Dear,
Irene Kao here, executive director of Courage California.
A lot has happened this year, but what I will always remember about 2020
is the way Courage members like you showed up to take a stand against
white supremacy, corruption, and misinformation. You showed up in the
streets, on Zooms, and with your ballots to fight for equity, justice, and
accountability. And you’ve inspired me, our team, and the world to keep
the faith in each other and our shared vision: a California and a nation
that represent and work for everyone.
I want to give you a small snapshot of what you accomplished this year:
42,050 of you engaged with our Your Power Is Your Vote online voter hub,
contributing to historic voter turnout in California. In the general
election, 80.7% of the over 22 million registered voters cast a ballot, a
turnout rate we hadn't seen since 1976.
607,000 of you -- 1 in every 29 people who voted in California -- used our
Courage Voter Guide in the general election, launching several of our
endorsed candidates into office: Los Angeles Supervisor Holly Mitchell,
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, Los Angeles Assemblymember
Reggie Jones-Sawyer, and San Jose Assemblymember Alex Lee. In their first
days in the 2020 legislative session, Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer
introduced a bill to raise requirements for police officers, and
Assemblymember Lee introduced a bill to ban corporate contributions to
California candidates.
2,108 of you contributed $43,289 to publish an ad in the Los Angeles Times
helping Black Lives Matter L.A. hold former Los Angeles District Attorney
Jackie Lacey accountable, and, ultimately, electing Gascón to replace her.
DA Gascón has already met with Black Lives Matter LA and rolled out a
series of critical reforms, including ending most uses of cash bail,
prioritizing resentencing for inmates serving excessive prison terms, and
calling for a Use of Force Review Board.
13,608 of you took the pledge to #BlackOutBezos to demand better worker
protections for Amazon employees, many of whom work in warehouses in the
Central Valley and the Inland Empire, where there have been COVID-19
safety violations and outbreaks. California is now suing Amazon to force
its compliance with an investigation into its COVID-19 violations.
2,000 of you signed a petition to Governor Newsom with the National Union
of Healthcare Workers to advocate for more PPE for frontline workers in
our health-care system. Doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers are
now receiving the first COVID vaccinations.
We proved in 2020 that we will not be defined by the pandemic or Trump or
white supremacy. We are instead defined by how we acted and who we fought
for, and that is what makes me proud to lead Courage California. You give
me hope for what 2021 will bring and what we can do to move California
toward a representative democracy in the 2022 election.
We need your support now to get the next year started right and keep this
work going. In early 2021, we’ll start a multiyear campaign to pass health
care for all in California, launch our newest Courage Score, and convene
partners around the state to coordinate 2022 election strategies. We’ve
already raised $13,000 of our $50,000 end of year goal, and every dollar
you contribute will be matched, doubling your impact.
[ [link removed] ]Will you donate to help Courage California hit our year-end fundraising
goal and fund our work for 2021? Your donation will be DOUBLED by a
generous donor.
Don’t worry if you can’t contribute now. We know it’s been a hard year,
and we will always value you as a member of Courage. We’re in this for the
long haul, together.
Thank you for all you do as a Courage member. Keep showing up, engaging
with our partners, and letting us know how we’re doing. Thank you for
being an important source of hope, inspiration, and humanity for me in my
first six months here, and in such a year.
Have a safe and joyous holiday season, and see you in the new year!
With gratitude,
Irene, on behalf of the entire Courage team
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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.
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