MY BLACK COUNTS NC SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST

RULES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Contest Organizer

   1. NC Counts Coalition, a North Carolina based nonprofit 501c3 organization, has organized a contest for My Black Counts NC which will take place on the internet, exclusively for residents of North Carolina.

   2. The purpose of this challenge (“Contest”) is to raise awareness of the importance of counting black populations in the 2020 Census and to promote Census participation among black populations across North Carolina.

2. Changes and Acceptance of Rules, Terms and Conditions

   1. NC Counts Coalition reserves the right to modify or expand these Terms and Conditions and NC Counts Coalition shall have the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Contest, at its sole discretion, at any time for any reason.

   2. By entering the Contest, each Contestant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Rules, Terms and Conditions and by the decisions of NC Counts Coalition and My Black Counts NC, which shall be final and binding on all matters pertaining to the Contest. Likewise, Contestant agrees to abide by the rules of the social network in which the Contest is to be carried out.

3. Start Date and End Date

   1. Contest submissions will start on March 23, 2020 and end on March 27, 2020.

      1. Requirements for participation and mechanics of the Contest

         1. The requirements for participation will be as follows:

            1. Individuals and or groups who participate in Contest (“Contestant”) must be following at least 1 of My Black Count NC’s social media accounts during the promotion:

               1. My Black Counts NC Social Media Accounts

                  1. Twitter: @MyBlackCountsNC

                  2. Facebook: NC Counts Coalition

                  3. Instagram: @MyBlackCountsNC

                  4. TikTok: @MyBlackCountsNC

4. There are 4 categories, which means 4 ways to win for Contestant:

   1. Create a meme (or GIF)

      1. Create a great internet Meme (or GIF) about the #2020Census!

         1. Required:

            1. Submitted memes (of GIFs) must fit within the theme of My Black Counts NC www.myblackcountsnc.org). They can be informative (informative about the importance of the Census) or persuasive (persuading individuals to participate in the Census).

            2. It must include the hashtag, #MyBlackCountsNC and #BlackCensusWeek

            3. No profanity, No racial slurs, Keep it family friendly

            4. Optional: You can include the website: myblackcountsnc.org

            5. Need Help? Check out these free meme building websites:

               1. https://makeameme.org/

               2. https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

               3. https://www.kapwing.com/meme-maker

               4. https://spark.adobe.com/make/meme-maker/

                  1. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE ANY OF THE ABOVE SUGGESTED WEBSITES! THIS IS ONLY IF YOU NEED HELP TO GET STARTED.

      2. How do you enter?

         1. Post your submission on any of the other social media platforms listed in Paragraph 3, and use the hashtag #MyBlackCountsNC, #BlackCensusWeek and Tag My Black Counts

5. 2. Create a TikTok video

      1. Create a TikTok video in a creative expression of your choice about the #2020Census!

         1. Required:

            1. Submitted videos must fit within the theme of My Black Counts NC (www.myblackcounts.org). They can be informative (informative about the importance of the Census) or persuasive (persuading individuals to participate in the Census).

            2. It must include the hashtag, #MyBlackCountsNC

            3. It must be 15-60 seconds long

            4. No profanity, No racial slurs, No obscene gestures, Keep it family friendly

      2. How do you enter?

         1. Post your submission on TikTok ,or any of the other social media platforms listed in Paragraph 3, and use the hashtag #MyBlackCountsNC and Tag My Black Counts.

         2. Contest should post their submission on the social media platform of their choice with the hashtag, #MyBlackCountsNC and #BlackCensusWeek. Once Contestant includes the hashtags on your post, it will automatically be submitted to NC Counts Coalition for review.

         3. Once approved by NC Counts Coalition, Contestant’s submission will be posted to the voting page on My Black Counts NC’s website at this link.

         4. Contestants can share their posts on social media and encourage people to vote for their submission.

         5. Submissions that receive the most votes from the general public will be selected as winners for a first, second and third place prize in the Public’s Choice category.

   3. Create a video

      1. Feeling a little more traditional (i.e. you don’t know how to use TikTok)? Create a fun, inspiring and informative video about the #2020Census!

         1. Required:

            1. Submitted videos must fit within the theme of My Black Counts NC (www.myblackcountsnc.org). They can be informative (informative about the importance of the Census) or persuasive (persuading individuals to participate in the Census).

            2. It must include the hashtag, #MyBlackCountsNC

            3. It must be 15- 3 minutes seconds long

            4. No profanity, No racial slurs, No obscene gestures, Keep it family friendly

      2. How do you enter?

         1. Post your submission on any of the other social media platforms listed in Paragraph 3, and use the hashtag #MyBlackCountsNC, #BlackCensusWeek and Tag My Black Counts.

5. 4. Spoken Word Contest

      1. Being counted can be empowering! Be inspired and empower our community through spoken word.

         1. Required:

            1. Your spoken word piece must be 30 seconds - 3 minutes long.

            2. Spoken word is a piece of creative writing that is best delivered through performance, so it can be a story, poetry, or some combination. The piece must be your own creative writing, but you can quote other writers. If you quote other writers, you must give credit to the author. Credit can be given in a description submitted with your work.

            3. Your spoken word performance must connect to the My Black Counts NC (www.myblackcountsnc.org) initiative and theme.

            4. You must video record yourself performing your work.

               1. Optional:

                  1. You may use costumes, props, music, and visual aids to share your spoken word performance. You are also welcomed to include dialogue and act out characters.

      2. How do you enter?

         1. Post a video of the performance of your work on any of the other social media platforms listed in Paragraph 3, and use the hashtag #MyBlackCountsNC and Tag My Black Counts

6. Number of Submissions by Contestant

   4. Contestants may participate in more than one category of the Contest, but is limited to one submission per category.

      1. Additional Entry Requirements; Representations by Entrants

         1. Each entry (including the submission submitted with each entry and all other data, information, images, content, and other materials included in the entry) must comply with the following:

            1. Each entry must be entirely the original work of the entrant (or in the case of group entries, the original work of the entrants in the group), other than music for which for which the entrant holds all intellectual property and other rights necessary to enable them to use the music in the entry, to enter the entry in the contest, and to grant the rights in the entry as provided in these Official Rules.

            2. No entry may contain any individual’s photograph, likeness, name, voice, or other element of persona and identity unless the Contestant has obtained all releases and consents from such individual necessary to enter the entry in the Contest, and to grant the rights in the entry as provided in these Rules, Terms and Conditions.

            3. Each entry must not infringe, misappropriate, or violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, or other proprietary rights of any third party.

            4. All information provided in the entry must be true, accurate, and correct in all respects.

            5. No entry may be created or submitted through any script, macro, or other automatic method.

            6. Each entry must comply with these Official Rules and all applicable Laws.

            7. Each entry must comply with all rules and policies applicable to the social site where the video is posted.

2. 1. 1. Entries must not contain anything (a) that is illegal, abusive, tortious, defamatory, pornographic, sexually explicit, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or otherwise objectionable; (b) that promotes discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or age; (c) that promotes violence or unsafe or illegal activity; (d) that is threatening, harassing, or degrading; (e) that serves to impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent affiliation with any person or entity; or (f) that disparages or injures the reputation or goodwill of NC Counts Coalition and/or My Black Counts NC or any of its partners, agents officers, directors, or employees.

      2. Contestant agrees that NC Counts Coalition has the right to repost Contestant’s content, crediting Contestant, on NC Counts Coalition’s owned & operated social channels

      3. Contestant agrees that NC Counts Coalition has the right to

      4. Contestant, by way of participation and entry, grants and conveys to NC Counts Coalition and My Black Counts NC all rights, title, and interests in any and all videos, memes, photographs, images, video, or audio recordings submitted by Contestant for Contest. By entering the Contest, each Contestant represents and warrants to NC Counts Coalition and My Black Counts NC, that:

         1. His or her entry (or entries, if applicable) meets all of the requirements in this Section.

         2. He or she meets all the eligibility requirements for the Contest.

         3. He or she has complied with these Official Rules and all applicable Laws in entering and participating in the Contest.

3. Eligibility

   1. Contestant(s) must be a resident of North Carolina. All ages are welcome to participate, but, those under the age of 18 must have the consent of a parent or guardian.

4. Promotion Conditions and Prizes

   1. How winners will be chosen:

      2. 2. 1. Winners will be be selected based on votes from the general population.

   2. Prizes:

      1. First place winners Contest category will receive a $500 gift card to a black owned business of winners’ choice or $500 contribution to a black led nonprofit or community-based organization of winners’ choice.

      2. Second place winners Contest category will receive a $350 gift card to a black owned business of winners’ choice or $500 contribution to a black led nonprofit or community-based organization of winners’ choice.

      3. Third place winners Contest category will receive a $200 gift card to a black owned business of winners’ choice or $500 contribution to a black led nonprofit or community-based organization of winners’ choice.

      4. Honorable mentions will receive a My Black Counts NC SWAG bag with goodies!

   3. Winner Notification:

      1. Winners will be announced on My Black Counts NC social media accounts on March 29th, 2020.

   4. Collection of Prize

      1. Winners must submit personal and identifiable information, such as first name, last name and mailing address, to NC Counts Coalition.

4. Disqualifications

   1. NC Counts Coalition reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any Contestant for any reason, which may include but is in no way limited to: NC Counts Coalition finds, in its sole discretion, a Contestant to be tampering with the participation process or the operation of the Contest, to be acting in violation of these terms and conditions / official rules, to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with the intent to disrupt or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest, or to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. NC Counts Coalition will also disqualify social media bots.

   2. Disqualified Contestants will automatically be excluded from the Contest and ineligible to receive a prize.

5. Publication of Comments or Opinions

   1. No comments or opinions whose content is considered inappropriate, offensive, insulting or discriminatory, or that could violate the rights of third parties, will be allowed. Nor will comments be permitted against any individual that are an infringement of personal honor, personal and family privacy, or personal image rights. We will not be responsible for any damages caused by comments made by the public and/or other social media users, or that may at any time offend the sensitivities of Contestants.

6. Exclusion of Liability

   1. NEITHER NC COUNTS COALITION NOR ANY OF NC COUNTS COALITION’S PARTNERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS, SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE CONTEST, ANY PRIZE, OR THESE OFFICIAL RULES, HOWSOEVER CAUSED, WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH SPONSOR PARTY WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND ALL SUCH DAMAGES ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED AND EXCLUDED. ALL PRIZES ARE GIVEN AWAY “AS IS.” THE SPONSOR PARTIES DO NOT MAKE AND HEREBY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT) WITH REGARD TO THE CONTEST OR ANY PRIZE. BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, BUT NOT LIMITATION, NC COUNTS, NC COUNTS COALITION’S PARTNERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS IS/ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSSES, THEFT, DELAYS OR ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ATTRIBUTABLE TO THIRD PARTIES THAT MAY AFFECT THE PROGRESS OF THIS CONTEST; NOR IS NC COUNTS, NOR ANY OF NC COUNTS COALITION’S PARTNERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE USE MADE BY THE CONTESTANT OF THE PRIZE OBTAINED IN THE CONTEST. NC COUNTS COALITION, NC COUNTS COALITION’S PARTNERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS DO NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY IN CASES OF FORCE MAJEURE OR UNFORESEEABLE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT MAY PREVENT NC COUNTS COALITION AND/OR MY BLACK COUNTS NC FROM CARRYING OUT THE PROMOTION OR THE TOTAL OR PARTIAL ENJOYMENT OF A PRIZE.

7. Personal Data / Information

   1. By accepting these Terms and Conditions, each Contestant consents to having their personal data included in a file, owned by NC Counts Coalition, for the purpose of managing the Contest, disseminating and publicizing the results, and administering the awarding of prizes.

8. No Endorsement

   1. Nothing contained in these Rules, Terms and Conditions or in any of the Contest materials should be construed as an endorsement by NC Counts Coalition and My Black Counts NC of any third party, product, or service.

9. Social Media Platforms

   1. The Contest may be advertised on or accessed through one or more social media platforms, such as TikTok, Facebook or Twitter. However, the Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, any such platforms. Contestants agree to comply with all terms and policies governing such platforms in connection with the Contest.