Dear,

Ballots are going out to voters across the state as you read this, but we are still facing a massive turnout problem.

Just one out of every two Black, Indigenous, and people of color is a regular voter, and we need to do everything possible to improve that number in the next four weeks.(1)

That's why Courage California Institute has joined with Black Women for Wellness Action Project on its Power of One get-out-the-vote campaign. And for every $20 you donate today, you'll fund us reaching 1,000 potential voters with the commanding ad you see right here.

Will you donate $20 to help fund Power of One? All donations will go to help us reach our goal to fund get-out-the-vote advertisements in communities of color.

Black, Indigenous, and people of color make up 63% of the state but barely more than 40% of likely voters, giving them less of a voice in our government.(2,3)

Voting as a BIPOC in California is not easy, and there are historic barriers to getting to the polls.

Decades of poll taxes and policies meant to disenfranchise people of color -- including voter ID, voter roll purges, and residence requirements -- have all worked to suppress the vote.(4)

And even when BIPOC do have access to the polls, we aren't always inspired by our options. Many voters like myself see the legislature as not representing who we are, as representatives are overwhelmingly older, whiter, and more male than the population is. In fact, there are as many white men named James in the California legislature as there are Black legislators total.(5)

But there are historic numbers of BIPOC running for office this year, and we need Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color to get to the polls in order to achieve our vision of California as a democracy that represents everyone.

The Power of One ads, created with Black Women for Wellness Action Project, emphasize that every vote matters. The ads lift up historical figures who have beaten all the odds as well as the everyday BIPOC who live in California's communities right now. And these ads send potential voters to our Your Power is Your Vote website, which is a one-stop shop for registering and requesting a ballot.

These powerful ads are posted online and in transit centers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the Central Valley help get folks excited about voting. But we need to meet a $10,000 goal to reach half a million voters.

Will you help us fund Power of One get-out-the-vote ads and help drive people to the polls?

Yours in the fight for our democracy,

Molly, along with Angela, Annie, Caitlin, Deepthi, Gabby, Irene, Jay, Lindsay, Raquel, and Scottie (the Courage team)

Footnotes:
1. https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-population/
2. https://www.ppic.org/publication/race-and-voting-in-california/
3. https://www.ppic.org/publication/race-and-voting-in-california/
4. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2019/08/07/473003/systematic-inequality-american-democracy/
5. https://calmatters.org/commentary/my-turn/2020/07/voter-suppression-is-a-california-problem-too/

Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign) makes sure our democracy works for ALL of us by fighting corruption in California politics. We believe the solution lies in exposing and solving systemic problems through strategic organizing, enhancing coordination between progressive organizations, and mobilizing civic engagement from our communities, particularly voters of color, young voters, and self-identified progressives. The Courage California Institute is the educational arm of the Courage California family of organizations. Our mission is to defend and extend human rights through innovative leadership development, training, strategic research, and public education.

Courage California Institute is a 501c(3) non-profit organization. Contributions or gifts to Courage California Institute are tax deductible within IRS guidelines.