CCDP Newsletter: “The Unyielding Weight of Injustice”

“The Unyielding Weight of Injustice”

“Our hearts ache. Our heads ache. Our souls ache. Our backs ache from the weight of constantly carrying this heavy load. The unyielding weight of injustice is nothing that one person or group should carry alone.”
-Jaime Harrison

“If something in you broke from watching the video, then good because only discomfort brings about change. The rage that most of us feel is indescribable.”
-Representative Krystle Matthews

“Much like the conversations we need to have in order to address racial injustice in this country, we must also discuss how we direct our anger in a way that is productive and not destructive…I pray that we understand our power and use it in a way that allows us to rise from the ashes.”
-Representative Marvin Pendarvis

“We must remind ourselves that the criminal justice system isn’t broken, but in many ways is functioning as it was intended. I am committed to changing this system and ensuring that it produces liberty and justice for all. We must collectively wake up and demand justice in order to reach the mountaintop that Dr. King so eloquently described. We are in the valley right now, no doubt. But one day, we will reach the mountaintop. Until then, we must keep the faith and continue to fight injustice at every turn.”
-Representative JA Moore

“Take that raw energy. Take it to the polls. Take it to the community association meetings. Take it to the Statehouse and work with your lawmakers…we have to elect people to office who are not afraid to represent the many, and not the few – not afraid of the status quo.”
-Representative Wendell Gilliard

“Now is the time for leaders to listen to the pain of our citizens and work together to find a better and more equitable way forward. This is not a “us” vs. “them.” This is a we the people vs. institutionalized racism.”
-Senator Marlon Kimpson

“I went to jail trying to change the laws…we changed those laws. We did the right thing. And many people are benefitting from it today. When I went to jail back then, I think there were two or three African Americans in the United States Congress. Today, there are fifty-five. That’s a change. When I went to jail, we didn’t have a Voting Rights Act. We didn’t have a Civil Rights Act. We didn’t have a fair housing law. All of those are good things and we need to keep pressing…we win when we are in solidarity with each other.”
-Majority Whip James Clyburn

“I recognize that these past few months have been hard and dispiriting — that the fear, sorrow, uncertainty, and hardship of a pandemic have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of American life. But watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful. If, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals. Let’s get to work.”
-President Barack Obama

If you’re ready to get to work, please scroll down to our Take Action and Contribute sections for ideas.

We have been and will continue to share the words of our party leaders, candidates and elected officials on our social media channels. We encourage you to follow us and join in these important conversations:

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SCDP STATE CONVENTION UPDATE

We are pleased to report that every single vote from Charleston County was counted in the first round of voting – both delegates and alternates. Congratulations to Carol Fowler and our own Clay Middleton on being re-elected to the DNC. The third DNC member slot has advanced to a run-off between Bre Maxwell and Chandra Dillard. If you are a delegate or an alternate, we encourage you to vote in the next round, even if you did not participate in the first. We will be electing more national delegates and your friends and neighbors from Charleston County will need all the support we can give them.

DOMINGOS WITH THE DEMOCRATS SALSA CONCERT POSTPONED

We have decided to postpone our virtual Salsa concert for Domingos with the Democrats to July. More information about the event will be coming soon.

Upcoming Events

All meetings until further notice will be conducted “virtually” using Zoom. You can connect by computer or telephone. We will have regular training sessions where you can try Zoom out and get comfortable participating this way. We will continue to use MobilizeAmerica to RSVP.

Take Action

Systemic Change Means You – Take Action Every Day

There’s no link to click or shift to sign up for or place to be in this week’s Take Action section. There are, of course, plenty of events and protests and forums that we should all take part in, but we wanted to ask everyone to think about the things we can do right now, any day, every day. Systemic change includes all of us making conscious choices in our day-to-day lives to bring about the change that we know is needed. It means speaking up or otherwise intervening when you witness injustice, ignorant statements, microaggressions or other actions that foster racism. It means being a supportive and compassionate friend to the people in your lives who are affected by these statements and actions. It means supporting black-owned businesses and thinking about how our everyday purchasing decisions can help combat economic injustice. It means recognizing if your workplace is not embracing diversity – especially as it pertains to leadership positions where a diversity of voices is essential and so often lacking. It can take a thousand different forms, but it only happens if we make a conscious decision to make these actions part of our everyday behavior. Do something today. Do something tomorrow. Keep doing something every day until it becomes simply what you do without even thinking about it.

Contribute

Donate Funds to Support Black Lives Matter and Their Allies in Charleston

This GoFundMe has been set up to assist with the purchasing of masks, supplies, water, safe transportation and bail funds for Black Lives Matter activists and their allies engaged in peaceful protests in our area.