Kamala Harris is my first and last choice for our nominee and to be our 46th President. And one of the big reasons is her courage. Her bravery in being willing to see reality, no matter how painful or frightening. Her courage in taking on the hardest paths — climbing up the “rough side of the mountain” in order to change the system from within. Her courage of caring, the way she has always fought to give people second chances that society was ready to throw away.
We need courage these days. We need someone with a record of being a fighter for justice, of being a fighter for us. We need someone who sees us and is willing to fight for all that we are. We need someone who inspires our own courage. That leader is Kamala Harris.
We need someone who has always fought for our children. Someone who as San Francisco DA founded a safe house for LGBTQ kids on the streets, someone who trained San Francisco law enforcement to see these kids as kids, not criminals. Someone who fought against child abusers, rapists, and traffickers. Someone who wanted children to be able to go to school. To have hope.
Kamala has always understood the need for hope and the necessity of fighting for it. That is manifestly evident in her long history of fighting for LGBTQ rights, protecting children, fighting for gun safety laws, homeowners, protection for immigrants, for environmental justice, and so much more. Her fight for the people is unceasing.
That was evident on election night 2016 when she spoke to her team. That evening was a such a contradiction of joy, heartbreak, and fear. She had won her Senate race, becoming California’s first Black woman Senator. Overshadowing it all was the growing certainty that Donald Trump had been “elected” to the Presidency, and all that would mean for the country and its most vulnerable communities.
Women, people of color, the disabled, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community were all now under increased threat and the newly elected California Senator knew it. Kamala could see it all coming. She knew just what Trump was — a bully and predator, someone who served only himself, never the people. And she knew what forces backed him.
She didn’t cower. She didn’t curl up in a little ball and pull a blanket over her head. As always, she found her own courage and encouraged the same in others. On that dark night Kamala was what so many aspire to be and never succeed in doing — she was the leader people turned to for strength, hope, and direction.
“We’re going to have to figure out a way to go out there and give people something to believe in. So, we just had a small family dinner. And many of you have met my nephew, my god son. Alexander. So Alexander came up to me about 20 minutes ago, and he was teary. And I didn’t know if one of the other kids had kinda done something. I didn’t know what was going on. I said, “Come here, little man. What’s going on?” And he looked up at me, I swear to god, he looked up at me and said, “I don’t want Trump to win. Did he win?” And he’s crying.
And...so the tears of joy we shed when we elected Barack Obama and then my little godson’s tears tonight because we might have elected Donald Trump….this is some sh’t….
And so once again, our team, I think, is going to have to do what we always do, which is be prepared to fight. And to roll up our sleeves and fight. And us being, you know, with bravado we say, right...the biggest state, the first open Senate seat in a long time on this hemisphere in the fifth largest economy in the world….
I need you guys, for what we’re going to need to do now going forward because I think our campaign is actually not over, but it’s a different kind of campaign. It’s not to win an office, but it’s gonna be a campaign to fight for everything that motivated us to run for this office in the first place.
‘Cause I think there is no question that everything that we have been talking about in terms of everything from criminal justice reform, to climate change, to immigration. this sh*t is now really on the line. There is no guarantee that we are any closer than ever before, and we may actually be further behind.
And when I look at my little nephew and when he looks up at me, he’s looking at me for inspiration and I’m trying to find the words to tell him something that makes him feel better, and so I actually, cause he loves superheroes, I started to say “You know how, like, your superheroes, when they’re facing a challenge and the mean guys are coming at ‘em, what do they do?” And he said, “They fight back,” and I said, “Yeah, so we have to be like superheroes and it’s okay to have emotion, superheroes, all good ones have emotion, but we have to fight.”
So I think we’re going to have to figure this stuff out, kinda quickly, but we gotta figure out how to go out there and give people a sense of hope.
You know, I’ve been talking on the trail during the course of the campaign cause I’ve observed, you know, all of us who have done criminal work know this, whenever you’ve dealt with people who are bullies, or are violent, or predatory, it’s interesting how when people are under attack, the people who are being attacked usually do one of two things: they either fight back or retreat.
I’m so afraid that if this guy actually won, we’re going to have whole communities of folks who are just going to retreat. They’re going to be so d*mn scared about what this all means for them….
So, it’s a time to celebrate, we have to find this balance tonight. it’s a time to celebrate, for sure, but I think this is the night for, you know, the fight call.”
She has always been that leader. She has always been the one people turn to for hope, for encouragement, for courage.
And people need that now more than ever. They see the leadership she embodies and are responding. They know she has been fighting “for the people” for decades.
Mine has not been a career of, you know, fancy speeches and writing a few magazine articles. Mine has been a career of making very difficult decisions knowing that I had a lot of decisions to make that impacted people differently.
Kamala supporters are growing and building the coalition this country needs to return to sanity and decency. Like Kamala herself, they encourage the best in the rest of us. They are helping us all find our own courage to stand up and fight back against the bullies and predators.
Yes, she does. Everyone from South Carolina farmers to rappers, to everyone in between.
They’re all like me, like us — responding to a proven leader, one who has always spoken truth to power while fighting for the people.
IVYPAC® ANNOUNCES TWENTY STATE GOTV PUSH FOR SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: IVYPAC
Phone: (646) 470-2635
Email: media@ivypac.org
IVYPAC® Announces its Twenty State GOTV Push for Senator Kamala Harris
IVYPAC Re-Affirms Its January 2019 Endorsement of Senator Harris
New York, NY, November 11, 2019 - IVYPAC, a grassroots political action committee (PAC) formed to provide support to sorority members of the PAC’s founders, announced its twenty state Get Out the Vote (GOTV) push for Sen. Kamala Harris, a candidate for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination.
In January 2019, IVYPAC endorsed Sen. Harris and reaffirmed the endorsement today as the PAC announced that it will support Sen. Harris with a multi-state GOTV push.
"IVYPAC is a people-powered organization of primarily African-American women. In addition, our members are highly-informed, engaged voters who are devoted to community service," said Ramona Prioleau, Chair and Co-founder of IVYPAC.
“Senator Harris' platform addresses issues that have broad impact,” added Prioleau
In the Democratic Presidential primary, IVYPAC will focus it GOTV efforts in the following key states:
- Alabama;
- Arizona;
- Arkansas;
- California;
- Colorado;
- Florida;
- Georgia;
- Illinois;
- Iowa;
- Michigan;
- Mississippi;
- Missouri;
- Nevada;
- North Carolina;
- Ohio;
- Oklahoma;
- South Carolina;
- Tennessee;
- Texas; and
- Virginia.
A variety of opportunities exist to get involved, including canvassing, phone-banking, or becoming a social media ambassador. To join the IVYPAC GOTV team, visit https://www.ivypac.org/volunteer.
In April 2018, a group of politically-savvy sorority sisters from New York, Ohio, California, Florida and Illinois banded together to form IVYPAC to help elect their sorority sisters to federal public office. The women are all members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Kamala2020 info and links are below!
Newpioneer has rounded up some highlights of her sponsored legislation here.
snowman3 has rounded up some more legislative highlights here.
Gay CA Democrat lists 21 bills or proposals here.
Want to know more about her positions and plans? Her policy page is Our America.
Or go straight to an issue: quality, affordable health care for all, economic justice, raising teacher pay, combating the climate crisis, criminal justice reform, action on gun violence, a fair and just immigration system, LGBTQ+ equality, government for the people, debt-free college and student debt, gender equality, American leadership at home and abroad, and fighting for racial justice.
More plans: Reproductive Rights Act, Equal Pay, Roadmap to Citizenship for Dreamers,Combating the Racial Homeownership Gap, Reducing the Opportunity Gap, Fair Prescription Drug Prices, Kamala’s 3AM Agenda, Medicare for All, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Combating Violent Hate, A Climate Plan For the People, Transform the Criminal Justice System and Re-Envision Public Safety, Children’s Agenda, LGBTQ+ Equality and Dignity for All, Rural Agenda, Honoring Tribal Sovereignty and Lifting Native American Communities.
Please remember to visit our community group page Kamala2020 and give us a follow! That way all our group efforts will appear in your stream; this makes it easy for everyone to keep up with our latest posts. As always, any who would like to join our group please leave us a comment and we’ll get your invitation right out to you!
If you’d like to volunteer to host one of our Kamala 2020 diaries, please leave your comment in the ”Calling all Volunteers”thread.
Even if you can’t commit to a weekly spot due to your busy schedules, guest bloggers are always welcomed!
Please volunteer! Come share your story about why you support Kamala!
Upcoming schedule:
Monday—November 11th--thumbsupcecil
Thursday — November 14th — onomastic
Saturday — November 16th -
Monday — November 18th — anotherdemocrat
Thursday — November 21st -
Saturday — November 23rd— Diana in NoVa
Monday — November 25th — DigitusImpudicus
Thursday — November28th — GayCADemocrat
Saturday — November 30th — noweasels
Monday — December 2nd — DigitusImpudicus
Thursday—December 5th--
As we get closer to the first votes being cast the schedule is beginning to fill up. Let your voices be heard!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
November 14 — Kamala is appearing tonight on the James Corden’s Late Late Show at 11:30 PM.
November 15 - Nov 16
Members of the California Democratic Party and several of the presidential candidates will gather in Long Beach on Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16, 2019. We will be there in full force to support Kamala!
November 20: MSNBC and The Washington Post will co-host the fifth Democratic presidential primary debate in Georgia--airing 9 to 11 p.m. ET--on MSNBC and Radio One, streaming on MSNBC.com and washingtonpost.com. Moderators: Rachel Maddow, Andrea Mitchell, Kristen Welker, and Ashley Parker.
November 22: Muscatine Meet and Greet with Kamala 5:35 PM CST Muscatine, Iowa
November 23: Washington Meet and Gree with Kamala Saturday 8:30 PM CST Washington, Iowa
While you’re here, don’t forget to visit Kamala’s Official Campaign Website and her Swag Shop for your favorite campaign gear! 😄
And don’t forget to donate:
If you’re on Twitter, please follow@KamalaHarris and @SenKamalaHarris
(If you’re not on Twitter, bookmark to ersatz follow)
on Instagram: @kamalaharris
and facebook: KamalaHarris
Group Guidelines
The Kamala2020 community group has been created to positively support Senator Kamala Harris, and not to engage in negativity towards other Democrats running in the 2020 primaries.
All should be made to feel welcomed here. What’s not welcomed here is petty bickering over any of our preferred candidates, or personal attacks on fellow Democrats. We’re not responsible for the actions of others who may offend, insult or attempt to sow discord and disunity — that’s on them.
What we are responsible for are our own words and actions — that’s 100% on us.
I’d like to ask all group members, as well as those dropping by who support or are interested in Kamala’s bid for the nomination, that we not respond to negativity from other campaign’s supporters with even more negativity. Let’s do better than our best and respond with respect, humor or try to hold our peace. Recipes and cat pics work, too 😃
Doing no harm costs us nothing... pie-fights will cost us everything.
I’m closing with a poem by Lucille Clifton — “Won’t you celebrate with me.”
won’t you celebrate with me
what i have shaped into
a kind of life? i had no model.
born in babylon
both nonwhite and woman
what did i see to be except myself?
i made it up
here on this bridge between
starshine and clay,
my one hand holding tight
my other hand; come celebrate
with me that everyday
something has tried to kill me
and has failed.
This poem resonated profoundly deeply with me. No. I’m not a black woman and have not had to find the desperate courage they need to go on in this society, to live and love, to hope and dream, to just be.
But I am a survivor of years of child hood abuse, of watching and hearing my mother and siblings be abused. I am a survivor of blood, bruises, and screams in the night. I am a survivor of the fight to come to terms with all of that. the struggle to learn how to carry it all.
I am the parent of a child with forever life threatening health issues, one that has put him in and out of hospitals since he was a baby over forty years ago. I held my breathe for years wondering when he would be taken from me. Watched, all too powerless, as the boy who was different was bullied. Watched him overcome and rise, a quiet hero. So much courage. So much grace.
I am the partner of a PTSD disabled Viet Vet and live with his war haunted ghosts. They come flowing out as his fingers hit the keyboard, populating poems and short stories.
I am blessed with friends from every walk of life, from every shade of life — gifts beyond measure. And I listen to the stories of their lives, learn their hurts and bravery.
I have watched on the outside of this society for long years, seen how it treats those who speak hard truths, those who embody stories too few want to hear. I’ve seen people run away again and again from those who most deserve and need our presence, time, and understanding.
There are far too many of us who have been abandoned. Denied. Betrayed. Silenced.
And yet we fought to speak. We fought to stand even as the blows fell.
We have survived that which tried to kill us. We have survived cowards’ attempts to erase us. In that knowing we have found our courage. We will not settle for less from those claiming the right to lead us.
I have no patience left for cowards, for those who value their discomfort more than others’ suffering. For those who confuse the safety of the familiar with victory.
I have no time left for self serving posers who just discovered the heart hurt need for justice.
Kamala sees me and mine. She sees all of us. She doesn’t run. Never has.
And that’s why we need her to be President of these United States.