Do you remember where you were a year ago today? I do. Like many of you, I woke up stunned by the results of last year’s presidential election. The first thing I did was write the following words to our Board and Staff:
We must hold on to our most cherished values of inclusion, respect, patience, and joy. We have to work in community with one another and continue our work to dismantle oppressive systems and work for equity and justice. I stand alongside every one of you. Together, we will resist misogyny, resist bullying, resist bigotry, and resist racism.
With last night’s encouraging results from Virginia, New Jersey, Minnesota, Maine, North Carolina and elsewhere, we want you to know that our collective commitment to dignity, fairness, inclusivity, compassion and patience is buoyed, but also it was never in doubt.
Let’s take a moment to celebrate democracy, civility, and justice. These values are still alive. We know this, regardless of voting results. We are happy that today we wake up feeling less crushed and more resolved than ever to do our work of investing in local organizations that are building community power across issues, training community leaders to be effective policy advocates, and connecting our key partners so that we are coordinated in our efforts.
We are proud to be Californians and to live in a state that inspires hope for the rest of the country through the power of our community leaders. Thank you for standing alongside us.