| Because we are the new majority, together we rise |
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Florida Rising Weekly Newsletter |
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Florida Rising Announces Our First Round of Statewide Endorsements Ahead of 2022 Primaries and Midterms |
Florida Rising is happy to endorse 66 candidates across the state ahead of the 2022 Primaries and Midterms. In past years, Florida Rising’s legacy organizations had been influential in state and national level races and initiatives. In 2018, the organizations’ field campaigns were critical to winning Amendment 4 and bringing the Governor and Senate races to recounts and a margin of less than a percent. In 2020, the organizations were part of efforts that knocked on 1.3 million doors and activated a large-scale virtual organizing program that made 18.1 million phone calls and sent 6.3 million texts, resulting in conversations with 1,240,415 voters that helped turn out over 300,000 first-time voters and catalyze historic voter mobilization. Our legacy organization’s endorsed candidates won in 95 out of 132 races.
This year, Florida Rising prioritized the issues foremost on Floridians' minds: housing, jobs, criminal systems reform, reproductive rights, and a plan to take action on the climate emergency that make up the pillars of the Justice on Every Block campaign.
Among the esteemed list of 66 candidates across 12 counties that Florida Rising is endorsing are the first out LGBTQ+ Latinas if elected, Eunic Ortiz and Janelle Perez, and those who stood up to the censorship acts and Don’t Say Gay bill pushed by the Governor in the last legislative session such as Sen. Shevrin Jones, Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, and Rep. Tracie Davis of Jacksonville. It includes long-time Haitian community organizer in South Florida, Marleine Bastien, as well as members of Florida Rising running for office such as Guerdy Remey in Seminole County.
Andrea Cristina Mercado, Executive Director of Florida Rising, explains the need to get out the vote and elect these progressive champions:
“We are proud to endorse candidates who are committed to putting Floridians first. The cost of rent is too high and the state’s GOP is doing nothing about it. The threat of climate chaos is too real and the state’s GOP is creating roadblocks to clean energy. The state we live in is beautiful and diverse and Florida’s GOP is banning Black history, LGBTQ+ rights, and access to abortion and a self-determined future.
It’s time for Floridians to be represented by elected officials that care about people instead of corporate interests. Now it’s the time to step up and elect folks up and down the ballot, from municipal to federal level. The stakes have never been higher. Reproductive rights, climate justice, housing justice, and the expansion of democracy are all on the ballot and dozens of Floridians are running to ensure these issues get addressed, and Florida Rising is proud to endorse them.
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| Ludi Palm Beach Screening |
Sunday, July 10, 2022 2:00pm - 5:00pm Barnett Park 4801 West Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808
Join us for a screening of the critically acclaimed film Ludi directed by Edson Jean. Get your ticket here! |
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| Facilitation Workshop in Spanish Osceola County |
Saturday, July 16, 2022 11:00am - 3:00pm Florida Rising Osceola Office 1362 E Vine St, Kissimmee, FL 34744
Join our workshop led by Spanish-speaking facilitators to learn how to get involved in building a Path to Power. Click here to sign up. |
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| Facilitation Workshop in Spanish Broward County |
Saturday, July 23, 2022 11:00am - 3:00pm Florida Rising Broward Office
1142 W Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 Join our workshop led by Spanish-speaking facilitators to learn how to get involved in building a Path to Power. Click here to sign up. |
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July's People's Assemblies
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Change is better when you're a part of making it happen. Learn how to organize alongside friends, neighbors, and others across the state and guide the future of Florida Rising. Organizing with Black and Brown communities to win political power is at the heart of what we do, and our members own our collective work. The challenges to a just and equitable state may seem impossible to solve, and it's hard to know where to begin. But there's a way forward — and it starts by uniting on the ground and in our communities. It starts with the people closest to the problems themselves. It starts with you. Click here to become a member today! Anyone can join by contributing membership dues of $25 a year or more based on each individual's ability to pay. |
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Did you catch last week’s episode of Every Block Rising? 👀
Make sure to tune in for a new episode of #EveryBlockRising every Friday and check out last week’s episode: We've Been Telling Y'all. Available at every-block-rising.simplecast.com and in Apple Podcasts!
The podcast is a space for our members to share their stories of struggle, hope, dreams, and life. All of this in hopes of building a Florida where we can all live with dignity, joy and freedom! |
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| The last two decades of Alethia Jones' life are a clear depiction of how Florida’s mass incarceration system fais the residents of Florida.
While on her way to recovery, Alethia made a mistake that cost her entire life. Instead of investments in communities that prevent crime and make reentry after incarceration possible, Florida’s three strikes rule has robbed families of their support systems and shown the heartless nature of the system that we are living in. It’s time to right at least one of the 1XX wrongs of people serving life in the FL justice system for drug offenses and Free Alethia Jones. Go to FreeAlethiaJones.com to sign her petition for clemency and learn more.
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WFTV: "With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, some worry women of color will be affected most." Andrea Mercado, executive director of Florida Rising, said the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision will hurt those who need the help the most.
“It’s a decision that will affect people living in poverty the worst, but it’s also true that most of the people who are renting are low-wage workers, farmworkers, service workers, living paycheck to paycheck are disproportionately people of color.” Read more here.
WMNF: "With Florida’s new abortion law set to go into effect, a local state attorney has vowed not to prosecute abortion." With the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade and Florida’s 15-week abortion ban set to take effect this week, Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren has joined dozens of prosecutors nationwide who say they will not press charges against people who seek, facilitate, or provide abortion care. Read more here.
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