Dear John,

We are only 36 days away from the start of our 4th Biennial Race and Power in America Summit: The Fight for the Future of Democracy. In our 2015 Race and Power Summit, we declared that one of the pathways we would follow in order to secure the “Beloved Community” was to “build people’s control of government.” We were clear then that institutions and structures of government were in trouble and that we would need to focus on transforming both if we were to move real decision-making into the hands of those most impacted.

This year’s Race and Power Summit comes at a pivotal time. The events of the last two years demonstrate that our democracy is in crisis, and the acrimony, blatant racism, and potentially violent outcomes of this election season reinforce the need for us to double down on our efforts to build people’s control of government.

I urge you, if you have not yet registered to participate in the Summit, that you do so immediately. We have a powerful agenda planned. Learn more about the agenda here. [Agenda]

I also want to remind you of some key deadlines related to the Summit:

Monday, October 31, is the deadline for submitting ads for inclusion in the Race and Power program booklet. [Program Booklet]
Friday, November 3, is the deadline for registering for the Summit. [Register]
Saturday, December 31, is the deadline for becoming a member of the Race and Power Institute Founders’ Club. [Founders Club]

The future of our democracy cannot be taken for granted. Join me at the Maritime Conference Center in Baltimore for our 4th Biennial Race and Power Summit as we fight for the future of democracy!