LeBron James backs effort to prevent U.S. black vote suppression

FILE PHOTO: Basketball player LeBron James arrives on the red carpet for the film "The Carter Effect" at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), in Toronto, Canada, September 9, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo

(Reuters) - Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is starting a group with other black celebrities to work to prevent the suppression of the African-American vote, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

James' group, More Than a Vote, will be focused on educating and protecting black voters as well as energizing more to show up at the polls for the Nov. 3 U.S. elections, according to the person who declined to speak publicly about the campaign.