Sisters,

Things are really heating up as we head into the November elections. One candidate is firing people up with ideas about how to improve the lives of everyday Americans, while the other candidate is threatening to close government agencies that help low-income and other disenfranchised folks. We have clear choices to make from the presidency all down the ballot.

We must make informed choices when we go to the polls on November 5^th! But how do we do this when almost 47% of adults don’t want to talk about politics at work? A recent Pew Research study revealed that only 4% of adults think our political system is working very well. Trust in our government is at an all-time low, with only 16% of the public saying they trust the federal government. A whopping 78% of Americans think that elected officials are not capable of talking about real issues and instead focus too much time on political infighting and partisanship.

WE CAN change this dynamic by discussing elections, politics, policies, and solutions in our homes, community groups, and networks. We need to talk about the Republican Project 25 (P25) plan as commonly as our discussion of the latest fashions or sports scores. We need to tell everyone that P25 would close the Department of Education, leaving students of color, girls and women, low-income, and disabled students vulnerable to discrimination and other horrors that don’t live up to the promise of free public education the US is known for worldwide.

I’m not suggesting everyone read the latest issue of Politico or watch CSPAN all day. Instead, I’m asking again that you find 2 or 3 friends and agree to take an issue to research and share with the group. After educating one another, take that conversation into your homes and share it with your family members—especially those old enough to vote. Make it a normal cookout, dinner table, front porch, and back deck conversation to talk about how our government works.

Today’s Mobilize Monday invites you to do two things:

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In solidarity,

Stephanie McGencey, WE CAN Founder

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Join WE CAN for two FREE Movies to Movements events where we will watch movies on HOT TOPICS of the day, learn from experts, and take action! Click the images/links below to register!

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Suppressed and Sabotaged: The Fight to Vote

Thursday, September 26, 2024 | 7:00 – 8:30 pm ET

Our votes hold power, otherwise they wouldn’t subvert them. Brave New Films’ ‘SUPPRESSED AND SABOTAGED: The Fight to Vote’ is a tool in the arsenal of every concerned American, sounding the alarm on voter suppression and election subversion ahead of November 2024. Our 30-minute documentary film focuses on the swelling wave of efforts to disenfranchise voters across the U.S., with the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp providing a case study for understanding today’s restrictive measures. In 2023 alone, 150 bills were introduced to restrict voting access. SUPPRESSED AND SABOTAGED includes the personal stories of folks in battleground states who represent those disproportionately affected by voter suppression: older adults, first-time, younger and college-aged students, Black, Indigenous, Latine, people of color, and people with disabilities. SUPPRESSED AND SABOTAGED 2024 is a rallying call against the calculated, unconstitutional, and racist attacks intended to destroy democracy in the United States.

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Following Their Lead: Youth in Action

Thursday, October 24, 2024 | 7:00 – 9:00 pm ET

The Following Their Lead: Youth in Action series was created by Brave New Films because not enough people (young or old) recognize the power of young people. Join WE CAN for a screening of short stories that demonstrate young people are a tremendous resource for anyone seeking to change policies and systems. On Thursday, October 24th at 7:00pm we will learn why youth voice is essential for a thriving democracy. Many young people feel deeply apathetic, discouraged, unheard, and even entirely disengaged from the things that affect their daily lives. We need our youth to understand that they have power as individuals and even more so with their classmates, friends, and community. This allows apathy to evolve into empowerment and action. This is what makes Following Their Lead: Youth in Action an indispensable tool. This series shows the youth that, at any age, they have the power to make a direct difference in their own lives. Like the series you screened last year, the continuation follows young people across the U.S. who have witnessed injustice and have chosen to take action. Mississippi youth noticed inaccuracies in voter rolls and decided to form Mississippi Votes, while in Massachusetts, Sophrosyne Mental Health was founded by a student who recognized the need for mental health education. All young people have the same capacity to be leaders, the younger they learn this the better.