Advocate,
Our nation is on the cusp of a new era — one that will demand bold action. With so much opportunity ahead, I wanted to reach out with an update about The Leadership Conference and how we will continue our work together to build the democracy we all deserve.
First, I'm Wade Henderson, and I served as president and CEO of The Leadership Conference for more than two decades. Now that President-elect Biden has asked Vanita Gupta to serve our nation at the Department of Justice, I'm stepping into the role as interim president to help lead the civil rights coalition through this transition as the Board of Directors works to find a permanent replacement.
Our nation is facing greater urgency than ever before to safeguard — and strengthen — our democracy. What our elected leaders do now matters. Healing our democracy requires accountability. It also means ensuring the new Congress and administration take meaningful action on voting rights and democracy reform.
So, I have an important ask of you, Advocate. Will you contact your representative and urge them to support H.R. 1, the For the People Act? This crucial bill, along with its Senate companion, will make voting fair and accessible, get big money out of politics, and hold public officials accountable — in short, create a democracy that works for all of us.
That so many Americans had to overcome voter purges, polling place changes, voter ID laws, intimidation, malfunctioning machines, hours-long waits, and health and safety risks to cast their ballot in the 2020 election is shameful. But the historic turnout last year clearly showed the determination and resiliency of the American people — especially Black voters and other voters of color who showed up despite relentless efforts to block their ballot.
Now, our leaders owe us real structural reform that will ensure we never conduct another election like we did in 2020. I know the power of this coalition to transform America is real. I've seen it time and again. So please, contact your representative today and urge them to pass the For the People Act.
Together we can get it done.
Thanks for taking action —
Wade Henderson
Interim President and CEO
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