John,

Ady Barkan is one of my most cherished friends in the world and a profound inspiration in my life. Ady and I have been organizing together for a long time -- we worked together to win paid sick days for all New Yorkers, to end stop-and-frisk, and to create Local Progress, a national network of City Council Members and local elected officials across the country fighting for justice and better futures in our cities and towns.

When Ady was diagnosed with ALS in 2016, he could have despaired. I would have. ALS is, quite simply, one of the cruelest diseases there is. But instead, Ady found reserves of courage and strength that I really have come to think of as superhuman. He was always brilliant, funny, compassionate, and committed to social change. But his response to ALS has transformed his story into one that can inspire all of us in our own struggles.

Here’s your chance to see for yourself. Ady’s documentary Not Going Quietly about his fight with ALS and advocacy for Medicare for All is premiering here in NYC this month. Check out the trailer here -- and bring tissues. I promise it’s incredible, and not just because he’s my friend.

I’ll be attending the premiere on Friday, August 13th at 7:20 pm -- but it’s running for a week, so I hope you will be able to attend. The details are below and you can reserve your ticket here.

Location: The Angelika Film Center 18 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012
Premiere: Friday, August 13th, 7:20 PM
Run Dates: Fri, August 13th - Thurs August 19th
Reservation link: https://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/nyc/film/not-going-quietly

The documentary is more than just the story of Ady’s battle with ALS. It is a celebration of all of the blood, sweat, and tears that have been invested into organizing this incredible movement to resist Trump, save our democracy, and build towards Medicare for All.

I hope you will be able to see it.

Brad