[1]Justice Democrats

John —

This morning the New York Times deputy editor in Washington publicly
suggested to JD’s Communications Director that Representatives Ilhan Omar
and Rashida Tlaib are not Midwestern anymore than civil rights hero John
Lewis is from the Deep South.

[ [link removed] ][IMG]

WHAT?!

How could that possibly make sense? Rashida Tlaib represents Detroit.
Ilhan Omar represents Minneapolis. And yes, John Lewis is from the Deep
South and bled for freedom and justice there. The answer is more
insidious: for decades, Republicans and racists have perpetuated the
connotation that American and Midwestern means white, and that black and
brown people in the Midwest are still somehow the other.

While the editor later deleted his tweet, it’s clear that the people who
shape our national conversation should be telling the story of how we are
all Americans, not repeating Trump’s racism. They do us all a disservice
when they echo Trump’s dog whistles that tell us some people are more
‘American’ or ‘Midwestern’ than others -- that our lives and our votes
matter less than others.

We must change the idea that people of color can’t exemplify the region —
or the nation — in which we live.



[ [link removed] ]Right now, Justice Democrats is hard at work recruiting powerful new
leaders like Ilhan and Rashida to run as energizing champions for
communities that our political system has left behind. Will you donate $27
to help bolster those efforts before our critical end-of-month deadline?

Donate



Republicans didn’t simply win the Rust Belt last year. Democrats lost in
large part because of low turnout from people of color and working-class
people of all backgrounds in cities like Detroit, Milwaukee, and
Philadelphia. Many members of the media and Democratic Party establishment
did not take these voters seriously in 2016 and continue to overly focus
on Trump voters.

Electability isn’t simply about moderation, it’s about motivation.

[ [link removed] ]Together, we’re building that movement. Will you donate $27 to help us
elect new, diverse leaders who won’t repeat the mistakes of 2016?

Donate

This conversation shows why we need more diverse newsrooms, and why it’s
important to allow more young people, people of color, working-class
people and progressives to help shape our national conversation.

By building powerful grassroots movements that fight for our values, and
lift up champions who will fight for their communities instead of wealthy
elites, we can motivate working-class people of every background to turn
out in 2020.

In solidarity,

Justice Democrats


 
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