Say Yes to 24 Hours. . .
Of Activism, Education, and Fun
By Susan Wagner
In the aftermath of 2016, when Markers For Democracy, Downtown Nasty Women, and Team Min began holding Zooms together, we had many objectives. Three have withstood the test of time: 1) building community, 2) recruiting and educating activists, and 3) making politics fun.
That third objective — fun — can be challenging, but in eight years, we have had some amazing events: in-person and Zoom holiday parties, anniversary commemorations, Scotch Sundays, postcarding in Central Park. . .
We hope to get back to that fun in 2025. But next week we are upping our game with “Postcard Around the Clock” — 24 hours on Zoom where we write postcards together, listen to an A-list of guest speakers, and connect with activists from all over the country.
After successful 24-hour postcarding in 2020 and 2022, our third “Postcard Around The Clock” will run from 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, September 23rd through Tuesday, September 24th at 7:30pm ET. Check out our lineup of speakers! Nancy Pelosi! Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Jamie Raskin, historian Heather Cox Richardson, Substackers Jessica Craven and Joyce Vance, journalist Rebecca Traister, State Democratic Party Chairs Ben Wikler and Anderson Clayton, Tim Miller and Bill Kristol of The Bulwark are all confirmed, along with other candidates, organizers, and thought leaders. YOU are also invited. Here is a link to the invitation. (The information is updated frequently so keep checking back.)
The theme this year is "Our Freedoms are on the Ballot." “Freedom” commemorates 60 years since both “Freedom Summer” and the passage of the Civil Rights Act. (And coincidentally this is America’s 60th presidential election.) “Freedom” also acknowledges, as Vice President Harris often says, that this election is very much about Freedom, particularly reproductive freedom. Abortion measures are on the ballots this year in nearly a dozen states.
No one reading this newsletter needs to be told about the existential threat our democracy faces with MAGA and Trump-Vance. Our democracy is imperfect — it took until 1870 for Black men to win the right to vote, till 1920 for women, and the struggle goes on. Hard-won freedoms now feel fragile. The Dobbs decision overturned women’s right to control their own bodies. And Republican policy makers hope to overturn the freedom to marry those we love regardless of race or sex.
Marathon postcard writing sessions will energize us. We will have deep conversations about our democracy with speakers and facilitators who inform participants and build on our inclusive community. Simply by writing postcards, we do the essential work of building community and jumpstarting the final leg of the campaign season.
So please join us for twenty-four minutes or twenty-four hours. You will be a welcome part of a wonderful community of activists determined to have fun. Sign up now! Every postcard makes an impact. RSVP and bookmark our LinkTree page. And don’t forget to shop for some event merch!
Thank you for the invitation. This is a wonderful idea! I did want to lift up that many Black people men and women did not effectively get the right to vote until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 despite the amendments that you noted. Acknowledging this reinforces your ideas around the fragility of freedom and democracy.
Thanks! Registered