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The time does not call for a feeling of defeat because the fight continues. We cannot give up at this moment. If you are feeling defeated and without words, be reminded that it was Zora Neal Hurston who stated, “If we are silent about our pain, they will kill us and say we enjoyed it.” We must not be silent. We must fight for those whose voices are rasped from the ills of society. Right now, there are people who are in desperate need of health care. There are women who are forced into situations where they cannot make decisions about their own bodies, and in some instances, the results have been fatal. There are children who have dreams as big and as far-reaching as the stars but an education system that is inadequate. People living paycheck to paycheck as the middle class is shrinking. Young Black and Brown people are in fear of those who are supposed to serve and protect.
Today, we must gear up for battle recognizing the words of Ella Baker, “we who believe in freedom cannot rest until it happens…” We are in the fight of our lives. There is no time to be weary. The time to show the force of our collective power is now. I say this not out of anger or frustration but harnessing the anger, frustration, and pain into a moment of focus and strategy.
As a person who is often woken up by a phone call from someone in need, I represent a 115-year organization that is dedicated to the advancement of our people. I often go to bed at night, dreaming of a brighter day. It is because of this that Election Day is special to me. When I cast a ballot, I do so for every conversation I have with someone in the midst of worry or suffering. I do so, yearning for the victor to love people as much as I do and as much as those who are members of our organization and ecosystem. However, one thing has always remained clear: the fight is not only at the ballot box, but it is every day when we wake up in the morning wanting a better life. Elections are pressure points on “the arch that bends towards justice,” in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I find comfort in knowing that in this battle of big ideas it always seems the roughest before the fulcrum moments. We must remember that progress is not always linear, and catalysts for change oftentimes are created in moments of great tension. We are on the brink of real change in our state and our country, but only if we do not lose sight of why we fight and remember we must continue to fight. The time to be steadfast in our resolve is now. We are all a part of a continuum of those who fought for freedom, even when victory was far beyond our reach. We only lose when we do not fight. For when we fight, we win!
Sincerely,
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