the army. childhood wasn't always easy. >> i learned growing up not all homes have four walls. >> lived in homeless shelter, on relatives' couches and at one point in kiddy pool side of gas station with mom but received housing from hud, food stamps to

keep us fed and public education became a home for us. think about my dream, going to college, becoming an educator, there was so much hard work but also so much luck. when you're working hard and doing everything you're supposed to do, luck shouldn't give you a stable life. >> reporter: mom of two has shifted to mainly virtual campaigning because of the pandemic. as election day draws near, fact that she could make history is not lost on her. what would you hope that you being in congress would say to other people who look like you? or young kids who look like you growing up? >> that the halls of government is theirs. people may know it intellectually but don't feel it viscerally. i want them to know deep down there is their country too. >> so i picked up my mom and we're going to go and drop off her ballot. >> this is it.

we're here, arrived at polling place. >> reporter: already more than 7 million people have voted early in texas. >> this is the line. 8:30, still wrapped around the building. >> inspires me to see all these individuals here, out for early voting. >> reporter: record-shattering number in state that's made it more difficult to vote in last four years and traditionally has low turnout. >> close to front of the line, been here about 40 minutes. >> i'm getting inside to vote. >> reporter: across texas 650,000 more women of color have voted at this point in the election compared to 2016, according to she the people. >> voting for women's rights and my sorority sister kamala harris. wearing pearls and getting ready to stroll to the poll. >> get your tias, abuelas, family members, mujeres, getjer,

them to vote. >> after every foreparents have gone through, determined to make my vote count. >> reporter: with a growing chorus of voices making themselves heard this year, amy allison hopes the impact will stretch far beyond election day. >> we're defusing centuries' old practice, prioritizing white vote and interest over everybody else. we want an equal share of the society and we want to govern. and 2020 is a year where so much of that is coming together, helping lead the country into a new era. >> our thanks. next, inside unique camping experience that may help this country heal its racial divide. for you, for the whole family.

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>> reporter: in southern kentucky, heaven meets the hillside. horseback riding, boating, but these are appetizers to the real entrée, a radical experiment going on in these mounts almost 20 years. >> very focused on diversity. >> reporter: place with audacious idea that racial reconciliation can happen at summer camp. process is simple, bring kids and families together from different backgrounds, races, ethnicities, in hopes of fostering life-changing relationships. tommy rhodes is the founder. >> being barefoot is a posture, all you can see is somebody's feet, don't know if they're a prince or pauper.

grew up in family, all black and white. didn't fit in. didn't know how god was going to utilize the story. applied to today. >> reporter: unabashedly christian, trying to be what heaven will look like. >> mission is christ-centered and up front about that, but also inviting others into it. feel like whole idea of people of different backgrounds is what jesus modeled for us. >> reporter: joined nine other families at barefoot, smaller version of the usual camp. >> excited to come to barefoot.

>> reporter: diversity is woven into their life. >> we live in neighborhood that's predominantly caucasian, when i look at my daughters, yearbook photo, see every other child is fully caucasian, i think wow, my daughter is missing out. >> i think there's something powerful about being taken out of your normal, coming together and meeting someone, hearing their stories. >> i have a lot of people come alongside me, say i'm excited about your mission, taught kids to be colorblind, i have pit in my stomach when i hear that. god created us to see color, created the color. for us to not see and acknowledge our differences, missing out on so much of creation. opportunity at barefoot is not be colorblind but acknowledge how beautiful this world is that god has given us.

>> reporter: thomas is barefoot's director of community relations. sees this as inflection point. >> george floyd and ahmad arbery, i believe everybody's eyes have been opened to see there is an issue, still a racial issue in this country. >> reporter: says for too long churches across america have shrunk away from issues of race. >> if we believe what bible said, believe who jesus was, we should be the ones leading the charge when it comes to loving and tearing down the wall of racism. i feel like we aren't the ones, we follow in later. we have to wake up. >> when barefoot started in 2002, one of the biggest challenges was attracting campers affluent and white. there's a lot of fear associated

with sending kids to place they're going to be in minority. it's turning the tables upside down a little bit. >> great to get to know other families that focus on the same things i do. >> reporter: family coming for years. 14-year-old molly, camp regular, this moment in the country has been eye opening. >> didn't recognize there was a problem until people started speaking out about it. changed my perspective on what a lot of people go through that i don't see and understand because i have the privilege of not having to go through all that stuff. >> it's heightened our awareness. we could be more, better. it's more than accept you, i need you, need your perspective to make me better and vice-versa. >> for campers, teaches them people that may not look like them could be really good,

life-long friends. >> reporter: first came in 2006. you punch your chest as if you're talking about a relative. >> it's very dear to my heart. >> reporter: she attended for six years. >> what i liked about barefoot, what i remember being a camper, you're not majority in the room. >> reporter: she's carried experience into her career, works at juvenile hall in orange county california with kids who are incarcerated. how did your experience influence the woman you have become? >> barefoot prepared me to know there's a spectrum of trauma that people experience and normalcy that people experience, but there's opportunity to be with people and love them. if you show up consistently and are there for them, can change their life. >> reporter: how relevant do you think barefoot camp is in

current climate of america in midst of what many are calling racial reckoning. >> being at barefoot, i have friends from different backgrounds and helps me understand how do i advocate for people who do not look like me, make a difference instead of talking about making a difference. >> reporter: for the families here, the camp can be a model. society where all faiths can feel at home. >> think of a just society, think of design for humanity, design for life, heaven that many of us look forward to. i think it's going to look like barefoot, have at the same table black and brown and white and really every color under the sun. gathering around the table for love. >> our thanks to byron. we'll be right back with a final note. we're all putting things off, especially in these times.

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a civic reminder. election day is next tuesday. for information on how you can cast your ballot, how to vote page on fivethirtyeight.com. that's "nightline," find full episodes on hulu. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.