John,
We worked long and hard to ensure we did all we could to vote Donald Trump out of the White House -- we succeeded. And in doing so, we even elected a Black woman --
the first Black woman -- to the vice presidency.
But the truth is, getting Trump out of office was not the end all, be all. The work is
just beginning. We start by both holding the new president-elect and vice president-elect accountable to their campaign commitments of addressing systemic racism and by emphasizing our willingness to work with them.
That's why Black Lives Matter sent a letter to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris requesting a meeting with them both to discuss the expectations that we have for their administration and the commitments that must be made to Black people.
The more people who ask for this meeting, the bigger the seat our movement has at the table -- please join us in our meeting request by signing this petition.
Without the resounding support of Black people, we would be saddled with a very different electoral outcome. Black Lives Matter, along with countless other Black-led organizations across the entire country, invested heavily in this election, and together we reached more than 60 million voters. We want something for our vote.
Black people cannot and will not live through the indifference of a Democrat-controlled government refusing to wrestle with the most egregious and damnable shame of not delivering for Black people -- especially when Black people are their most consistent and reliable base.
The largest social justice movement in history knows there's strength in numbers. Please join us in our request for a meeting between Black Lives Matter and the president- and vice president-elect -- because we will be heard, and our agenda will be prioritized.
Black people won the presidential election, and the divisive and baseless attacks assuming Black Lives Matter cost elections for down-ballot Democrats have no place in our fight for Black liberation. We refuse to succumb to those attacks, just as we refuse to live in crisis in a nation that was built on our subjugation.
Up until this point, the United States has refused to directly reckon with the way that it devalues Black people and devastates our lives.
This cannot continue.
Both President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris expressed regrets regarding their records that have negatively impacted Black people. The best way they can remedy their missteps is to work toward a more just future for Black people.
This starts with meeting with Black Lives Matter to hear directly from Black organizers who have engaged in this work for decades.
Sign our petition requesting that President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris meet with Black Lives Matter at their convenience to begin the work together immediately.
John, get ready to work.
In love and solidarity,
Patrisse Cullors
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Black Lives Matter Global Network
P.S. See our full letter to the president-elect and vice president-elect here.
