Dear John,
One thing we’ve learned in the last month is just how lonely a global pandemic can feel. We’re all living through the same catastrophe, but it’s easy to feel trapped, isolated, and alone with our fears and worries.
We’re creative, social creatures, so we’re figuring it out. From small ways like Zoom game nights to big actions like socially distant protests, we’re pulling through together.
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As you probably know, TakeAction Minnesota endorsed Bernie Sanders earlier this year because we believe in the movement surrounding his campaign. It’s a movement of people like us – multiracial, working class – building a collective future for our country.
Bernie may have ended his campaign this week, but that movement is not going away. In this moment of crisis, we need the message of the Sanders’ campaign more than ever: Not me. Us.
The problems we faced before COVID-19 are still with us: wealth inequality, institutional racism, climate change. If anything, they’re more pressing and obvious than ever.
Our solution remains the same: solidarity.
The only way we’re going to pull through this moment is by reaching toward one another. We need to come together in creative new ways, take care of each other, imagine and believe in the world we need, and fight to make that a reality.
When you’re feeling isolated, know that you’re not alone and remember that we are resilient. We’ve overcome tragedy before. And we know that together, we can do it again.
Here’s what we’re reading, watching, and listening to this week:
Making the Road
As part of our 100 Days of Justice, Joy & Solidarity, TakeAction’s executive director, Elianne, reflected on the failures of our rigged system, what leadership looks like, and how we can find joy and meaning now, as we build a just future together. Read more on our blog.
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Voter Suppression
Earlier this week, Republicans in Wisconsin blocked efforts to move the state's primary elections. Residents were forced to choose between their health and their right to vote. This is immoral and dangerous, and we can’t let it become the new normal. Read more.
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Bernie Sanders
“Do we have to be living in a society where there is so much greed on top? And can’t we all come together and create a decent life for all of us?”
A lot has been – and will continue to be – written about Bernie Sanders’ campaign, but we were touched when we heard from Bernie himself about this movement and our collective future. Watch this clip of his first interview since leaving the presidential race.
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Paycheck Guarantee Act
We’re either going to get through this together, or not at all. Rep. Pramila Jayapal has introduced the Paycheck Guarantee Act to save our economy and ensure no one gets left out. This is exactly the bold vision we need right now. Read more.
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Worker Rebellion
“A strike to protect the lives of workers is a morally justifiable strike, regardless of what state law says. It’s not like we’re going to comply with the law and die.”
Amazon. Instacart. Barnes & Noble. General Electric. Target. Nurses, fast food workers, doctors, and poultry plant workers. People across the country are rising up, demanding safe working conditions and time to care for their loved ones. Read more.
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Video Conference Bingo
For some of us, it can feel like we are on video conferences all the time these days. May this bingo card provide you some joy during your next staff meeting. Check it out.
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Pay It Forward
With shelters closing and resources already stretched, this is an especially challenging time for domestic violence victims. Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation has contributed more than $7 million to COVID-19 relief efforts across the country to date. This is a time for those who have the means to take care of those who’ve been left out. Read more.
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Racism
COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting Black communities, but guidance to wear masks or other face coverings in public comes with the risk of profiling. Case in point: two Black men were kicked out of a Walmart earlier this week for wearing face masks. Read more.
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Reproductive Justice
Here’s some cautiously optimistic news out of Texas. A federal judge ruled that Republican efforts to block all abortions cannot move forward. Abortion care is health care. Read more.
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An Old Basset Hound
Josie is a 15-year-old basset hound. Her human is a sportscaster, but with no sports right now, he has taken to calling her morning walk. Check out the video.
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That’s a wrap. Take care this weekend.
-- Kenza Hadj-Moussa and Patrick Burke
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