Fam,
Our communities made history on Election Day. We showed up at the polls in extraordinary numbers to vote for people and policies that bring us one step closer to Black liberation.
We are celebrating numerous victories: securing Democratic control of the Senate; abolishing slavery in Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon, and Vermont; enshrining abortion protections in Michigan, California, Vermont, and Kentucky’s state constitutions; and expanding democracy in Arizona. We elected several progressive Black candidates who will be the firsts in their states—and 90 percent of Black voters helped flip Pennsylvania’s Senate seat blue. Black organizers in St. Louis mobilized voters to legalize marijuana, expunge records, and elect three Black progressive leaders to office—each of whom was previously outraised by their opponent.
This was all possible because of the tireless efforts of Black voters, organizers, and activists, who time and again have led the fight for Black liberation.
And we’re not finished. Democrats have a majority in the Senate, and the media is pushing a narrative that the Georgia runoff doesn’t matter. But we know it can make all the difference for the progressive and people centered change we want to see. If you’re in Georgia, check out New Georgia Project for all the info you need in this runoff election to make sure your vote counts.
Black voters, especially Black youth, are the real heroes of 2022. Despite a record number of voter suppression laws, campaign promises that Democrats never delivered, conservative Black candidates courting Black voters with their extremist policies, and the spread of misinformation in our communities, Black voters did what they always do. They showed up for policies and people that will create a better quality of life for all of us. The exit-poll data shows that Black people are a united front when it comes to voting. It is our collective electoral power that provides any semblance of integrity in the U.S. democracy. Any seats Democrats lost were not because of Black voters, but because the party moved toward the center at the expense of Black families and communities. A MAGA Republican–controlled House of Representatives is a setback, but we have generations of practice coming together to fight for our freedom.
While elections are opportunities to assert our electoral power, voting is not the only tool we have. Now, we will continue to organize our communities to realize our Vision for Black Lives. This means organizing to invest in people, not policing; enacting a Black climate agenda; restoring abortion access and the full spectrum of reproductive care; passing reparations to address the lasting impacts of slavery; and restoring voting rights for disenfranchised people—and the list goes on.
On November 8, we proved once again that our communities come together, in spite of intimidation tactics, coercion, and interference, to defend our lives and our freedom. It is we, and our collective power, who will continue to move this country forward.
This moment is ripe for transformation, and you are the right people, in the right place, at the right time, to take action. Join a local organization in your community today. Together, we will win.
In solidarity,
Movement for Black Lives
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