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John,
On Wednesday, we witnessed a siege on our nation's capital as Congress
sought to formalize the results of November's presidential election. In
spite of rampant voter suppression and intimidation, white supremacist
rhetoric, and fake conspiracy theories, the election was won handily by
President-elect Joe Biden. In an effort to invalidate an election that
didn't go their way, extremists stormed the Capitol building,
brandishing firearms, confederate flags, and white supremacist and white
nationalist ideology. What was also striking about these events was the
lack of response by law enforcement. We have clearly seen that when
Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander, and other people
of color peacefully protest, police responses have been, at times,
forceful and violent in response to those demonstrations.
Race Forward joined with Advancement Project National Office, Asian &
Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Demos, Faith in Action, NAACP,
National Congress of American Indians, National Urban League, and
UnidosUS, a collaborative of nine leading national racial equity anchor
organizations supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, in issuing a
statement yesterday. Read the full statement.
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Race Forward's flagship program, the Government Alliance on Race and
Equity
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(GARE), organizes and prepares local and state government to deliver
accountable, racially equitable government for all. The nearly 300 GARE
member jurisdictions (towns, cities, counties, court systems, parks, and
regional planning agencies) have increasingly held the line against
authoritarianism at the federal level and violence from racist and
anti-government right-wing groups like the Proud Boys, Three Percenters,
and others in their communities. GARE is dedicated to ensuring the
promise of government is achieved for all of us. We can only achieve
this when barriers and gaps are eliminated for communities of color, and
when government is held accountable for ensuring all of our well-being.
While we were horrified by this week's efforts to upend our democracy,
we are inspired by organizers across the country who have worked
fearlessly to uphold democracy and racial justice. We are particularly
inspired by our partners who have protected and expanded the rights for
Black voters to cast their ballots. We are inspired by our own GARE
members who work day in and day out to build a just, multiracial
democracy that meets the needs and demands of communities of color
across this nation.
In the coming weeks we can expect to see an increase in racist,
xenophobic, antisemitic, and antigovernmental violence. Race Forward
will continue to denounce these attacks. We will continue to join with
organizers, our GARE members, and our partners to fight for a
multicultural, multiracial democratic society.
We invite you to join us for #RaceAnd the Movement Forward: Looking Past
the Vote and Mobilizing for Racial Justice
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, taking place on January 14th
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. The second in a series of town hall conversations that centers
community power, develops movement strategy, and organizes for policy
change. Register
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today for this important town hall dicussion and mobilization.
In Solidarity,
-The Race Forward Team
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