MFD #53 - kicking off Freedom Summer

Hey all,

As summer break ramps up across the country, here’s hoping we can find ways to embrace it. Wishing us all some laidback days filled with popsicles, bubbles, and other summertime fun.

This week’s action is to help kick off Freedom Summer, a Black-led multiracial season of action, focused on voter mobilization, economic justice, and civic engagement. Here are some options for doing so:

• Check out the Freedom Summer website to see if there’s a mobilization near you that you can attend this summer. If so — great! Add it to your calendar, and find some buddies to join you.

• Check your voter registration status, and remind your friends and family to do so too.

• In the spirit of voter mobilization, try one of the GOTV actions listed here.

• You could also join the Freedom Fast from Juneteenth to the Fourth of July — either a traditional fast or a “despair fast” to reject hopelessness. (This one’s aimed at people with a Christian faith practice, though who wouldn’t benefit from more hope?)

Why this action? Freedom Summer continues the legacy of the 1964 Freedom Summer; its goal is to mobilize Black voters and their allies across the country during this new period of voter suppression. These efforts are particularly needed right now; after the Supreme Court’s decision to gut the Voting Rights Act, states have raced to redistrict before the midterms in a way that would disenfranchise Black voters. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but as Anthony Robinson reminds us: “Those who seek to roll back progress are counting on our exhaustion and disengagement. We cannot afford either.”

Look at you, taking action! Look at us, doing it together.

In solidarity and with love,
Moms for Democracy

PS — There are so many efforts happening across the country! On June 27, in the run up to America’s 250th anniversary, there’s an “All of US” nationwide mobilization for Truth, Equality, and Freedom. Check out the website to find an event near you or to sign up to host one. :)

PPS — Even though it’s barely breaking through in the media, ICE is still harassing and detaining people around the country. (Here’s one recent story from Chicago, where masked ICE agents aimed weapons at bystanders; here’s another from Pittsburgh last month, where masked agents chaotically arrested people outside a daycare during dropoff. The situation in ICE detention centers is also atrocious and deeply concerning.) If you’re wondering how communities can prepare, you can get a copy of the Moms For Good ICE Resistance Playbook here.