Today in Wisconsin, the trial of armed vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse ended with a "not guilty" verdict on all charges.

This verdict is hard to imagine if a Black American crossed state lines with an illegally-purchased AK47 and killed multiple people during a crowded protest. That person would likely not be alive today.

White supremacists and Q-anon conspiracists are already celebrating this Rittenhouse verdict. One thing they will not be celebrating is if progressive Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, one of the youngest Black statewide officials in the nation, flips Wisconsin's Republican U.S. Senate seat in 2022. He just said this:

"Over the last few weeks, many dreaded the outcome we just witnessed. The presumption of innocence until proven guilty is what we should expect from our judicial system, but that standard is not always applied equally. We have seen so many black and brown youth killed, only to be put on trial posthumously, while the innocence of Kyle Rittenhouse was virtually demanded by the judge." -- Mandela Barnes

Mandela Barnes is leading in the polls. Helping him win -- and expand a Democratic Senate -- is something positive we can do in this moment. Can you sign up to be a supporter of his campaign, and forward this to others? Click here.

Here's more of what Mandela Barnes said after today's verdict:

"This is another example of the difficult road to justice in America, and while we can easily view this as a setback, we have to turn this into a moment to push even harder by staying engaged, by organizing for justice, by holding our leaders accountable, and by registering our friends and neighbors to vote. As elected leaders, myself and others have a special responsibility to lift up the voices of organizers, activists, and everyday people working for change. We must transform moments like this by raising our voices, together.

"Across Wisconsin and across the country, countless people are coming together in this moment to remember Jacob, Anthony, JoJo, and call for justice. Here is what gives me hope: We have seen communities -- especially Kenosha -- step up to demand action from those in power and work to bring about positive change. We have the power to elect leaders at every level who represent our highest aspirations, who will fight alongside us for reform and progress. We all have the power to heal Kenosha and our nation."

Imagine Mandela Barnes being the deciding vote in the Senate instead of Joe Manchin. We can win this seat, and summon hope out of outrage.

Please sign up to be a supporter of Mandela's campaign today, and help us expand a Democratic Senate. Then, forward this to others. Click here.

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

-- The PCCC Team (@BoldProgressive)

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