Hello John,

In just a moment, I’m going to ask you to donate to our campaign to build One Georgia — where every Georgian has the opportunity to thrive. But before that, I wanted to share a story with you about a $20 bill.

My high school debate team was the only one in the southern half of Mississippi, so we would travel to New Orleans to debate other teams. These trips were big deals because we got to spend the weekend away in the city.

Unlike the other kids on the trip, I didn’t come from a family with a lot of money to spend on fun trips. You see, my father was a shipyard worker and my mother a college librarian — who sometimes made less than the custodian who worked there. In a sea of middle-class students, we barely got by.

Despite that, my parents always handed me a $20 bill for incidentals every Friday morning before I left. But that $20 weighed heavier than it did for most students that got to participate in debate.

It meant that one of my siblings wasn’t doing something they wanted to do that weekend. It meant that my parents gave up something they needed at the store that week. So to me, that $20 bill meant that I had to do everything in my power to save it.

When my friends went out to celebrate on those debate nights, I made up excuses like homework or book reports to avoid going out and spending that $20. I was sure my parents would be proud of me — for saving $20 for them and the rest of my family.

But when I showed my parents that $20 bill at the end of the season, I told them how I avoided my friends to never spend their money. I explained how I thought they would want me to save that money. I thought they would be proud. But they weren’t. That’s when my mom told me:

“Stacey, we gave you that money because we knew you needed to be with your friends. We wanted you to have opportunities and new experiences. We know you didn’t have as much as everyone else. But our job was to invest in you, so one day, you could have more.”

That’s what I failed to consider. I didn’t understand that my parents made sacrifices for me because they wanted me to thrive — not just survive.

Right now, we are in a moment that takes me back to that day. Georgia has a $5 billion surplus that Brian Kemp is hoarding. We’re told that this money needs to be hidden away — that Georgians are not entitled to Medicaid expansion or affordable housing or support for small businesses.

As governor, I will ensure we invest that money into Georgians instead of stashing it away only to give $10,000 tax cuts to the rich. Because I’m running in order to open the doors of opportunity for people all across our state — regardless of their background or zip code. We deserve it.

But I need your help to get there, John. I’m humbly asking you to invest in our campaign so that we’re able to invest in Georgia. Can you chip in to my campaign right now? Anything you can give — a $20 bill or whatever you can afford right now — will make a real difference.

DONATE

Thanks for sticking with me,

Stacey Abrams