Indivisibles,

Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked to you a lot about racial justice and the need to build a democracy that works for everyone. This week, we want to continue that conversation by talking to you about another racial justice issue that’s moving in Congress: D.C. statehood.

Here’s a fun fact: The District of Columbia is more densely populated than both Vermont and Wyoming. 

Another fact: D.C.’s population of 700,000 voting residents is 46% Black -- if D.C. is granted statehood, it would be the only state in the nation to have a plurality of Black residents.

Currently, D.C. residents are treated as second class citizens, lacking equal voting rights compared to their neighbors across the country. Sure, D.C. can elect its own local officials, but the federal government can override their will at any time.

Trump and Attorney General Barr showed us how little autonomy D.C. has when they ordered federal law enforcement to use munitions (read: tear gas and rubber bullets) on peaceful protestors without the consent of D.C.’s mayor -- just so they could have an awkward photo-op. This gross abuse of power is just one example of why we support the vote this Friday for D.C. Statehood (H.R. 51). 

While it's unlikely that the Senate would ever act on this bill while Republicans are in power, Friday’s vote in the House is a critical first step to laying the groundwork necessary to democratize the Senate and make D.C. a state when we take power in 2021.

For more on this and all of our other asks, here are our weekly to-dos:

 Your 5 weekly to-dos 

1. Call your Representative and demand they vote YES on D.C. statehood. Then, call your Senators and demand they cosponsor the D.C. statehood bill. D.C.’s 700,000+ residents live without their constitutional rights as Americans, lacking full representation in Congress and control over their own affairs. A historically-Black city, D.C.’s lack of statehood is a remnant of Reconstruction when racist white politicians sought to prevent the District’s majority-Black residents from gaining political power. But on June 26 we have a chance to correct that mistake: the House will vote on D.C. statehood again for the first time since the 1990s. Check out our resource about why D.C. statehood is a racial justice issue, then, call your members of Congress and demand they support D.C. statehood. 

2. Register for our End of SCOTUS Term Virtual Protest. We were pleasantly surprised by the two wins the Supreme Court handed down over the last two weeks (protecting LGBTQ workers and DACA recipients) but the Court is still stacked against us. Just because we won last week doesn’t mean we can afford to forget that the partisan, conservative justices on the Supreme Court are still capable of inflicting tremendous damage to our democracy. That’s why Take Back the Court, Indivisible, and Demand Justice are coming together to fight back and press for court reform. Join Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ro Khanna, Alicia Garza, W. Kamau Bell, and Dan Pfeiffer on June 30th, 8pm EST for an hour-long virtual protest on Facebook Live.

3. Check out our final episode of our Youtube series, COVID Corruption. In our fifth and final episode of COVID Corruption, host Eli Gerber discusses how Republicans want to protect corporations who are putting their employees at risk of contracting coronavirus.

4. Call your local officials to express your support for defunding the police, ICE, and the CBP. So many of you joined the fight to support and protect people of color from state sanctioned violence, but the honest truth is a lot of that work has to happen locally, in your town and every city across the country. Call your local officials and demand that they defund the police and invest those funds in resources.

 2020 Update 

New week, new set of primaries! We’re 133 days away from the general election, 56 days away from the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee, and one day away from the New York and Kentucky primaries. Here’s what we’ll be keeping an eye on this week:

• Tomorrow, many voters in Kentucky & New York will be casting in-person ballots in their respective primaries. Both states have worked hard to expand access to absentee voting by mail in light of the on-going coronavirus pandemic, but as we’ve seen in other states holding pandemic primaries, voting by mail is not a perfect solution -- both states are ramping up their absentee ballot programs from almost nothing, leaving both states’ elections administrators overwhelmed with the number of absentee applications to process and ballots to mail out. The increase in mail ballots will inevitably slow down the counting process, delaying the release of official results. We shouldn’t expect anything definitive out of either state for at least a week. While it’s possible that some races will be called tomorrow night, it’s best to take any result with a heavy grain of salt. We’re keeping a close eye on the Kentucky Senate primary to see if Indivisible endorsed candidate Charles Booker is able to convert his late momentum into a win over Amy McGrath. Learn more about Charles and why he’s the right candidate for this moment by checking out our endorsements page!
• Two weeks ago, Indivisible and Stand Up America announced the launch of Protect the Results, a joint initiative seeking to protect the valid results of the 2020 election. Why are we doing this? Because in 2016, Trump repeatedly threatened to not accept the results of the election. Because he’s made baseless claims of voter fraud and has called into question the validity of vote-by-mail. And because he’s made disturbing comments in recent months that he could stay in office past 2024. 
  Protect the Results will build the infrastructure to mobilize millions of Americans should Donald Trump take steps to undermine the outcome of the election. If you're with us, click here to learn more about how you can Protect the Results!

 Find an virtual event "near" you 

1. Building Inclusive Groups 
For this webinar, we’ll be covering what it means to organize from an anti-racist standpoint, the impact of white privilege and white supremacy in team dynamics, and how to change the practices of your group for the better. This training is framed for white Indivisible Group Leaders who are ready to do the necessary work of undoing racism in day-to-day organizing, though all Indivisibles who are interested in this content are welcome to attend.
Date: TONIGHT June 22nd, 8pm EST -- Register here.
Date: June 23rd, 3pm EST -- Register here.

2. Rural Voices Summit
Join us for Indivisible’s Virtual Rural Voices Summit! Come connect with rural Indivisible groups and rural organizers from across the country for a day of digital celebration, self-care, and rural power building in anticipation of the November election.
Date: June 27th, 11 AM-5:30 PM EST -- Register here.

3. July National Activist Call
The National Activist Call is a monthly space for Indivisible leaders, members, and other activists to hear updates and connect with one another. 
Date: July 2, 2020 08:00 PM EST -- Register here.

Support The Payback Project and double your gift

Big news about the Payback Project: a donor has stepped up to match every gift up to $75,000! Our four-step plan to take back the Senate is in full swing, and we’re building the accountability and the organized movement to win against key GOP senators in November. But it’s your help that makes it possible: can you donate $10 to have your gift matched, support the Payback Project, and fund all our work?

 IndivisiWin of the Week 

With everything going on it's easy to miss the everyday acts of courage happening around the country. That’s why for our Weekly Win we wanted to highlight the resilience and creativity of a small community in California that came together to stand up against hate. 

Like you, we refused to be silenced and will keep elevating the voices of others every chance we get. Keep fighting, we’ll be right there with you. 

In solidarity, 
Indivisible Team