Election Day countdown: 179 days
I lost my friend Courtney Brousseau to a senseless act of gun violence this week. Over 50 bullets, not even meant for him, were shot on a corner in San Francisco that I would frequent. Only three years ago, it was he who was texting me, telling me to avoid a shooting one block from my office. I wish I could’ve done the same for him.
The world isn’t just, but he did everything that he could to make it so.
He was among the most principled and generous humans who I have ever had the privilege of knowing. At 22, he was just beginning his career at Twitter and, as he told me when we last talked, he was "really starting to fall in love with SF and [make] it a home."
Courtney wouldn't want our grief. He'd want us to end the traumatizing gun violence ravaging our country. He'd want us to support our hungry neighbors. He'd want us to believe that this cruel world could be a better world. And he'd want us to make it so.
What you can do
Join us and our partners Blue Neighbors, as we host our second Candidate of the Week, leading gun safety advocate, a Mother of the Movement, Rep. Lucy McBath on Monday, May 11th at 8pm ET. Her race is a toss-up.
Please consider supporting her fight to address gun safety, in the name of her son Jordan Russell Davis, my friend Courtney Brousseau, and the many lost to senseless acts of gun violence. Pre-submit your questions and sign up to attend at no cost, as with all of our events, if you are unable to make a contribution at this time.
Learn more on her website.
Check out other races and organizations that you can support here.
Shout outs
Dan Schlosser helped build a digital tool with COVID Act Now to help evaluate what communities are ready to reopen.
Merrit Jones and Student Voice have successfully advocated for over 100 colleges and universities to implement an equitable admissions policy via their #TestOptionalNow campaign, in the wake of COVID19.
Sacha Ostern, Silvia Li Sam, Sebastian Turner from the XQ Institute are partnering with the LeBron James Foundation on May 16th for the Graduate Together event broadcast on all of the major networks and social channels.
Shara Mohtadi is hosting a virtual event on Thursday, May 14th at 6pm ET with former U.S Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and candidate for Mayor of New York City Shaun Donovan.
The Next 50 and Underwood for Congress’ Rose Wallace hosted a conversation with Congresswoman Lauren Underwood!
Are we missing any political work that you are up to that you’d like to share? Reply and let us know!
What we are reading
Too many lost: “An average of 100 [people] per day” are killed by guns. Hundreds of millions...will know at least one victim of gun violence in their lifetime.” (Giffords Law Center)
Pandemic surge: “Though overall crime may be down nationwide because of the pandemic, gun violence is surging in several major cities—including Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Dallas—and many of those cities’ resources to address the issue are dwindling.” (Mother Jones)
Double blow: “As the public health crisis rages, feeding on decades of compounded inequality and segregation, it’s moving alongside another fire. Milwaukee saw 48 homicides between the start of the year and April 29—double the number during the same period in 2019.” (Slate)
Obama vets sound alarm: “As much as Mr. Trump personally revels in television exposure, his campaign has been digital first from the start…Mr. Trump’s surrogates are a relentless presence on social media and his massive digital following dwarfs Mr. Biden’s by a factor of 15 to one.” (The New York Times)
Evolution of rich Republicans: “Seclusion among members of the governing class…[has] helped disfigure our political character by demonizing moderation and enfeebling the basic functions of the state.” (The New Yorker)
Stay safe,
Zak
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