[ [link removed] ]Welch for Vermont

Hello,

I wanted to share with you all why I have spent my career in public
service, and what keeps me going. And that story starts when I was 20
years old and working as a community organizer, fighting housing
discrimination in Chicago.

I worked with Black families in the Lawndale neighborhood in West Chicago,
supporting their efforts to end the predatory practices of banks, brokers,
and home sellers.

We’d watch banks buy houses, only to turn around and try to sell them to
Black families for double the price. These banks did everything they could
to get families on the hook for predatory mortgages and contracts. They
made it almost impossible to miss a payment without losing the house
completely, leaving families stranded with no home and no equity.

What struck me the most was that this was all legal. The laws allowed
banks and speculators to discriminate against people because of the color
of their skin. So together, we worked to stage demonstrations out in
suburban Chicago, where the lenders lived. We organized rent payment
strikes. We went toe-to-toe with Mayor Daley to end those contracts, and
to save families in Chicago millions of dollars.

And at the end of the day, we successfully changed those contracts. But
the fight opened my eyes to getting to the root of the problem — how the
laws in place let racism flourish and become systematic. Our action made a
difference, but only because of incredible courage, perseverance and risk
on the part of these Black families were we able to bring about real
change.

Sometimes, change feels like it will take too much, or too long, to make a
tangible difference in our communities. But every little piece of work
makes a difference. It makes a difference to show up and fight for what’s
right. It makes a difference to listen to the communities you serve, and
hear what they need.

That’s what I learned in Chicago, and that’s what I’ve brought with me to
every job I’ve had since then.

My experience in Chicago led me to work in politics — to fight for what is
right, to change laws and systems that are unjust, and to be a voice for
those who have not always had a seat at the table. It’s how I serve my
community now as Vermont’s Congressman, and how I would continue to serve
as Vermont’s next Senator.

[ [link removed] ]To help power this fight, consider chipping into our campaign today.
Together, we can make real change for those who need it.


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Thanks for taking the time to read this,

Peter  


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