John,

My name is Kalisha and I'm an advisor for When We All Vote. Mother's Day is tomorrow, and I'll be celebrating the many women -- my mother, my grandmothers, my aunties -- who inspire me to keep fighting for a more equitable and just country for women and girls from every community, and to make sure their voices are heard.

It was the strong women who raised me that ignited my passion for helping Americans register and turn out to vote in every election. I'm so proud to be the daughter of two Haitian immigrants and to have learned what it means to show up for your family and community from women like my grandmother, Charlotte, who persevered through every obstacle she faced to make sure that her children and her grandchildren were part of the fabric of this country.

My grandmother immigrated to Brooklyn, New York from Haiti in her early thirties. She was a mother of three at the time, and left her daughters behind in order to build a new life for them in the U.S. She did what she had to do to get by, working long hours in a factory as a seamstress while also studying to become a nurse's aide. After several years of building and saving, she was able to bring her children, including my mom, to Brooklyn where they started a new life and soon became American citizens.

Her journey took an extraordinary amount of courage, sacrifice and bravery. But isn't that what motherhood is all about?

So many of the opportunities I've had wouldn't have been possible without the lessons learned from my mother and grandmother. And there is no better way to pay it forward than to build a life around expanding opportunities for women and girls. Doing that means ensuring that women and girls across the country know that their vote is their voice. And when we use it, we are powerful. When we use it, we can shape our communities.

Tomorrow will be my first Mother's Day with my own child. To me, being a great mom means channeling the many lessons I learned from the mothers who came before me. It means courage, sacrifice and bravery. It means voting not only to give my child a better future, but to ensure that he grows up knowing that his voice matters too.

Now, I want to hear from you! Who inspires you to make your voice heard? Tell us a story about a mother or a mentor.

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Happy Mother's Day, everyone -- no matter how or whom you're celebrating tomorrow.

Take care,

Kalisha

Kalisha Dessources Figures
Advisor
When We All Vote








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