Citizen Change

Citizen Change is a political service group, founded in 2004 by musician P. Diddy, and backed by Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and 50 Cent.^[1] The stated aim was to get young people and minorities to vote.^[2]

History

The campaign's message, promoted on t-shirts and other things, is "Vote or Die!", a phrase adapted from Join, or Die, a well-known cartoon by Benjamin Franklin.

2004 presidential election

P. Diddy said at the time that its mission was to make voting "hot" and "sexy."^[3][4] The 2004 campaign included a line of "Vote or Die" t-shirts, an album, a voter registration push in cities and campuses nationwide, and commercials on such outlets as MTV and BET.^[2]

2008 presidential election

P. Diddy invoked the phrase, "Obama or Die", at the BET Awards 2008.^[5]

In pop culture

• In a South Park episode entitled "Douche and Turd", P. Diddy and his associates chase Stan Marsh around with weapons and literally threaten to kill him if Stan does not vote.
• In 2012, the "Vote or Die!" t-shirt concept was resurrected for the Democratic National Convention in the form of parody "Vote Obama" t-shirts.