MVP partners are in these streets. They are out at May Day celebrations, canvassing to mobilize voters and talk to them about the issues, condemning the Supreme Court’s decision to gut the Voting Rights Act, and much more. Check out what they’ve got going on in this week’s Frontline Digest.
May Day!
Tomorrow, Friday, May 1, is May Day! Organizations around the country, including several MVP partners, are participating in marches, actions, and strikes as part of May Day Strong. Find an action near you, or join one of our partners! Here’s what some of them are up to tomorrow.
- WI: Voces de la Frontera Action, Citizen Action WI
- AZ: Opportunity AZ, LUCHA
- NY: Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
- NC: Down Home North Carolina
- MD: Progressive Maryland
- TN: Tennessee and Memphis for All
SCOTUS guts the Voting Rights Act … again
The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a massive blow to the already-weakened Voting Rights Act. The Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais will give a boost to Republican-controlled states, especially in the South, in their ongoing efforts to dilute the power of Black voters and gerrymander their way into controlling Congress and state legislatures. Read MVP’s full statement and see what some of our partners have to say about this devastating decision.
- National: No Kings SCOTUS call tonight
- GA: Black Male Initiative Fund, GA Working Families Party
- NY: Citizen Action of New York
- MS: NAACP Mississippi State Conference
- The South: Black Voters Matter Fund
Photo: Make the Road Action NJ campaigning for Analilia Mejia in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.
Elections: Special, Primary, and General — Oh, My!
MVP partners are mobilizing voters, supporting progressive candidates, and getting voters ready for elections now and in the lead-up to November.
- New Jersey: Make the Road Action NJ helped secure a massive victory for movement leader, Analilia Mejia, in a special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District to fill the seat vacated by Governor Mikie Sherrill.
- Georgia: The Georgia primary election is May 19, and Georgia Working Families Party released a voter guide detailing their endorsed candidates to help voters navigate a crowded field and long list of races. Don’t miss their recommendation for governor!
- Maine: A lot is happening in Maine, including MVP partners’ efforts to defeat Susan Collins and flip Maine’s U.S. Senate. Maine People’s Alliance is hosting a series of candidate town halls to meet their endorsed candidates for Senate and Governor and to get Granite Staters out to the polls.
- Pennsylvania: We are flipping the House this year, and our partners in Pennsylvania are ready. Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance (APIPA) is canvassing for their endorsed candidate in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, Justin Douglas, ahead of Pennsylvania’s primary election on May 19 and the general election in November.
Photo: Members and participants at LUCHA’s The Asambela del Pueblo (“The People’s Assembly).
Power Building, Training, Know Your Rights, and More
MVP partners are always building the capacity, skills, knowledge, and power of the communities they serve.
- Arizona: LUCHA convened their members at The Asambela del Pueblo — The People’s Assembly — where they “shaped concrete plans for stepping into governing power, built powerful connections across communities across Arizona, and created a shared vision for leading with justice and equity at the center.”
- Nevada: Cinco de Mayo is almost here, and Make the Road Action Nevada is celebrating. They will have live music, free food, community resources, and attorneys on hand for people to ask questions and know their rights. This is how our partners mix culture, joy, and organizing!
- Maine: Time to sharpen our fight-back skills! Maine People’s Alliance is partnering with Popular Democracy to offer a series of trainings across the state on fighting authoritarianism and our own power to resist.
Photo: Citizen Action Wisconsin at a packed healthcare town hall with elected leaders.
Organizing on the Issues
MVP partners are talking directly to people about the issues that impact them — from town halls to neighborhood canvass programs to podcasts — and connecting the issues to their power to create change through advocacy, organizing, and voting.
- Pennsylvania: Lancaster Stands Up is hosting a neighborhood canvass to talk to community members about the impact of data centers — a growing issue this election cycle.
- Wisconsin: Citizen Action Wisconsin hosted a healthcare town hall with elected leaders for Wisconsinites to learn more about the healthcare system and why supporting the BadgerCare Public Option will increase healthcare coverage and lower costs.
- Virginia: Hamkae Power, the Virginia chapter of NAKASEC Action Fund, recently launched “Chilling with Bo” — a podcast aimed at engaging nonpolitical Asian men, as they were seeing young Asian men drifting towards conservative outlets.
