John,

Today, we're celebrating Emerge alum and Tennessee State Rep. London Lamar, who made headlines last month – and here's why.

For years, each day Rep. Lamar went in to work at the Tennessee State Capitol to make legislation for the people of Tennessee, she passed by a bust of Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Lt. Gen. Forrest was a slave owner, human trafficker, and Civil War criminal who went on to become the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. For decades, his image sat in a place of honor in the Tennessee State Capitol – directly between the two most powerful chambers in the state government.

Thanks to Rep. Lamar's advocacy, the statue was recently removed – and Tennesseans no longer have this symbol of the KKK in their Capitol. Will you join us and be one of the 500 signatures on this card to thank Rep. Lamar for her work?

In a just democracy, people like Lt. Gen. Forrest simply cannot occupy a place of honor. It sends the message that groups like the KKK, violent white nationalists, and their sympathizers are in control – that the halls of power in this country belong to them. 

We need a new message – a new reality that upholds equality and dignity for all. That’s what Emerge alums like Rep. Lamar are fighting for every day on the campaign trail and in elected offices across the country. We're proud to stand with Rep. Lamar and thank her for her advocacy. Will you be one of the 500 people to sign our card before midnight tonight?

Emerge is a national organization working to recruit, train, and get Democratic women elected across the country, and we are so grateful to have you on our team. Our alums are strong voices for Democratic values — and they are running up and down the ballot to fight for working families. They are fighting for critical issues that affect our communities, such as the environment, accessible and affordable health care, social justice, and education equity. We need more alums fighting for us across the country.

You may notice that we send a lot of emails asking for your support⁠ — that’s because we win when everyone does what they can to help. Our organization depends on thousands of actual people who care about our democracy and want to see positive change in our communities and across our country by building power through investing in Democratic women. If you’d like to donate, click here.