This summer has been one where a strong line has been drawn between chaos and community and our Club chooses Community. From providing Know Your Rights info at our table at Culver City Pride and being present to support our immigrant neighbors to sharing food and laughter at our annual 4th of July BBQ, we came together not just to celebrate, but to revitalize. In times like these, joy is not a distraction, it’s resistance. Interacting with folks in community reminded me that our community’s spirit is far from broken, and we are locking arms stronger than ever now despite what news cycles may show.
However, we cannot ignore the storm clouds lingering overhead. We are witnessing the cruel rollback of hard-won rights due to decades of organizing and sacrifice. I stand on the shoulders of civil rights leaders who gave the ultimate sacrifice to give me the opportunity to be sharing this message with you today. Immigrant communities are being targeted and scapegoated, treated like they are less than hu-man not as beloved neighbors and friends. The social safety net is being shredded, leaving too many of our elders, our children, and our working families without the support they deserve. And from the White House, we see a shameless abuse of power that undermines our democracy and threatens the very foundations of justice through manufactured chaos in effort to distract us from the fact that the GOP has absolutely no sense of leadership. Truthfully, I question their common sense as well.
BUT WE ARE NOT POWERLESS. In moments of uncertainty, the antidote is engagement. Organizing at the local level has always been the heartbeat of progress, whether we gather for Pride, BBQs, or advocating for our community at city hall. We are building a movement rooted in dignity, equity, and collective action. This is why we canceled our July monthly meeting to be present at the special city council meeting where it was voted to suspend sharing data from its Flock Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) with any outside agency af-ter concerns were raised about data sharing with federal agencies such as ICE.
So, if you’ve been feeling outraged and exhausted, remember hope is not lost and joy is a form of resistance too.
Get out and spend time in the community but don’t forget to join our August monthly meeting on August 13th. 😉
The Culver City Democratic Club will be at Fiesta La Ballona August 22nd-24th, and I’m personally looking forward to seeing you at our booth. If you would like to volunteer with us, feel free to sign up here: https://bit.ly/CCDCFiesta25
With Solidarity and Determination,
Jeanna Harris, President