Stephen Colbert launches the Be Your Own President campaign

Stephen Colbert is leading the charge to fix a major problem he sees in America

Stephen Colbert spends most of his monologues on The Late Show telling his audience about the political and social issues plaguing the nation. But it is not without comedy, of course, or without a glimmer of optimism and an idea on how to turn the tide. Colbert’s “Be Your Own President” campaign, or BYOB, is the latest example.

During the June 1 episode of The Late Show, Colbert delivered a monologue signaling what he called a lack of moral leadership coming from the White House. The federal government’s response to the pandemic followed by President Donald Trump’s unpopular handling of protests for racial equality cemented Colbert’s perspective.

In the closing moments of the monologue, Colbert suggested that it was up to Americans like those protesting and supporting the demonstrations to be the leaders. The Late Show host admitted that President Trump was not going to change course and suddenly display the empathy and compassion that was necessary. So Colbert encouraged Americans to “be your own president.”

Wednesday night’s Late Show proved that that wasn’t just a rallying cry but the start of a bigger initiative. Colbert announced that there was much more behind the BYOP movement and shared the details on how his fans can get involved:

Late night hosts like Stephen Colbert continue to step up for charity

Fans who want to support the Be Your Own President movement can now do so in style. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert launched a web store with proceeds going directly to National Bail Out, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the National Urban League.

Colbert could have left BYOP as a nice catchphrase in his monologue. #BYOP would probably pop up on The Late Show‘s Twitter feed and in those of its fans. But instead, things were taken one step further as Colbert and other late night hosts continue to lead by example.

At the onset of the pandemic, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien and others did their part to raise money for worthy causes. Those efforts continue today even if the pandemic has been bumped from the top headlines of the day.

Now it is the protests, Black Lives Matter movement, and other social justice causes that are benefiting from late night’s generosity. BYOB combines the Late Show‘s creativity with its message of hope and call for unity. If people are looking for leadership, they can do a lot worse than late night comedians.

Are you going to pick up some Be Your Own President merchandise? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. Keep checking Last Night On for more from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the rest of late night television.