Today is Juneteenth, the holiday which commemorates June 19, 1865 — the day when enslaved people in Texas received word from a Union Army officer that they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
It has become a holiday to honor Black freedom and Black resistance, and Black people’s unique contribution to the struggle for justice in the U.S. This Juneteenth, 2020, is a rare moment for our communities to proclaim in one voice that Black Lives Matter, and that we won’t tolerate anything less than justice for all our people.
Many community organizations have planned events across our county today and this weekend, and we wanted to highlight some of them here.
Friday, 6/19/20, 4:30 p.m., Konbit Against Police Brutality & Harassment. Corner of N. Miami Ave. & 62 St., Miami. Join a coalition of advocacy organizations, immigrant communities, faith and business leaders, and change seekers for a rally in support of George Floyd and all victims of police brutality. For more information, call: 305-791-5806 or 786-383-7595.
Friday, 6/19/20, Statewide Memorial Services Hosted by Faith in Florida. At various times & South Florida locations, listed below. On Juneteenth, we ask everyone to come together and memorialize the lives lost to an unjust racial system. June 19th is supposed to be a day of celebrating black emancipation, and yet we are still enslaved to a system in which is broken, unjust, and inhumane. As you read this, this same system continues to claim more lives. ​Join us as we create accountability, mourn those we have lost, and fight to create Justice for All as One Voice.
- South Dade: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Second Baptist Church, 11111 Pinkston Dr., Miami. https://www.facebook.com/events/188501405880879/
- Central Dade: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., 1150 NW 54 St., Miami. https://www.facebook.com/events/695631350997341/
- North Dade: 6:00- 7:00 p.m., Intersection of NW 163 St. & 38 Pl., Miami Gardens. https://www.facebook.com/events/304117920987817/
- Broward: 6:15 p.m., Ingalls Park, 735 SW 1 St., Hallandale Beach https://www.facebook.com/events/630073204382730/
Friday, 6/19/20, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m., ZOOMteenth: Celebrating Black Excellence & Culture. Online. Hosted by The New Florida Majority. The COVID-19 pandemic will not stop us from celebrating Black freedom, culture and success. https://www.facebook.com/events/179663950129262/
Friday, 6/19/20, 7:00 p.m., ACLU Miami Forum: Independent Civilian Oversight for Miami-Dade County. Via Zoom. ACLU of FL Greater Miami Chapter invites all who are interested in bringing independent civilian oversight of the police to Miami-Dade County for a panel discussion on the topic. More info and register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Fuwc2sa8Tk6JHaHp5vv3PA
Saturday, 6/20/20, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Unity in the Community Peace Walk. From 62 St. and NW 17 Ave. to Martin Luther King Park. Sponsored by Miami-Dade Commission Chairwoman Audrey M. Edmonson. Non-partisan voters’ registration/Census. We must be the change we want to see; if it is to be, it is up to me. Wear masks and social distance. https://www.facebook.com/events/260012635432206/
Help Us Make Phone Calls
The images we saw of long lines of voters in Georgia are just one reason we are urging Democrats to sign up to vote by mail. Haven’t signed up yet? Do so now at www.votefromhome.miami.
Sign up to help us make calls to our fellow Democrats in Miami-Dade to remind them to sign up. We have virtual phone banks scheduled throughout the month of June. We do trainings for anyone who needs it!
Saturday, June 20, Phone Bank with Miami-Dade Dems
Wednesday, June 24, Phone Bank TRAINING
Wednesday, June 24 Phone Bank with Miami-Dade Dems
And you can always see these events and much more at www.miamidadedems.org/events.
Postcards to voters
Not comfortable on the phones? We also have an extensive postcard writing campaign, and we have many more postcards to get through. If you’re interested in joining the program, you can purchase a postcard packet for $10, and it comes with 25 postcards, a list of addresses, and postage included. You can purchase it from our website here, and arrange pickup with our Field Director, Ariel Sepulveda.
Next Week:
Vote-By-Mail Webinar in English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish
Save the date: Wednesday, June 24: Join Rep. Dotie Joseph, Rep. Javier Fernandez and Rep. Cindy Polo for three webinars about Vote-By-Mail in English (5:30 PM), Haitian Creole (6:30 PM) and Spanish (7:30 PM).
This will be held live on Zoom and broadcast on Facebook live on the Miami-Dade Dems’ Facebook page and on the respective representatives’ Facebook pages.
Register for the Zoom webinar here.
Sign up for the Voter Protection Team
One of the missions that we have in the Miami-Dade Democratic Party is to protect the right of our citizens to vote. The Miami-Dade Democratic Party’s Voter Protection Committee, chaired by Wayne Brody is looking for volunteers to help with this mission.
We don’t know what in-person voting will look like in August or November, but we do know that we need lawyers, activists, and problem solvers to help recruit, work the polls, and troubleshoot remotely. If you are up to joining the fight to save the vote, click here to sign up.
In the News:
The Miami-Dade Dems Urge Creation of Drive-through and Walk-up Drop Boxes for Vote-By-Mail drop off
On Monday, June 15, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party Steering Committee passed a unanimous resolution calling for the Miami-Dade Elections Department to create drive-through and walk-up dropboxes for voters to deposit completed Vote-By-Mail ballots. Read the statement here.
Become a Sustaining Donor
All the phone calls that are reaching thousands of voters, all of the postcards that are arriving in voters’s mailboxes, all of the digital ads that voters are seeing online—all of that would not be possible without the donors who have stepped up in an unprecedented way for the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. I can’t thank all of our sustaining donors enough for stepping up and pitching in a small amount each month. These sustaining donations allow us to plan the programs that will drive up voter turnout across our county. We couldn’t run our field program or our digital program without your support.
Can you become a sustaining donor of $7, $10, or $20.20 today?
We know this is a tough time for many of us right now, so please know we appreciate you staying involved in any way that you can. Thank you for all you do.
Onward,
Christopher Richmond
Executive Director
Miami-Dade Democratic Party
Miami-Dade Democratic Party
http://www.miamidadedems.org/
Coronavirus Resources: We’ve collected resources on drive-through testing, grocery store hours, unemployment and small business aid and more here at miamidadedems.org/covid.
