John,

Today on Juneteenth, we commemorate the freeing of the last enslaved people in the United States, which happened on this day in 1865 – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

Juneteenth is a reminder that real and lasting change won’t happen overnight and is an important opportunity to look clear-eyed at the state of our democracy right now. We must pay close attention to the ongoing battles for fairness, equity, and meaningful representation at every level of our government. And we must act to ensure that Black voices are heard and uplifted in the halls of power.

As Emerge’s first Black woman president, I’m proud to lead an organization dedicated to changing the face of power, politics, and leadership in our country – so we can achieve policies that address the lived experience of all our communities. To that end, we must empower more Black women to lead at every level of office – from school boards to the U.S. Congress – and continue to support committed changemakers in our communities across the South.

Emerge is critical to this mission. We have 213 Black alums proudly serving in office right now, and we tirelessly train more bold women of the New American Majority to run and win. That’s why we launched our Seated Together program, our first-in-the-nation advanced candidate leadership program for Black women elected officials who aspire to run for higher office. Our third Seated Together cohort is happening right now, and our team is working to recruit more women for the program on a daily basis to ensure more Black women are at the helm at every level of government.

Our work is far from over, but by continuing to build our movement, Emerge is advancing the fight for real representation so that all our communities can thrive.

Thank you for being a part of this crucial work.

Standing with you,

A’shanti F. Gholar
President, Emerge