5 Things Friday
A recommitment ceremony (us + racial justice 4eva), and Georgia, Georgia, Georgia!
O.K.! First, let’s all breathe a collective sigh of relief that the election results were finally called in Biden’s favor. Didn’t that feel good? Cool. Because now we gotta talk about something that's got me—and honestly, a whole lotta Black folks—worried. Yes, getting Trump out of the White House is a major step towards the more just society we are all fighting for. But it basically takes us back to square one. And square one was already a really terrible place for a whole lot of people.
So, yes, we will likely have an administration more receptive to calls for racial justice. But on the flip side, we have—at least for white people—a really tempting rationale that we don't need to fight as hard anymore. That we did our part. We donated. We protested. We even signed up for this newsletter. We're good, right?
We are NOT GOOD. 57% of white America voted for Trump in this election. That’s more than 5 million white people that voted for him in 2016. It is more important than ever that we do all we can to reach our communities and tell compelling stories to bring more people into the fight for racial justice. So please, don’t let up. Please, do your 5 Things!
DO THIS. Recommit To Racial Justice. I know, it sounds like something a frisky middle-aged couple does in Maui, but the idea is the same. Remember those big, impassioned feelings you had after George Floyd's murder? If you don't fan the flames regularly, the fire will go out (especially if you're white and not dealing with injustice daily). A good start? Sign this pledge from SURJ to Recommit to Racial Justice and get on this list for action updates.
SHARE THIS. I want to personally thank you for sticking with us this far. Now I want to ask you to personally encourage your friends and colleagues to sign up for the 5 Things Friday newsletter themselves (forward this email or share this sign-up link). By telling folks in your own life, with your own words why continuous learning and action is important, you will jumpstart necessary change that spreads from one person to another.
SIGN UP FOR THIS. Georgia! The runoff race is in January (I don't need to recap the basics, right?) and here's how you can help: The Warnock campaign is actively recruiting members for their Rapid Response Team, or people who can help amplify their content on social media. The Ossoff campaign is also running daily phone banks, which you can participate in virtually, no matter where you live. The Georgia Postcard Project is a grassroots initiative where you can write postcards to registered Democrats in Georgia about the importance of the runoff races, as well as share information about early or mail-in voting. Of course you can also donate, but we recommend sending your cash to the Black-led orgs that did the work to get more dem voters to the polls in the first place. Which brings us to another thing....
READ THIS. While Georgia is on your mind, make sure you're clear on who led the powerful movement that got voters to the polls and turned Georgia blue. Hint: It was Black women. Yep, it was Stacey. But don’t forget about Nsé, Helen, Tamieka, Melanie, LaTosha and Deborah. Meet them here and find out how you can support them in this next fight.
HELP WITH THIS. Here at REP CO we are doing some recommitting ourselves, in the form of building out a long-term plan so we can continue the work of educating and calling in our people, and using our resources and connections to support the Black community. We are excited to announce we've been taken on by a fiscal sponsor, which means we can now take larger donations and grants and offer a tax deduction in return. So, while it makes me squirm to do it, I am asking you, our network, to let us know if you are connected to any companies, philanthropic foundations, or individuals who might be a good fit for us. You can email me directly with any ideas or leads. You aren't just our audience—you are part of our team, and with your help, we can do big things!