My fellow Young Democrats -

As we near the end of Black History Month, I want to highlight a word for you: “Intersectionality.” For too long, activists and advocates have worked in the thought that many of our issues operate in their own silos. However, many of the problems that we face today can be solved while looking at them with an intersectional mindset. Issues of social, racial, and economic justice all overlap with one another in many ways.

Looking back on history, one of the great leaders who used this intersectional approach was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was assassinated in Memphis, TN, while standing for all working people’s rights, not just one group. During the Memphis sanitation workers strike, he led a multicultural, multiracial, intersectional march for both the Black community and our brothers and sisters in Labor to fight for economic justice and racial justice. Back in the 1960s, white men and black men walked arm in arm asking to be recognized as human beings. Labor organizers after Dr. King’s time went so far as to be quoted saying “the struggle of the Black Panther is my struggle too.” That’s not something they will put in your High School history books.

During my AYD Presidency, I want to make sure that we are centering the issues such as class struggle with that same intersectional lens. Social, economic, and racial justice all fall into the purview of some of the instances we have already been raising.

If you have been keeping up with AYD, we have been issuing statements pretty regularly. This is intentional. As the late great John Lewis said, “Stand up. Speak up. Speak out.” That is exactly what AYD will do when those problems arise in Arlington and beyond.

Last week, we put out a statement raising awareness of the unsafe labor practices happening with an external company under contract at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus. Though at first blush this may seem like a labor or an economic issue, it’s much more than that. These workers, many of whom are immigrants, are afraid for their physical, financial, and legal safety if they do not arrive at work. In some cases with immigrant workers, their immigration status may be threatened. In the case of undocumented workers, the threats can be much, much worse. These janitors risk their health and lives to work for George Mason University and ensure a clean, healthy workplace for staff and students alike. Since 2020, the custodial and janitorial staff who have attempted to organize underneath 32BJ SEIU have been met with intimidation, threats of retaliation, and, in extreme cases, termination.

This week, we put out a statement speaking in solidarity with the Indian Farmers’ Protest. Since September 2020, millions of farmers across India began to protest against three agricultural acts passed by India's Parliament. With over 250 million protestors nationwide, the Farmers’ Protest represents the largest labor movement and largest protest in human history. Unfortunately, peaceful protests have been met with excessive use of force against civilians, suppression of free speech, and the abduction of journalists directed by the Indian government. As we said, we cannot justify the promotion of democratic values worldwide without speaking out against clear attacks on those same values.

We are seeing these mass labor and people-powered movements happening across the globe right now. Amazon workers are unionizing for the first time in Alabama in a historic precedent-setting vote. Protestors are demanding to uphold free and fair elections in Myanmar. Activists and the people of Hong Kong have been fighting for their independence with their lives.

These issues between the working class and the wealthy class are not unique to the United States. Problems with cracking down on protestors are not uniquely American either. We cannot sit idly by and wait to say something when it is politically convenient. We cannot wait until someone else makes a move. We are the leaders that we have waited for and we as young folks must lead by that example. My advice to everyone is, “if you see something, say something.” And you can bet your lucky stars that AYD will continue to say something.

I want to put one last thing on your radar. During this past Black History Month, we have been celebrating leaders in the Black community in different industries. I want to share a great Virginia-based activist and singer-songwriter, Crys Matthews. An article with Bluegrass Situation described Matthews, born and raised by a preacher in the South, as an “Americana-creating, Black lesbian [who] understands and appreciates the myriad ways her background informs her ability to help others empathize with those with whom they might assume they have nothing in common.” I had the pleasure of hearing her play a couple of weeks ago and she played, “Call Them In.” inspired by and dedicated to Rep. John Lewis, which perfectly encapsulates our need to raise all of the issues I spoke of before. I encourage you to listen to this song and feel energized to continue to “make good trouble every chance you get.”

In Solidarity,