Dear Friends,

What kind of talking points do you need? This is a first draft of a template for talking points that Antonia Scatton is working on. She will provide, not just strategic framing advice, but actual language appropriate for various channels and purposes. She would like our input.

Hope you will join us this week at the Friday Power Lunch where we will continue our discussion on how to get more votes, volunteers, and money, and how to integrate new ideas and energy to expand our power to win BIG in 2024.

Join us,

Stair

FRIDAY POWER LUNCH, APRIL 19

It’s a Party Thing

If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got. This year that’s not enough. To get more votes, volunteers, and fundraising, we need to integrate new ideas and energy to expand our power to win BIG in 2024.

One of the hallmarks of the grassroots is that we abound with creativity and the bravery to innovate no matter the obstacle. This week we are talking to election innovators who will lead the Democratic Party to victory this November.

There is no one in Virginia politics more fearless and fighting back against MAGA Republicans than Senator L. Louise Lucas. She goes for the knockout. Senator Lucas will share why we are the champions, and how to act like it.

Anderson Clayton, Chair, North Carolina Democratic Party, will talk about how she is organizing year-round to rebuild their state party to flip North Carolina blue.

We can’t win without rural communities in Virginia or across the country. Roberta Thacker-Oliver, the new Chair of the Rural Caucus of the Democratic Party of Virginia, will talk about their strategy for supporting our candidates in rural districts and the May 3-5 Rural Retreat at Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center

Candidate Ken Mitchell, running for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District, will talk about his strategy to connect with voters in this large and rural district.

The Virginia state chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is having a fundraiser right now – T shirts made by CustomInk. Proceeds will benefit the 501(c)(4) Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, paying for expenses such as training, recruiting, meetings, transportation and legislative advocacy. Every little bit helps! They have black and navy blue options, as well as women’s sizes. ORDER TODAY

Our very own Andrea Miller, Center for Common Ground built Activote. It checks your voter registration (have you moved, has your registrtation lapsed?), lists every bill in your states General Assembly, every candidate on your ballot, has position questions to help you know who aligns with your positions, it’s full circle info and civics in your pocket! It’s really quite remarkable; please check it out today and share with 10 friends!

More Events

Thursday, April 18th, 5:00pm
Legislative Working Group MeetingJoin us to debrief the legislative session and share our lessons learned.
Zoom Link:https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/98422844279

Thursday, April 18th, 6:00pm
Elections Working Group Meeting
Zoom Link:https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/98422844279

Thursday, April 18th, 7:00pm – Build Power: Start a Democracy Circle

Join the Workers Circle and the Center for Common Ground to learn how to build grassroots power to demand the democracy we need. A Democracy Circle, is a small group of people you bring together — friends, colleagues, family — to take simple, concrete actions to demand the democracy we need and learn how to counter threats to our democracy today. Learn how people just like you have started circles across the country that are building community and having impact. There will be ample time for questions and discussion.

Friday, April 19, 5:30 – 7:30pm EDT – Veterans and Military Families Rally with Senator Tim Kaine · Tim Kaine for Virginia Young Veterans Brewery Company – Virginia Beach, VA Join the Democratic Military Families and Veteran’s Caucus as we welcome Senator Tim Kaine to VA BeachSaturday, April 20th, 1pm – 4pm

LCV: Hampton Roads Earth Day FestivalJoin families from across northern Chesapeake for an afternoon of fun, learning, and celebrating our Earth! Free and open entry to the public.RSVP – https://mobilize.us/s/EiGsmn

Sunday, April 21st, 1:00pm

LCV: Virginia Wesleyan Green FestGreen Fest celebrates Earth Day and is an immersive and engaging festival for all ages celebrating sustainability, community, and the beauty of our planet.RSVP – https://mobilize.us/s/pWCctN

Monday, April 22, 3 – 4pm EDT

Sister District Research Briefing

Join Sister District Action Network as we present findings from our battleground-state survey of voter behavior in state legislative races, conducted in partnership with Data for Progress. Discussion will include:

The challenge of down-ballot roll-off
Roll-off voter demographics
Potential reasons why people skip voting in state legislative races
Preview of upcoming research
Q&A

Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 12:00-1:00pm – Why Feminists Should Fight Christian Nationalist

Clearinghouse for Women’s Issues (CWI) has arranged for two experts on Christian Nationalism to help answer the important question of Why feminists and supporters of democracy should know about and learn to protect our rights and values from the actions of Christian Nationalists in the US?

Andrew L. Seidel, a lawyer and Vice President of Strategic Communications, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Katherine Stewart, a journalist and author. Both are authors of books on Christian Nationalism and featured in the new documentary film God and Country. Andrew and Katherine will:

Define Christian Nationalism and help us understand its history and how it relates to other forms of Christianity such Evangelicalism and fundamentalism and how it differs from other religious adherence to Christianity or other religions that don’t advocate religious nationalism.
Discuss the importance of the separation of church and state in acting as a bulwark against Christian Nationalism. In contrast, note that nationalism is a key reason to make sure the secular Equal Rights Amendment is in the U.S. Constitution.
Describe the many ways that Christian Nationalism hurts women and feminists including reproductive rights, public education, and many other aspects of equality.
Describe the scope and ways people are influenced to support Christian Nationalism and how it relates to partisan politics and the upcoming US elections.

Andrew Seidel is an attorney and authorof two books: The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American (2019) and American Crusade: How the Supreme Court is Weaponizing Religious Freedom (2022) and many articles and opeds. He has appeared on TV and other media. Before joining Americans United in 2022, he worked at the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Andrew received a BS in neuroscience and environmental science from Tulane University and a law degree from Tulane University Law School in 2009 and a Master of Law at Denver University Sturm College of Law in 2011. He has also been a Grand Canyon tour guide and nature photographer.

Katherine Stewart:Katherine Stewart’s latest book, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, was awarded first place for Excellence in Nonfiction Books by the Religion News Association as well as a Morris D. Forkosch award. She writes for The New York Times opinion, New Republic and others, and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. The Power Worshippers formed the basis of the documentary feature film God & Country, produced by Rob and Michele Reiner. Stewart’s forthcoming book will be published by Bloomsbury in January 2025.

Tuesday, 4/23/24 at 7:00pm – Virginia for Biden Team – Please sign up for our upcoming strategy briefings to learn more about the surrogate program and get the latest campaign updates.

Thursday, April 25th at 6:00pmLCV: Hampton Roads Happy HourJoin Climate Action VA for Volunteer Appreciation Week including environmental trivia and prizes! RSVP – https://mobilize.us/s/Tvm7Gx

Monday, April 29th, 6:30pmPostcard Writing Party with COVA CoalitionAt Vessel Craft Coffee in Norfolk
FB Event:https://fb.me/e/5rdtHHd7C

Monday, April 29, 2024, 2:15 – 3:30 p.m. EDT

The decisive decade? Mapping key trends among adolescents and young adults in the US

This event offered by the Brookings Institute will open with a summary presentation of a new report, “The Decisive Decade: Understanding the Trajectories of 14- to 24-year-olds,” by Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, and Ember Smith, doctoral student, UC Berkeley. “The Decisive Decade” draws on rich datasets to describe recent key trends and trajectories for adolescents and young adults in education, employment, and family life.

This will be followed by a presentation on subjective well-being from Lara B. Aknin, professor of psychology at Simon Fraser University and co-author of the recently published “World Happiness Report 2024,” which shows that young people ages 15–24 are less happy than older people in the U.S.

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Compliments of Network NOVA & the Virginia Grassroots – When We Vote We Win