Hi there,
My name is Ryann Richardson. Long before I became the 50th Anniversary Miss Black America, before I was a tech executive or a diversity advocate, I was a weird nine-year-old watching impeachment proceedings on TV.
The world seemingly caught on fire after Donald Trump was elected. Exhausted by an administration that trades on hatred, I was prepared to “clock out” on America for a while to preserve my own mental health.
I questioned if the system could be fixed by many of the same politicians who broke it in the first place. I was skeptical that is, until I found myself struck by one leader who I believe to be different: who’s young and brilliant, a war veteran who answers questions directly and speaks to people like people.
I found the candidate I was looking for in former South Bend Mayor, Pete Buttigieg. He is the best positioned to defeat Donald Trump but the challenge is getting there. South Carolinians vote tomorrow, and Super Tuesday states vote just three days later.
Will you donate $5 right now to make sure our team is in the strongest possible position heading into these elections? [[link removed]]
For our exceedingly polarized country to realize a better America, we have to first find common ground. Pete’s agenda can win because it can unite a majority of Americans in moving our nation in a positive direction.
He doesn’t feed into the toxicity in our political discourse. Instead, he offers thoughtful answers to the questions that matter. How do we connect Americans in our common interests? How do we usher in a sustainable future for our country?
I see all three of those qualities in Pete, perhaps most importantly to me, in his approach to race. [[link removed]]
Like most of us, I’m accustomed to politicians rolling out the theatrics to court Black voters: popping up at every soul food spot in town, scheduling the always bizarre photo opp in a local barber’s chair, and paying lip service to improving quality of life for Black folks -- only to forget us after Election Day.
I’m used to white men -- especially political figures -- whose memories get foggy when recalling the institutional inequities at the very foundation of our country, and the continued history of policies (some authored by current presidential candidates) that have directly harmed Black Americans. I don’t see that with Pete.
Pete released the ambitious Douglass Plan. Its provisions would fundamentally change lives for so many Black Americans. They include investing $50 billion in HBCUs, tripling the number of underrepresented entrepreneurs within a decade, ending incarceration for drug possession, and dismantling the financial incentives central to our criminal justice system by eliminating for-profit federal prisons and the cash bail model.
These are critical reforms and I respect that Pete talks about them, and the systemic racism they address, not only with Black voters, but in front of predominantly white audiences, affirming that “Black issues” are American issues. [[link removed]]
As Black Americans, for generations, our votes have been taken for granted by candidates who saw our support as a foregone conclusion.
Today, they shouldn’t. We have options.
We have a responsibility to ourselves and to the future of Black America to explore those options, to question the conventional wisdom about who we should support, and to scrutinize the (sometimes long and problematic) record of any candidate who purports to deserve our loyalty.
I believe Pete is the best candidate not only to win back the White House, but to actually lift up the people who politicians have always left behind. So before states cast their ballots, please make a donation of any amount you can afford to this campaign so together, this team, this candidate, can continue on in this election to defeat Donald Trump. [[link removed]]
History has taught me it’s rare we have an opportunity in a candidate like Pete Buttigieg. We should not waste it.
Ryann Richardson
P.S. I’ll be hosting a virtual town hall along with Reggie Love and Pete tomorrow afternoon. Click here to RSVP and our team will send you all the details you need. [[link removed]] Thanks!
Pete for America
PO Box 1226
South Bend, IN 46624
United States
Paid for by Pete for America.
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