A Vision For Us All
By Britney Brito / Propel Democracy Fellow
America has faced what seems like the most conflicting and controversial year. The year started off with a World War III threat, an impeachment trial underway, a silent virus that rapidly became one of the worst pandemics in U.S. and global history, all while looking ahead to the most important election of our lifetime.
Then came the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade, among others, that incited outrage and massive protests against police brutality. May they rest in peace. Collectively, the scale of these demonstrations became the largest social movement in U.S. history with support from all 50 states and 60 countries on every continent except Antarctica. 2020 was to mark the beginning of a new decade and the year of “perfect vision” where clarity and transparency was expected, yet none of us could predict what the world was up against or just how disrupted our lives would become. And we are only halfway through the year!
The injustices that have been exposed as a result of police brutality and COVID-19 have brought a growing number of Americans together to demand an inclusive and protective future where no one is left behind. This vision of inclusivity became especially clear to me while working as a Democracy Fellow at Propel, an organization that’s reimagining an economy and democracy that works for the many, not just the few.
Through my experience at Propel and exposure to impact investing and organizing, I have become increasingly aware of the critical role of social justice organizations, including Propel partners, in achieving positive change. I realized that while we are seeing a massive mobilization of new voices, including young people, and an increasing number of statements of solidarity and allyship from corporations, athletes, and elected officials, there are people and organizations that have been dedicated to these intersectional movements for years. While what we are experiencing now is not a new movement, it is a new moment in our history where yet again the systemic suppression and depression of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) is unveiled.
As an Afro-Latina, I grew up witnessing the struggles my family faced as immigrants and people of color in America. I was raised to believe that nothing was ever impossible because if you did the right thing and truly worked hard enough you were bound to achieve success. Over time I’ve come to realize that the struggle to assimilate and survive while dealing with discrimination and suppression is not an accident and that the “American Dream” narrative is often just a distraction from the unjust reality.
It’s no secret that the very systems that are meant to protect, represent, and serve us were founded on racism.
It’s important to remember however that even in the face of injustice, progress has been made, and that that progress has been a result of social movements and uprisings that have fought for abolition and systemic change.
My experience with Propel has made me more acutely aware of the history of social change in this country and pushed me to be more reflective and conscious of my own community and the story that I want to be a part of. It is hard to imagine where we would be without the tremendous leadership of organizers, activists, and their role in creating a more just future.
One organization I discovered during my time at Propel whose leadership has been particularly critical in this moment is the Movement for Black Lives. The M4BL, a non-profit dedicated to creating a home and safe space for Black organizations, people, and allies nationwide, is mobilizing millions nationally and successfully organizing to impact national and local agendas. They have been at the center of the movement leading the charge towards a new vision for Black lives. Recently, their Electoral Justice Project released The Breathe Act, a bill which many are calling “The Modern Civil Rights Act”.
The bill includes four sections that propose divesting federal resources from law enforcement and incarceration, investing in community safety and sustainability, and holding law enforcement accountable. The Breathe Act is exactly the kind of bold solution we need to see from our elected officials to push our nation towards equity-focused policies that decarcerate jails, dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), divest funds from police departments, and instead invest resources into education, the environment, health and families, and an equitable economy.
This is a call to action that I, along with just about any American who truly cares about the dangerous path that the nation has taken, must join to move forward and honor the lives we have lost. BIPOC will “finally BREATHE free” once our communities are accounted for, and safe, sustainable, and self-determinative. To support the bill become a community co-sponsor, spread EJP’s vision, and take action!
Now more than ever we must adopt the mindsets of grassroots leaders like Jessica Byrd, founder of Three Point Strategies, known as the electoral firm of the movement, and co-lead of the M4BL policy table. As Jessica emphasized in a recent interview with Run For Something:
“If we truly believe in new leadership and in creating structural change so that new types of leaders with more progressive policies are possible, then we need to be disrupting the status quo at all times and direct action helps us do that.”
We must aid this disruption and show overwhelming support so that policies like the Breathe Act become permanent solutions.
Each and every one of us has a part to play in making history. When you look back to tell this story, wouldn’t it be nice to say you took a stand by protesting, spreading awareness, signing petitions, joining and supporting efforts like the Breathe Act and doing everything you could to end injustice on all fronts?
In the wise words of Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza “you don’t have to be MLK to have the impact that MLK had and still has. Change happens from people who decide that they want to be a part of it. It starts with a hope, a dream, a vision, and finally by taking that first step.” If this year has taught us anything it is that there is no time to waste when people’s lives, rights, and well being are at stake. The time is NOW!
To learn more about ways to join the fight, check out the resources below.
Find opportunities to volunteer with Propel partners through this online database.
Find out more about Propel Democracy. The amazing organizations below have inspired me to get more involved, I hope they inspire you too! For a full list of partners see here.
A/B Partners is a digital storytelling studio led and run by people of color to transform our politics and economy. In 2020, A/B is providing strategic, technical, and creative support to major campaigns impacting electoral and policy outcomes, including Win Black / Pa’lante, a national campaign hub to combat voting disinformation targeting Black and Latinx communities.
Color of Change PAC is the political arm of Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, with over 7 million active members, working to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. In 2020, CoC PAC is engaging millions of Black voters in 11 key states to increase turnout and support aligned candidates up and down the ballot.
Democracy For All 2021 is a diverse coalition of labor unions, racial justice organizations, environmental organizations, community organizations, think tanks and other organizations that represent millions of Americans and are committed to advancing policy reforms that restore power to the people. DFA 2021 is also leveraging the coalition to push for crucial reforms needed now to ensure that people can vote in 2020.
Mijente is a political, digital, and grassroots hub for Latino and Chicano organizing and movement building. In 2020, Mijente is providing direct support and technical assistance to local organizations in key states to ensure they are optimizing digital tools and developing creative narrative strategies to reach voters who are not often persuaded by common progressive talking points.
The Electoral Justice Project works in partnership with Movement for Black Lives organizations to mobilize Black people in the US to build civic power and strengthen an affirming political vision. In 2020, they are working with over 50 organizations and local organizers, to train Black campaign managers, and connect movement power to key electoral victories and policy wins for Black people across the country.
References:
Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History
(New York Times)
How Black Lives Matter Reached Every Corner of America
(New York Times)
The 1619 Project
(New York Times)
The Breathe Act
