Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew more than anyone about the dangers of anti-democratic forces working against the dream of a fully representative, multiracial democracy. The attack at the U.S. Capitol one year ago, ongoing misinformation about the 2020 election, and efforts at state legislatures to restrict voting rights make abundantly clear that those forces are still alive today, and we must take steps to confront them. It is incumbent on all of us to work for Dr. King’s vision of a racially just democracy because — as he exhorted — “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.”

For too long those promises have not been realized and shared by all Americans. Please take time today to honor his legacy with action at the events in your community and by joining us in our campaign to build a more inclusive, responsive democracy so that “we might,” as Professor Danielle Allen explained in the Washington Post following George Floyd’s murder, “at last build a full, inclusive social compact that empowers all and delivers effective and responsive governance to an empowered citizenry.”

Help create a more inclusive and representative democracy:

Contact your legislators today and urge them to support Ranked Choice Voting.
Sign up to attend your caucus on Feb. 1 and help elect a pro-democracy legislature that will pass RCV and other democracy reforms we need to build a more racially just and inclusive democracy.

Creating a democracy in Dr. King’s vision starts with all of us.

Thank you for being a part of that vision.

Jeanne Massey

P.S. Over the past year, we’ve featured a wide range of voices in the ongoing work to build a more inclusive, representative democracy. Take a moment to watch some of these events today and learn how we can all work together to advance one of the central causes of Dr. King’s life:

Democracy in Crisis, with Congresswoman Angie Craig and Lee Drutman, moderated by Representative Cedrick Frazier on January 31;
Black Leaders at the Forefront of Democracy Reform, with Mike Griffin, Zaylore Stout, and Representatives Esther Agbaje and Cedrick Frazier, moderated by UMN Professor Michael Minta on March 23;
Women Leading Democracy Forward, introduced by Representative Kelly Morrison and featuring democracy expert, Harvard Professor Danielle Allen who was interviewed by Senator Melisa Franzen on April 6; and
Women Leading Democracy Forward: Why Ranked Choice Voting is Good for Women, featuring Vote Run Lead CEO Erin Vilardi, along with Sen. Mary Kunesh, Rep. Esther Agbaje, Rep. Athena Hollins, and St. Paul Councilmember Nelsie Yang.