Hi John, it's Cori.
I'm personally writing to you today because we have less than 3 days until Missouri's August primary election, and this race will have a direct impact on our fight for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and the anti-racist progressive policies our communities need.
We have four Democratic challengers, so it's going to take a widespread, grassroots effort to keep our movement in Congress. That's why I have to ask: Will you consider splitting a donation between Brand New Congress and my re-election campaign today?
I swore up and down that politics wasn’t for someone like me. As a child, I watched my father work long hours and endure political attacks as a public servant and asked why anyone would ever sign up for that. I saw the hatred and the nastiness that could come out in politics.
Following the murder of Michael Brown Jr. in 2014, I took to the streets working to save Black lives.
I followed the call of my community, putting my love and compassion to work as a nurse and a pastor in the streets of Ferguson, just minutes from my childhood home. For me, this movement has never been about just one person, and it’s certainly not about me. It’s about saving Black lives and lifting up all of our communities.
Day after day, I watched the police physically assault people, arrest people for stepping off a sidewalk, and use tear gas and rubber bullets on innocent people. And I asked myself, where are the elected officials who are paid to represent us?
I thought I wanted nothing to do with politics. When my community asked me to run, I initially said no. But the more I thought about it, I realized everyone I had been protesting with, who had been putting their lives and livelihoods on the line, deserved a representative who would continue the fight for justice. I realized that if my child became the next hashtag and I hadn’t done every last thing within my power to stop it, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. So, I stepped up and ran. But I didn’t run alone. WE ran together.
Through the power of community, we defeated a 20-year incumbent to make me the first Black woman and first nurse to represent Missouri in Congress and the first activist from the movement in defense of Black lives elected to federal office.
Now, we need to come together again. Our corporate-backed opponent has the support of establishment groups looking to replace our movement for transformative change with a candidate who promises to uphold the status quo — along with the resources of GOP super PACs.
We still have a lot of work ahead of us to deliver real change for St. Louis and around the country. That’s why my team set a goal to raise $10,000 today to show the strength of our grassroots movement, and I'm hoping I can count on your immediate support.
Please John, will you split a donation of $25 or more today between Brand New Congress and me to power our movement so we can keep organizing and legislating in Congress for an agenda that puts people first?
