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Each day of this election season is a roller coaster of good news, bad news and bizarre news. But we must not get distracted by the push and pull of the media cycle. Rather, we must keep our eyes on the prize.
This moment is calling all of us to discipline and persistence. No longer can we go about our lives business as usual and be fairweather citizens. This is an all hands on deck, drop everything and channel all of your energy and actions towards defending democracy and taking back our country. If you ever wondered what you would have done during slavery or during the holocaust, you’re doing it now [[link removed]].
We need to engage in the practice of politics the way we engage in the practice of yoga or meditation - as an everyday commitment to our personal and collective wellbeing. We can’t defeat fascism with only some of us engaging some of the time. We need all of us leaning in and taking action right now. We need to dig deep and source our sustenance and strength from each other. And we need to do our part for the grandmothers who came before and for the children who will come after.
In the latest CTZN Podcast [[link removed]], Ruby Sales and Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis reminds us that we find hope in history and in each other. Hope comes alive in our actions and in our commitment to the future that we all deserve.
It’s our turn and this is our time. Let’s do it.
Kerri (she/her)
The pandemic is forcing moms out of work at great financial, societal and marital costs. How mothers are the ‘shock absorbers’ of our society. [[link removed]] [click to tweet] [[link removed]]
Only by dismantling unjust systems can we imagine a future that is safe, healthy, and truly free. Colin Kaepernick on the demand for abolition. [[link removed]] [click to tweet] [[link removed]]
Indigenous Peoples and their cultural traditions are real and deserving of respect. Thirty everyday phrases that perpetuate the oppression of indigenous peoples [[link removed]]. [click to tweet] [[link removed]]
Donald Trump is cratering among women in the suburbs, losing support among senior citizens and facing a wave of Democratic early voting. How the White House will be won [[link removed]]. [click to tweet] [[link removed]]
Either we as a species learn to live well with each other and the earth now [[link removed]], or die trying. A conflict handbook about turning towards each other [[link removed]]. [click to tweet] [[link removed]]
WHERE WE ARE: 15 million Americans have voted! That’s 10 times the number who voted by this time in 2016. States like Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Virginia have already received more ballots three weeks before the election than in all of 2016.
WHAT WE NEED: We need to vote early and votewell. The earlier we can get our ballots in, the more likely they are to be counted. If you live in a state that allows for early voting, do not hesitate. Vote now. Then organize. This election isn’t just about our individual vote, it’s about our collective vote. Democracy only works when everyone’s voice and vote is counted. Go get your people and help them vote. [[link removed]]
HOW WE PROTECT EACH OTHER: With the stakes being as high as they are, voter suppression already more rampant than ever, and the nationalist right emboldened by conspiracy theorists and the President himself, we’re depending on you to ensure people are able to vote freely and safely. How can you help? By becoming an Election Defender. Sign up to be an Election Defender here. [[link removed]]
Art by @winnie.weston
Voting for president has been the focal point of this election season, but local voting matters more [[link removed]]. Down ballot races govern how we go about our daily lives. And in a pandemic reality, local races determining when and how our kids go back to school, whether to “reopen” the economy, access to testing, treatment and contact tracing are more important than ever. Additionally, state legislatures (compared to congress) are much more productive. But 30% of voters don’t vote down ballot, often because they don’t know who or what to vote for. That’s why we’re organizing communities to vote together. Our VOTEWELL Ballot Guide [[link removed]]brings people together around the issues that matter so that they can collaborate and make conscious decisions up and down the ballot. **Join us this THURSDAY at 7PET [[link removed]] for a community training on how to get organized and win.**
Art by @closecallstudio
**NEW PODCAST ALERT**
This conversation with Ruby Sales, Rev Dr Jacqui Lewis and Micky Scottbey Jones [[link removed]] is everything. It explores what it is to hope in these times, how to reclaim ourselves beyond white supremacy and why we need to build a movement of intimacy and accountability. Check it out. [[link removed]]
SWAG ALERT!!!! We’ve partnered up with Be Love on a VOTE collection [[link removed]] featuring cool hats and apparel so that you can wear your activism and inspire others to turn out the vote (proceeds go to CTZNWELL).
WELLREAD is community powered and crowd-sourced. That’s how we keep it real. Join us on Patreon [[link removed]] for as little as $2/month so that we can keep creating content that matters for CTZNs who care.