U.S : My flight back from Georgia.

Dear friend,

I was on a flight back to Washington, DC, from Georgia a few months ago, and a staff member of Color Of Change PAC just happened to be sitting in the row right in front of me.

I knew about Color Of Change PAC’s work already, and we began chatting on the plane about how important it was for Black people to be the ones talking to Black voters, and pushing candidates to invest in Black communities. When we landed, he asked if I would send a short message to Black voters and our allies across the country, and I happily agreed. 

So here’s the message I came up with, off the top of my head and from the bottom of my heart, standing in the terminal at the Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC : “Get out and vote like we’ve never voted before."

That’s the only thing I’m here to tell you today. I’m not asking for money or volunteer time. I’m just asking you to commit to vote.

Please join me by signing a pledge to commit to vote on November 6th.

We only have 9 days left until Election Day, and races across the country are looking really close. It may seem strange to sign a commitment to vote, but here’s the reasons why it’s so important :

After you sign the pledge, we'll send you a simple online resource where you can look up your polling place and get all the other information you need to vote.

Once you sign, you’ll have the chance to share the pledge you’ve taken with friends and family. This is the most important thing about signing a commitment to vote-- when people who know you and trust you see that you’re planning to vote, it encourages them to show up too.

Sign the commitment to vote with me, and share it to let people know how important voting is to you.

You probably already know my story, and why voting matters so much to me. Throughout the Civil Rights movement, I marched and was beaten bloody countless times by police, fighting for that victorious day in 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was signed by President Lyndon Johnson.

But I don’t want you to vote out of some sense of duty to me. I want you to vote because you believe in your own power, and the power of Black people and our allies when we come together and demand the rights, resources and accountability we deserve.

I know Color Of Change PAC is supporting some amazing candidates that are committed to investing resources in Black communities. From Andrew Gillum in Florida to Gretchen Whitmer and Garlin Gilchrist in Michigan to Stacey Abrams in my home state of Georgia, these candidates are tired of the old pattern of ignoring Black people’s needs and suppressing our voices at the polls. Wherever you live, November 6 is your chance to elect candidates that are ready to break the status quo and listen to Black people and our allies.

Yes, I’m ready to commit to vote for change in my community and my country, and to share that commitment with my friends and family so they turn out too.

I just want to say one more thing : That day in the airport in Washington, DC, I talked with that staff member about my son. I think every day about the effect that living under the Trump presidency has on our country's children, and whether all this hate and division will make them lose hope. I think so much of the answer to that question depends on whether or not we show up on November 6.

Please, commit to vote on November 6th for yourself, for your children, for Black people and for all people who believe in the long march towards justice.

Thank you,

Representative John Lewis, Georgia 5th Congressional District

 
















 

 

Paid Pol. Adv. paid for by ColorOfChange PAC, 1714 Franklin St., Oakland, CA 94612, independently of and not authorized or approved by any federal, state, or local candidate or candidate’s committee.

ColorOfChange PAC is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Contributions to Color Of Change PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.