This morning, I meet my hub in a dark parking lot. We climb over the sand dunes, sit on the shore with bowls full of oats, and keep our eyes fixed on the horizon. Darkness fades to twilight and, as the sun rises behind us in the East, our leader Leah guides us in song.
We have a big day ahead of us, John. It’s Election Day—our last chance to vote triple ( here’s a guide so you can too [[link removed]] ) and phonebank to get out the vote ( check out our Victory Fest events running all day [[link removed]] ).
When it’s my turn to give a speech this morning, my instinct is to wax poetic about hopes and dreams, about a generational destiny or the uncertain path ahead. But even I don't want to hear that right now. My anxiety is sky high, my limbs are tingling, and it feels like I’m trapped inside a free falling elevator.
All I want in this moment is for Anderson Cooper to look me in the eye, announce a key election projection, and for the entire world to erupt in song, champagne, and fireworks. All I want right now, is for now to be over.
But Leah leads us—not only in Sunrise songs, but also in action planning. Leah grounds us in the truth: we have a plan, and it’s a good one. We have prepped and practiced, and today is just about following through . It’s about vote tripling and supporting our communities in defending their right to cast ballots.
Today is about making sure everyone is counted. We need your help to do that. Today, use this guide to help make this the biggest voter turnout this country has ever seen. [[link removed]]
For tonight and tomorrow, we have a few different plans to meet each moment as it comes. I can’t predict what’s next, but I will follow Leah’s plan. I trust her, I trust my hub, and I trust this movement and the values we all share. We are in this together.
I know for hubs all across the county, the story is the same. This year has brought absolute chaos and devastation, but we always find a path forward . Bernie dropped out, but we kept our dream of revolution going and convinced Joe Biden to mold his climate plan after our own . COVID hit, so we created a people’s dialer, delivered mutual aid, and took Earth Day online . George Floyd was murdered, so we rallied for Black Lives in a whirlwind moment and helped plant the seeds of a future based in community care, not violent policing . We won a slew of down ballot progressive races and shattered phone bank records .
I saw some numbers yesterday—9.8 million people organized by the youth movement. That’s as big as the entire population of Sweden, and we did it online or six feet apart.
No matter the outcome of today, take a victory lap now. Look yourself in the mirror and say, “You are the hope of the future.” We defied everyone’s expectations, pulled off incredible organizing feats, and the decade of the Green New Deal is just beginning.
For today, we carry out the plan. Click here for instructions on how to vote triple, then grab a friend to help you. [[link removed]] Just an hour of your time can mean the difference in securing a win.
And remember, today isn’t just about the president. We’ve got plenty of Green New Deal champions in several states who need your help, too. Sign up for a Victory Fest event to help (and it’s a good opportunity to have the company of other Sunrisers for support) [[link removed]] .
Today is just a moment—but we are a whole movement . No matter what lies ahead, our movement will stick together, and together we cannot be stopped.
Love to you all,
Nikayla
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