Turner Lane Wednesday, June 3rd 2020 Turner Lane *This is not a post about the protests or riots, I have another for that. Please keep that in mind. For now, this is about Turner Lane.* Turner Lane ... that is what I keep thinking about. In the small town of Nanticoke, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman was a conductor of the legendary Underground Railroad (Indians from the Nanticoke tribe also helped slaves, at great risk). Now, there is a short lane of about 1,000 yards with houses on small lots... I remember well: Turner Lane. Derrick Turner was my kindergarten classmate and my best childhood friend. We were essentially the same socioeconomic status... my family lived in a red trailer a few miles away. But there were no white people on Turner lane. In the small towns of Delmarva, black and white settlements, intentionally, were separated. At six years old, one does not know the complexities of inequality and racism. Even though I could tell things were different there, I did not understand why everyone was black in his neighborhood and white in mine. I do know that I loved when my mother drove me there, I loved Derrick, and I loved playing on Turner Lane. In 2017, I jumped at the chance to work with Chris Prudhome on bridging the gap, on creating a greater sense of confidence and cohesiveness in our communities. Working together, we passed House Res. 285, calling on Congress and the President to create police and community alliances to enhance and improve communication and collaboration between the law enforcement community and the public. I had already worked on criminal justice reform as a State Delegate. I would later pass the Ashanti Alert Act to bring more attention to missing minority female adults (and others), and would have later have language from a bill of mine incorporated into historic criminal justice reform passed in the 115th Congress and signed into law by President Trump. House Res. 285 was supported by the Congressional Black Caucus. The President of the national NAACP invited me to speak at their national convention - as the only Republican representative. I keep thinking about Turner Lane, of Derrick Turner - and of the realities to which, at just 6 years old, I both understood and was ignorant to. My past action is just the start. More change is needed; leadership is needed. Fixing a broken system will take people from all colors and creeds. Indeed, we are all in this country together and must love and support one another. Voting matters, but not simply for those who have given platitudes for years with no change, who weaponize race as a means to secure power, but by backing those willing to put in the necessary work to get it done. On election day, let's ensure Virginia sees the change that our community deserves. Let's restore effective, principled leadership to our Commonwealth and country. DONATE NOW Vote for Scott today! There are 3 ways to cast your vote in the Primary! Tuesday, June 23rd: Vote in-person on Election Day at your regular polling precinct May 8th - June 20th: Vote "absentee" in-person, in-advance at your local registrar's office Vote absentee: by paper ballot in the mail What does that mean? You can cast your vote for Scott today and in-person! For all the details for your locality, check out the VOTING INFO tab on our website! If you are concerned about visiting a polling location due to COVID-19, please know that absentee voting has been opened to voters, allowing Virginians to vote without visiting the polls. On your Absentee Application, just indicate Reason 2A. VOTING INFO Your Locality's Voting Information: PENINSULA NORFOLK EASTERN SHORE VIRGINIA BEACH SAVE THE DATES! Primary Day June 23rd 2020: Apply for an Absentee Ballot General Election November 3rd 2020 SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN Shop the online Campaign Store Make a campaign contribution Volunteer from home for the campaign! Apply for an Absentee Ballot & vote Scott Taylor in the upcoming June 23 Republican Primary Donate Today ‌ ‌ ‌ Taylor for Congress 2020 | PO Box 1284, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!