Welcome to Tuesday, Dear Activists, We are all still reacting to the video released on Friday of the horrific and brutal beating and death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. It's hard to know exactly what to do, and more will be offered in the upcoming days. But for now, we should seriously consider the powerful advice and concepts offered by Indivisible's Black Staff Caucus: "We ask a few things in the next couple of days: Do not share the video. As Black people, we have been inundated, traumatized, and re-traumatized by videos of our people being murdered. You are not sharing anything new with us. If we want to see it, we can seek it out just like anyone else. Sharing the video is sensationalizing violence while minimizing the pain that it imparts on Black bodies. Share solutions. Share actions. Share outrage. Do. Not. Share. The. Video. Don't get caught up in the discourse that says “but they were Black too.” This conversation ignores the larger power structure that leads to anti-Black violence in order to individualize the actions and insulate the system from critique. These cops were a part of a new “Scorpion Unit” meant to tackle violent crime in the city of Memphis. We now, once again, clearly see the results of that sort of policing. “Violent crime” framing criminalizes Black and brown peoples before any evidence of a crime exists. When we empower a bolder, stronger police presence, we encourage the militarization of Black and brown communities which leads to our deaths. The Black men involved are a symptom, not the cause. Focus on the cause."
Call Voters for the February 7 Special Elections The three super important special elections in Allegheny County, which will determine control of the PA state House, are coming up next week on February 7. We need to get out the vote to make sure Democrats are elected to all three seats, so that we hold the state House. We're making calls to voters to remind them to vote. Think about it -- If Democrats win these races we have the chance to get good things done in Harrisburg -- and get rid of really bad legislation. No more anti-abortion legislation. No more voter suppression bills. It's well worth a little of our time now to ensure Democratic victories. You can make a big difference with an hour or so of making calls. There are still several dates available. They will be on an autodialer, so you will get real people answering your calls. Sign up here, or here, or here for a variety of dates.
Volunteer at the DNC's Winter Meeting The Democratic National Committee is hosting their Winter Meeting in Philadelphia from Thursday, February 2, through Saturday, February 4, and they need help with some exciting volunteer opportunities for people in the Philadelphia area. If you are interested, you can fill out this Volunteer Interest Form. You can also reach out to dncmeetingvols@dnc.org with any questions.
The New Indivisible Guide Is Out You can read the new Guide here. We'll be discussing it at our 2023 Kickoff Meeting, which we are scheduling soon.