Hi there D.C. neighbors! We’re including you on this email so you see what we’re up to, but we’re keenly aware that you don’t have a senator to call. If you’d like, please forward it to some friends who do have senators and ask them to make calls on your behalf.

Dear Indivisibles,

Hi! I’m Demi Stratmon, born and raised in D.C. and a lead organizer with 51 for 51, a campaign to make D.C. the 51st state with 51 votes. The Indivisible email team asked me to reach out to you today to tell you why I care about D.C. statehood and why we need you to take action as the fight for statehood moves to the Senate.

When I was a kid learning American history in D.C. public schools, we learned about the founding of the country and the cries of taxation without representation of the American Revolution. That was supposedly the promise of our country: a true representative democracy -- where everyone had a voice in the government. But then, after school, my mother would pick me up, and we always passed the Capitol Building on our ride home.

Every time I saw that marble building, I’d get a pit in my stomach. While it might be true that others had a voice in their government, for me and my family in the nation’s capital, we were still suffering from taxation without representation. We pay our taxes and serve our country, and yet, because Washington, D.C., is not a state, we have no voting member of Congress to represent our needs or interests in the federal government.

So if you’ve seen our license plates that read Taxation Without Representation, now you know why. It’s like it’s 1775. 👎

Already with me? Click here to call your senator and tell them to support D.C. statehood.

Statehood isn’t just about taxation without representation, though. It’s a fight for racial justice, for representation, for a more equal union, and a more prosperous country. There are 700,000 people, mostly Black and Brown people, who call D.C. home, and denying us an equal voice and votes in Congress is racist. Adding insult to injury is the fact that statehood opponents can still use the filibuster, a relic of the Jim Crow era, to block those mostly Black and Brown residents' access to the basic rights that citizens of a democracy should enjoy. Our community in D.C. is very diverse, but our culture is rooted in our Blackness and has been shaped by generations of Black people, community organizers, and leaders who have called Washington, D.C., home. We have to be clear: The fight for statehood is a civil rights and racial justice issue, and Congress’ refusal to grant D.C. statehood for more than 200 years is a choice to suppress the political will of a Black, majority POC city.

We CAN fix this: Admitting D.C. as a state would enfranchise 700,000 people, adding our voices to the conversation around problems affecting us daily, including criminal justice reform, reproductive rights, legalization of marijuana, gun violence prevention, climate change, and more. D.C. has always been a forward-thinking city that has pursued progressive solutions to societal issues. But we’ve been blocked from full participation in Congress. D.C. statehood would help change that, and a bill to make D.C. a state has already passed in the House of Representatives. Now, I am asking you to tell your senator to vote for it.

OK, Demi, but why are you emailing me? I’m not from D.C. (Or maybe you are! Hi, neighbor!)

Great question. Usually, if a group of people wants the federal government to do something, they call their senators or representatives in the House ... you’re Indivisibles, you don’t need me to tell you that. 😁

You probably know where this is going. Because D.C. isn’t a state, we don’t have senators or voting representatives to call. And take it from a statehood activist: elected officials from other states don’t take our calls, letters, emails, etc. because we’re not their constituents, and we have no effect on them getting re-elected. They’re not going to care until they hear someone say, “I’m from your state, I’m a voter, and D.C. statehood is important to me.”

And that’s where you come in. The D.C. statehood bill passed the House of Representatives last week, and now it’s headed for the Senate. One of the single best things you can do to move forward progressive policies and support civil rights is to pick up your phone and call your senator right now to ask them to support D.C. statehood. If you click here and enter your phone number, we’ll call you to walk you through the process and then connect you directly to your senator. Pushing your own elected officials, even in red states, shows that statehood is a national issue that people across the country care about.

People ask me sometimes how I got into this activism. And the truth is, it’s a natural instinct. I’ve always had a passion for social justice and wanted to give back to my community. Growing up in D.C., the promise of democracy was a slap in the face because this idea of full representation was never true for me. My parents and grandparents always lived in this system where those in power benefited from my family not having a voice. That’s why I’m working to fix it.

I’m a third-generation Washingtonian, and this community has a special place in my heart. That’s why, after living in New Hampshire for four years for college, I came back to D.C. determined to fight for my home. Growing up as a Black woman in Chocolate City, I was surrounded by friends and family in my community who shaped me to be the outspoken and driven woman I am today. That is an important feat given the centuries-long effort to silence minority voices. Nothing makes me prouder than hearing a distinct D.C. accent; nothing tastes better than mambo sauce on my french fries; and no one inspires me more than my creative and driven neighbors. And I mean...have you heard our Go-Go music?

I heard from a lot of folks last year during Black Lives Matter protests or a few months ago during the insurrection. Friends who were worried for me, who said, “I love D.C., I love the cherry blossoms, [I love this or that], what can I do?” This is your answer: call your senator and tell them to support D.C. statehood. Show your love and respect by treating us like American citizens.

We deserve the same representation as every other American -- and if you have a senator, I’m personally asking you to pick up the phone and call them, because I don’t have anyone to call.

In solidarity,
Demi