John, this is a longer email, but I hope you’ll take a moment to read it.

In November 2018, on a small budget fueled by grassroots supporters like you, Justice Democrats succeeded in helping elect four of the most progressive candidates Congress has EVER seen: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York, Ilhan Omar in Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib in Michigan.

All four are women of color under the age of 50 with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences that fuel their desire to challenge the status quo and fight for social, economic, environmental, and racial justice for ALL people. None of them are beholden to the establishment.

Soon, they would band together in the collective fight for progress and real, bold change in Washington. It started with an Instagram photo of the four of them shortly after Election Day, posted by Alexandria with a caption that read “Squad.”

Republicans, right-wing media, and conservative groups like AIPAC quickly started to pay attention and wasted no time attacking these newly elected Congresswomen. One day after Alexandria’s post, Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham declared Alexandria, Ilhan, Ayanna, and Rashida “the four horsewomen of the apocalypse.” The Squad quickly became the new boogeyman of the GOP and a favorite target of Donald Trump.

Why? Because they were afraid of these four young, diverse women in power united in their fight to make healthcare guaranteed for everyone, pay workers a fair and livable wage, take bold and urgent action necessary to address the climate crisis, make housing more affordable, reform our broken criminal justice system, protect the LGBTQ+ community, defend everyone’s right to bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom, and stand up for the human rights of people around the world.

Once sworn-in to Congress in January 2019, the Squad got right to work. Alexandria’s first bill was the Green New Deal resolution to create millions of clean energy jobs, cut emissions, repair our infrastructure, and address climate change head-on. Ilhan introduced the NO BAN Act to repeal Trump’s racist and xenophobic Muslim travel ban. Ayanna introduced bills like the CROWN Act to ban discrimination against Black women based on hair style and texture. Rashida secured $3 billion in funding for home repairs and neighborhood revitalization and $1 billion to stop water shutoffs for low-income families during the pandemic.

All four are keeping up the fight for Medicare for All, a higher minimum wage, student loan debt forgiveness, and the rights of people facing human rights abuses here and abroad, including Palestinians.

They’ve been called the nastiest names, attacked for their ethnicity and faith, and been on the receiving end of countless death threats, but they made it clear: the Squad, and the progressive movement they represent, are here to stay.

Through your support, Justice Democrats has since gone on to elect additional members to the Squad, including Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman in 2020 and Greg Casar and Summer Lee last November, even when our opponents were spending millions of dollars and the odds were against us.

Our organization is experiencing financial struggles right now, but with grassroots contributions from people like you, we aim to get through this and continue electing more progressive leaders like the Squad to deliver the transformative change we deserve.

Will you make a donation of $3 or whatever you can afford today to help Justice Democrats expand the Squad and elect the next generation of progressive leaders in 2024 and beyond? We can’t do it without you.

Donate $3

We’re here today because of you. Together, we have forever altered the political landscape and reinvigorated the fight for progressive change across the country — and we cannot thank you enough.

In solidarity,

Alexandra Rojas, Executive Director
Justice Democrats

 

 

Do not worry if you cannot afford to make a contribution — we understand that this is a difficult time. If you’re struggling, you can find a food bank here. We appreciate everything you do to keep our movement strong. Please stay informed and follow the most up-to-date recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and your state public health department.