Friday afternoon, just after we finished putting together the Weekly Digest you’ll find below, we heard the terrible news that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court and a true champion for justice and equality, has died. It is hard to put into words just how much RBG did to advance women’s equality and make this country a better place, and so we’ll simply say this: we will fight like hell to honor her work and her memory. —The Ms. Team 

Dear John,

I’d like to invite you to an upcoming event we are incredibly excited about: join the Feminist Majority Foundation, Girls Learn International, The Civics Center, the Andrew Goodman Foundation, Common Cause and our team here at Ms. magazine this Thursday, September 24 at 8pm ET/5pm PT for a special, virtual screening of Capturing the Flag, a documentary that shares the story of three activists who worked to combat voter suppression in Cumberland County, N.C. in 2016. The film will be followed by a live town hall with experts on three key ways you can make a difference in the upcoming elections. Click here to RSVP. 

You’ll learn everything you need to know to make a voting plan, become a poll worker or join an election protection team. The live town hall features Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at Common Cause; Alexandria “Alex” Harris, executive director of The Andrew Goodman Foundation; and Courtney Cardin, who directs nonprofit partnerships and influencer engagement for Power the Polls. One of the activists featured in the film – Laverne Berry – will moderate.

Capturing The Flag is an urgent cautionary tale that documents what’s in store for the fast approaching election of 2020, and a close-up look of American democracy at its most vulnerable point. The shocking voter suppression we see unfold in real time in Capturing The Flag is proliferating across the country, as those who control local elections have been emboldened to rewrite access to the ballot box along partisan lines. The film serves as both a warning and a call to action for anyone interested in protecting the “One Person, One Vote” fundamental of our democracy.

We are now 45 days out from Election Day. As I’ve written in this letter many times, we are facing the most important election of our lifetimes. I’ve urged you to register to vote, check your registration, make a voting plan, and sign up to be a poll worker or election protection volunteer. Now, I’m calling on you to do all of this—and to check that your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues have done the same. We’re in the final countdown to the election—if you’re wondering how to get involved or where to begin, join us this Thursday. RSVP here.

For equality,

Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor

Our friend, Cynthia Terrell, founder and executive director of RepresentWomen, is back with another installment of her weekly column, rounding up some of her favorite stories about women’s representation in the news this week.