Sisters,

It is not too high a bar to expect elected officials and other helping professionals to tell the truth. We should be able to share our needs and concerns and expect our city/county council persons, U.S. Senator or Representative, doctors, teachers, or police officers to have the integrity to live up to the oaths they planned to serve the people in their communities or under her care. However, we know all too well that truth is becoming increasingly elusive. Some public figures wouldn’t know the truth if it whizzed by their ear like shattered teleprompter glass.

A hard truth we know all too well is that Black women remain on the endangered persons list! #SayHerName – SONYA MASSEY is the latest tragic innocent gunned down by a police officer. She called for help and instead was murdered by a police officer with a history of violence. This time, we have body cam footage that shows how callous and cold he was during and after the encounter. WE CAN will be watching this case closely and hope that the truth revealed in the body cam footage will lead to the officer’s incarceration for first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct in his treatment of Sonya Massey.

Last week, in several cities, sisters and brothers marched to honor Sonya Massey and demand justice for her and her family. Keep the drumbeat going and let the Sangamon County Prosecutors Office know you are closely watching their conduct. Send an email or call (217) 753-6690 to send a message that we demand justice for Sonya! If you live in Sangamon County (IL), please follow the Sangamon County government on Facebook and see what they report about the case. Please also note that Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser is up for election on December 1, 2024.

Back to expecting elected officials to tell the truth. On November 5^th (Election Day), we have an opportunity to vote for multiple elected positions. And we have choices. But it all boils down to which people are telling the truth about how they plan to help women of color and which ones lie as easily as they breathe. In both instances, our responsibility is to trust but verify what they say. Or, as Big Mamas nationwide have said, “I can’t hear what you’re saying because I’m so busy watching what you’re doing.”

Folks at the News Literacy Project have a GREAT infographic with guidance on how to consume news. They implore us to fact-check everything and ask simple questions before we like, share, post, tweet, or otherwise spread what could be false and harmful news. Take a look at the infographic below and tell WE CAN what you think!

I would add to their list this question: How will this person help or hurt women of color if given the power to govern and lead? We cannot afford to take their words for granted. The stakes are too high. Too much is at risk.

For example, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Cavanaugh, and Comey Barrett ALL said in their U.S. Senate confirmation hearings (confirmation hearings are like job interviews with future Supreme Court justices and the U.S. Senate who decides if they are given the job) that Roe v. Wade, guaranteeing a women’s right to choose, was the law of the land. They had no intention of challenging decades of legal precedent. But we all now know that they were not telling the truth. They flat-out LIED about their intentions, and now millions of women have limited reproductive health and rights choices—some endangering their lives and ability to have children.

Instead of taking their response to this question at face value, U.S. Senators should have examined their records. How did they rule in cases related to a woman’s right to choose? What did they say in law review journal articles? How do they address the topic of women’s reproductive health in speeches and other public and private venues? In other words, their decision should have been informed by what they have DONE and not only by what they SAID during the hearings.

Go armed with the truth when you go to the polls in November. Do your research on the candidates and ballot issues. KNOW which candidates best represent your values and are more likely to pass policies that will help, not harm, you and your family. STOP giving the power to make decisions about your life to folks you checked off in alphabetical order or because you remember seeing their billboards in your community!

Again, the stakes are too damned high not to be prepared when you vote this November. To help you prepare for voting, WE CAN has partnered with the League of Women Voters’ Vote 411 initiative. Click the button below for many tools to help you prepare to vote in November. One of the tools is a sample ballot. The sample ballot will have the candidate’s responses to questions about women’s issues and should give you a better picture of who is asking for your vote. Some elections are not fully loaded yet, so don’t be alarmed if your ballot is not yet in the system. WE CAN will remind you about the tools between now and November.

Bottom line – KNOW BEFORE YOU GO VOTE!

We HAVE the POWER to shape public policy. How?

1. Follow WE CAN on Twitter and Join the WE CAN Facebook Group
2. Join or Create a WE CAN Action Team
3. Check Out WE CAN’s Vote411 page to check your voter registration status (and tell others to check their status)

In solidarity,

Stephanie McGencey, WE CAN Founder/President