July 24, 2020

Advancement Project National Office Celebrates National Cousin’s Day!

Did you know July 24 is a national holiday? Advancement Project National Office uplifts National Cousins Day today, which celebrates the extended family members we know and love – our cousins.

During this sustained moment of protest and unrest across the country, as well as calls for truth, racial justice and reconciliation, it’s time to lean into the honest perspectives our cousins often provide. When it comes to race, our family can harbor views and beliefs that are ill-informed, ignorant, and damaging.

Because of this, conversations around race can be challenging for many. For those who consider yourselves allies, it’s time to take real action for the people and ideas you believe in and love. It’s time to use your privilege to challenge and educate friends and family on topics related to race and racism.

National Cousins Day can be used as a time to have critical conversations about these issues. Consider calling or emailing a few of your cousins, or that one cousin you’ve been wanting to set straight on Facebook. If you’re not sure where to begin, we’ve got you covered!

For us, National Cousins Day is about leveraging your power, tapping into your networks, and getting involved. There are so many conversations to be had that can collectively spark understanding and action towards a more just society.

Get your cousins to re-imagine justice in communities of color the way our Justice Project and Immigration Justice Programs are. Send them to FreeAndSafeNow.org to learn how calling for incarcerated people to be released can put us on a path to community empowerment. Also have them check out InsideEloy.org, to see the devastating impact of one of the nation’s largest detention centers on communities of color.

Talk to cousin Karen about getting more involved with her local school board to understand what’s really happening to our young people of color, and why #PoliceFreeSchools will create free and safe learning environments.

Sign these petitions for our partners pushing or #PoliceFreeSchools in their cities.

Share with your cousins these 6 things they can do to support a fair and just democracy in the upcoming presidential election! We’re going to need all hands on deck to ensure a fair and just election process this November.

Below are a few links to resources that are sure to help kick-start engaging conversations amongst you and your cousins.

Listen:

1619, a podcast from The New York Times
About Race by author of Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge

Conversations with Advancement Project National Office:

Read:

The New Jim Crow by Michalle Alexander
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and engage with us on social media using #NationalCousinsDay. If you have some resources you’re excited about and want to share, we encourage you to do so. Don’t forget to tag us (or your cousins!)

Happy National Cousins Day!

KEEP READING

Statement: Despite Numerous Voter Suppression Tactics on Election Day, Advancement Project National Office Attributes High Voter Turnout to Power of Grassroots, National Voting Rights Movements November 3, 2020

Still, voting needs to be made easier Today, voters around the country — particularly Black, Brown, elderly and poor people — encountered numerous hurdles voting in-person on Election Day in an election season fraught with voter suppression. From challenges voting without the full repayment of fines and fees, to the presence of police at polls, from confusion around “curing” ballots, to finding official and secure ballot drop boxes and challenges with voter intimidation, it is obvious that voter suppression was a consistent challenge. Advancement Project National Office, a national racial justice organization released the following statement:…

Statement: Florida Voters Face Numerous Obstacles on Election Day, as Advancement Project National Office and Partners Support Election Protection Efforts in the State November 3, 2020

Today, Florida voters encountered numerous hurdles voting in-person on Election Day in an election season fraught with voter suppression. From the Republican legislature’s action to prevent Returning Citizens from voting without the full repayment of fines and fees to the refusal of the State of Florida to extend online voter registration on the voter registration deadline, it is obvious that voter suppression was a consistent presence in Florida’s 2020 elections. Advancement Project National Office, a national racial justice organization released the following statement: “It is…

Statement: Advocates, Volunteers Instrumental in Voter Turnout at PA Polls November 3, 2020

Voters showed up in the face of voter intimidation, threats of militias during Election 2020 ALLENTOWN, PA – Today, Pennsylvania voters, and particularly voters of color in Lehigh County, experienced numerous hurdles on Election Day, including instances of voter intimidation, the looming threat of militia violence, and political framing that suggested the state would cheat in the election. Advancement Project National Office lawyers were on standby, supporting election protection efforts and addressing issues as they arose. “Advancement Project National Office is on the ground to ensure that every vote is counted,” explained Flavia Jimenez, former Senior Attorney and Project…

GA Civil Rights Groups Aim to Advance Racial Justice, Hold Sheriffs Accountable at the Polls October 28, 2020

Georgia NAACP, New Georgia Project, GLAHR and Advancement Project National Office launch TransformGeorgia.org to educate voters about local sheriff elections and impact the future of policing in the Peach State

Advancement Project National Office Announces Get Out the Vote Partnership to Turnout Young Voters of Color October 22, 2020

Advancement Project National Office announced a new partnership with Win Black / Pa’lante to motivate young voters of color to cast a ballot in the 2020 elections and fight mis- and disinformation targeting Black and Brown voters.

Civil Rights Group Demands Action by State of Louisiana to Remedy Violations of Federal Voting Rights Law October 22, 2020

Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) issued a demand letter to Louisiana Secretary of State R. Kyle Ardoin for violations of the National Voter Registration Act. The group is prepared to take legal action unless the State removes administrative barriers blocking formerly incarcerated Louisianans from registering to vote.

We sued to extend Virginia’s voter registration deadline. Now voters must use it! October 15, 2020

The 2020 election will be one of the most important elections of our lifetime, and it is important that every Virginia voter who wants to cast a ballot register by 11:59 pm tonight, October 15.

Voting Rights Organizations Celebrate Legal Victory Extending Virginia Voter Registration Deadline Through October 15 October 14, 2020

A U.S. District Court ruled that Virginia must extend the voter registration deadline to Thursday, October 15 to remedy the harm caused to voters when the state’s voting systems went down on the final day of voter registration.

Voting Rights Organizations File Lawsuit to Extend Virginia’s Voter Registration After Statewide Voting System Failure October 13, 2020

A coalition of voting rights groups filed a lawsuit against s to extend Virginia’s voter registration deadline after the Commonwealth’s voting systems went down on the last day that Virginians can register to vote.

Voting Rights Organizations Resolve to Protect Florida Voters as State Continues History of Voter Suppression October 9, 2020

On Friday, October 9, a coalition of voting rights organizations reacted to a court’s decision not to extend Florida’s voter registration deadline after the state’s online registration system crashed on Monday.