e2c WRAPPED: Looking back at 2020

These past 5 months running e2c have been truly amazing.

Planning, leading, and onboarding an entire team in a global pandemic has allowed me to grow in unimaginable ways.

It’s taught me that great organizational culture puts people first and empowers its leaders to succeed.

The parts I have enjoyed most have been finding community virtually, growing personally and continually in this process, and giving other young people the opportunity to be involved in our political process.

I realize that when used correctly, representation is a form of resistance when BIPOC in positions of power do not feel the pressure to compromise their values.

Moving into the new year, we need to critically examine viewpoints of opposition to calls for transformational change in politics.

We need to ask:

Who do these viewpoints actually serve?

When you see these same people getting jobs in a system that they benefit from financially and professionally but their politics, the people they work for, the candidates they support do not actually address the needs of our most marginalized because they do not understand what it’s like.

You then start to question how is this type of representation democratic?

I firmly believe our political system needs to represent everyone. And that’s where I think there’s an abundance of opportunity to create change because real power does not lie just in government but everywhere. BIPOC, trans folks, queer folks don’t need to justify or modify the ways we practice our politics.

We are the change we need in our true forms with the experiences and stories we have. And I look forward to continue working to empower others through e2c and beyond for others to realize this - whether that’s electing more progressive candidates into office or elsewhere in their communities.

Are you in to support e2c’s efforts to create long-lasting systemic change through our education-based strategies, DEI advocacy, and civic activism? Here’s what you can do to support our movement: Donate $1 via ActBlue today. Every dollar you can contribute today will help us keep our movement going!

In solidarity,

Jackie