Remaking American Democracy, a virtual event co-sponsored by 43 democracy, civil rights, and Jewish organizations, reached thousands of voters across the country that discussed the history of Black and Jewish partnership and the pressing reforms needed to remake our democracy into one that truly represents all the people.
GOTV in North Philadelphia
The Workers Circle joined local North Philadelphia community groups affiliated with Black Voters Matter for a Get Out the Vote door-knocking with critical poll location and nonpartisan voting information in a neighborhood with historically low voter turnout that faces many barriers to the polls. On that day we reached 2380 households.
April Albright, Legal Director at Black Voters Matter, and Noelle Damico, Director of Social Justice at the Workers Circle were co-panelists on the Women Power Democracy panel discussing cross-cultural organizing for democracy which reached thousands of voters across the country
Following the 57th commemoration of Bloody Sunday, walking over the Edmund Pettus Bridge with Selma foot soldiers from 1965 and Vice President Kamala Harris, Black Voters Matter hosted and the Workers Circle co-sponsored a 10-mile leg of the 2022 Selma to Montgomery march alongside college students, partners, community members, and organizers to honor the 57th anniversary courageous actions by civil right activists in Selma, Alabama and calling for immediate passage of federal voting rights legislation in light of the weakening of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court.
LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter, and Noelle Damico, Director of Social Justice were among fifty social justice leaders, clergy, and student activists arrested for peaceful civil disobedience on the outdoor steps of the Capitol during the Senate’s deliberation on the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.
To highlight the urgency of democracy’s erosion in the US and advocate for setting aside the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation, Black Voters Matter and the Workers Circle organized multi-state actions during the White House Democracy Summit. These events took place outside the United Nations in New York, Washington, DC, and seven additional states: CA, DE, GA, OH, VA, ME, AZ. Democratic Senators publicly expressed support for laying aside the filibuster or voted in favor, notably for the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in January 2022. The UN protest was covered in The Guardian.
The Workers Circle and Black Voters Matter participated in four civil disobedience actions outside the White House, alongside democracy and civil rights groups. This collective effort led President Biden to change his position, urging the Senate to set aside the filibuster for the passage of federal voting rights legislation. The Workers Circle’s CEO, Ann Toback, board members, activists, and students, including two dozen, were among those arrested multiple times. Participation reached 500 by the final action.
Cliff Albright, Co-founder and Executive Director of Black Voters Matter and Noelle Damico, Director of Social Justice at the Workers Circle were among the #Democracy5 whose arrest by the Secret Service and jailing on October 5, headlining network news.