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- Your guide to the election, finding hope beyond the ballot, and tomorrow night's event.
Your guide to the election, finding hope beyond the ballot, and tomorrow night's event.
Resources to get you through the days ahead.
Nicole Cardoza
November 03, 2024
November 3, 2024
Your guide to the election, finding hope beyond the ballot, and tomorrow night's event.
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Happy Sunday and welcome back to Reimagined! Formerly the Anti-Racism Daily, we’re now focused on the powerful solutions to our biggest challenges today.
My first time voting was for Obama in the 2008 presidential election, during a time that felt hopeful and new – not just because of his campaign, but because I was 19 years old. Everything in my life felt like a fresh spring. The election captured my spirit, and I was overjoyed when he won, dancing in the streets of Brooklyn with my friends.
This election meets me at a different age and with more wisdom. Partially because elections since haven't held the same promise. This race, between a candidate that promises the status quo and a racist, fascist, vulgar, shameful excuse of a president, leaves a lot to be desired. But since 2008, my hope has been redirected from public office to everyday people like you reading this right now. I've learned that our liberation lies in how we hold one another, how we choose to endure regardless of who's in office. And I’ve practiced creating a healthy detachment between politics and my own personal values.
I think this is healthier, and more balanced. Politics, after all, are both a necessary framework for our society and fodder for entertainment. We've never needed to “celebrity” our candidates (I don't think Trump would've been considered without this culture of celebrity). This approach has made me less emotionally tied to the outcome. Don't get me wrong – the next decade will be deeply defined by who wins Tuesday evening. But I know that we – you and me – will make it through either way. We don't have a choice. And that's where my loyalty lies.
If you're feeling a sense of dread or overwhelm, remember: we are the leaders that will get each other through. Let this be an opportunity to shift your solidarity from institutions to each other. Voting is good, but committing to the collective wellbeing of your neighbors is better. So is showing up at your local school board and community council meetings, protesting against injustice, boycotting and divesting, and doing the deep work to evolve your own relationship to what institutions try to teach us. The good fight isn't over until we give up on ourselves and each other. And I'm glad to be in this fight with you.
Thank you for making this work possible. Our readers fully fund this newsletter. Here's how you can help us stay sustainable:
In solidarity,
Nicole
See you tomorrow?
Join us tomorrow at 7pm EST to hear from organizers about what’s at stake this election season, and how you can help. Tickets will support Proceeds Benefit Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Sistersong, and the Movement Voter Fund. Generous thanks to The Harnisch Foundation for their support.
This session will be recorded and will be family-friendly, so feel free to bring along the kiddos!
Here are some helpful resources to help you at the ballot this week:
Vox has a helpful breakdown of Harris’ and Trump’s policies.
Blue Voter Guide gives you a breakdown of democratic candidates on your ballot and their stance on key issues based on your address
The League of Conservation Voters will tell you candidates to support based on their climate agendas based on your address.
“Hope for me is in the doing of things.” This interview between Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes about their book gives me solace in troubling times.
NPR has a list of where you can find local reporting for election and voting news and updates in your state.
It’s also not too late to take action:
Donate all you can to swing-state organizers turning out every last vote. This is going to be a tight race, and last minute donations make a big difference.
Get out the vote by text, phone, or in person. You can do most of this from your couch today!
An edit – I’ve received so many stories from each of you so far! This will be for November’s theme, which I’ll announce after the election. But I’ve still got space to hold your story!
Do you find yourself in the kids section each Sunday morning, coffee in hand? Is this your classroom away from campus? Are you obsessed with the unlimited free books you can download on your Kindle? For an upcoming series, we want to hear your stories on the role that the public library has played for you and your community. Email us to share more!
Conflict Evolution
Tuesday, November 12 | 3pm EST
Go beyond conflict resolution and apply a culturally-responsive, inclusive framework to navigating challenging conversations, mediating tense scenarios, and fostering understanding with opposing viewpoints.
Power + Privilege
Tuesday, December 3 | 3pm EST
Learn about how power dynamics and privilege can impact the workplace and perpetuate harmful practices. Gain tangible skills and tools to become a better ally and build a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
A woman wears a "Make America Great Again" hat during a rally hosted by former U.S. President Donald Trump on July 3, 2021 in Sarasota, Florida. Credit: Eva Marie Uzcategui / Getty Images
Why do we keep expecting white women to vote differently? Seven decades of exit polling, research, and data analysis points to one conclusion: White women, by and large, tend to vote Republican. The Emancipator >
10 states will vote on abortion rights this election. Abortion rights organizers hope the ballot measures will restore reproductive rights to what has become an “abortion and maternal care desert”. Prism >
Threats, racism, misogyny: Trump’s disturbing final week of campaigning. The former president leaned heavily into his agenda of hate and menace in a week as unedifying as it was unhinged. The Guardian >
Remembering an actual stolen election—and the terror of a white supremacist coup. An uprising in 1898 laid the foundations of the jim crow south and much of the structural racism that continues today. Mother Jones >
Intimidation, voter suppression, and racism in Indian Country. Obstacles to voting come in many forms during an election year—especially if you're a Native voter. The Nation >
How climate voters could swing the presidential election. In battleground states like Georgia, tens of thousands of climate-conscious voters who didn't show up in 2020 have already cast their ballots. Grist >
An insurrectionist once helped lead this police department. Insiders speak out about its culture of white supremacy. Veterans of California’s Fontana police department blow the whistle about the racism within its ranks. The Intercept >
A racist joke against Puerto Ricans has created aftershocks that may shake up the election. In a scathing editorial over the remark at the Trump rally, Puerto Rico's largest newspaper exhorted the millions who live on the mainland to vote for Harris, slamming Trump for his "contempt" and "disdain." NBC News >
The FBI stops dozens of domestic attacks each year. Under Trump, that could change. Project 2025’s plans for the bureau could put vulnerable groups at even greater risk. Capital B News >
Election officials lean on transparency in home stretch — while grappling with flood of disinformation. This women-led workforce has spent months trying to show the public that it’s committed to running a secure election. False narratives about voter fraud risk undermining the effort. 19th News >
ICE has been lying about its racial data collection and whitewashing immigration data, advocacy organizations find. New records obtained by the Black Alliance for Just Immigration challenge Homeland Security’s claim that immigration agencies do not collect racial data. Prism >
How Does AIPAC Shape Washington? We Tracked Every Dollar. In this podcast by The Intercept, Akela Lacy and Jessica Washington discuss how the pro-Israel group has recruited and funded winning candidates. Listen >
Controlling the narrative. The majority of Americans oppose banning books. A unified voice emerges from Florida, the country’s cradle of censorship, to spur small groups into big change. Bitter Southerner >
The true, massive cost of Trump’s mass deportation plans. Along with immense human suffering, deporting millions of people could cost billions and damage the economy, according to several recent analyses. Marshall Project >
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading. If you learned something new and want to keep this space going,
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