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Friend,
American Promise exists to achieve political equality for all Americans. As our nation continues to witness horrific displays of systemic racism as well as moments of unity and hope, American Promise works to build the movement for an amendment to provide equal representation regardless of wealth—so that all citizens have a voice in the decisions that shape our everyday lives.
The success of our movement depends on actions taken by Americans across the political spectrum who are committed to ushering in a reinvented democracy for the 21st century. By connecting and empowering citizens across the country to advocate for the amendment, we strengthen our movement and our nation’s capacity to move forward together.
This week our newsletter highlights several calls for equality: from American Promise Advisory Council member Nina Turner, Bernie Sanders 2020 national campaign co-chair and former Ohio state senator; from the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship in its vision for the 21st century; and in Juneteenth events occurring in coming days across the country.
Heed these calls to action. Now is the time to rely on our strength, spirit and the collective power of millions of small acts to advance real, permanent change. Together we have the power to move toward our nation’s fundamental and unfulfilled promise of equality for all.
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Leah Field
Managing Director, American Promise
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The Time for Equality Is Now
America faces an existential crisis: We urgently need sweeping reforms to address the many issues contributing to systemic racism across our nation. On June 30, join us as American Promise Advisory Council member Nina Turner and Congressman Ro Khanna delve into how we can break big money’s grip on our political system!
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Note: Don’t miss the June 30 call with Nina Turner and Congressman Ro Khanna. See more info in the event listings below and register online!
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American Promise Amendment Among Top Reforms in Commission’s Call for a More Resilient Democracy
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Americans are in a huge moment of possibility to reshape our democracy for the 21st century and beyond. This vision for a more resilient democracy—which includes a constitutional amendment to reduce the influence of money in politics—is the product of the bipartisan Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, convened by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
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Find more about the vision and the changes needed to realize it:
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Meet Corinne Noonan: Working to End Corporate Domination of Politics
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With a personal connection to how the political power of elite special interests disenfranchises everyday Americans, new American Promise team member Corinne Noonan is committed to helping fix the system and ensure a voice for every American.
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Calling all wordsmiths: American Promise is creating a Contributor Network of citizen leaders who will use their word power to advance the American Promise Amendment. By writing letters to the editor, articles about local democracy reform efforts, and more, these contributors will help spread the word about American Promise and help more Americans learn about the movement for the 28th Amendment.
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| American Promise Pledge Campaign
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In his bid to become District Attorney in Manhattan, New York, Janos Marton has vowed to advance criminal justice reform. He also signed the American Promise Candidate Pledge, promising if elected to advance the 28th Amendment and put people, rather than money, in charge of our political system.
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The Candidate Pledge Campaign is how we build political power, and we need your help to take it to the next level. Help scale up the candidate pledge program and volunteer in your state. American Promise offers a host of tools to make outreach, conversations, and follow-up simple and successful. Join in!
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The issue: Income inequality between black and white households is higher in the U.S. than in any other nation in the Group of Seven. The black-white income gap in the U.S. has persisted over time: Median black household income was 61% of median white household income in 2018, up modestly from 56% in 1970.
The action: Help create a more equitable nation by joining the challenge to reinvent democracy for the 21st century.
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| What We’re Tracking This Week
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From the Fulcrum: A new report, informed by nine public hearings over two years, details the barriers that the nearly 5 million American Indians of voting age face in having a say at the polls. These challenges include a lack of access to internet service or IDs required to vote in some states, as well as cultural and historical barriers. Read more.
From the Washington Post: Danielle Allen, one of the members of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, urges Americans to join her and other democracy reform advocates in making repairs to our nation’s foundation. “We need a new social contract worthy of our recommitment to U.S. constitutional democracy and one another,” she says in an opinion article. Read more.
From the Center for Responsive Politics: While the 2020 election remains on track to be the most expensive ever, individual donations to the six major political party committees in late March and April were lower than the same time in 2016 as the COVID-19 pandemic limited in-person candidate fundraisers. Read more.
From NPR: The coronavirus means more voters than ever will opt to vote by mail this election year. This article answers some key questions about the process and information about states where it is available. Read more.
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From the Dallas News: Ann Drumm of the American Promise North Texas Chapter calls on the region’s members of Congress to support a constitutional amendment to limit the influence of money in politics. She writes: “By addressing our pay-to-play political culture, this foundational reform would create a culture of reform, encouraging others and making them more likely to reduce polarization.” Read more.
From the (Columbus, Indiana) Republic: In a letter to the editor, American Promise intern Alexandra Bixler outlines how pharmaceutical manufacturers and other health care organizations have used lobbying and other donations to influence elected officials. “Democrats and Republicans are guilty of putting the interests of big donors before your health,” Bixler says. Read more.
From the Fulcrum: In this opinion piece, Dave Palmer of Fair Elections for New York says it’s time to rein in campaign financing. “The effort to win a constitutional amendment is a rare opportunity to unite Americans no matter our home states, birthplaces, skin color, political party or faith. A majority of Americans — Democrats, Republicans and independents alike — support an amendment. They just need to be activated.” Read more.
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Events Across the U.S.—Online and In Person—Will Celebrate Juneteenth
Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of slaves in Galveston, Texas—the last slaves to learn of emancipation—on June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation at the start of 1863 amid the Civil War. In the decades since, Juneteenth has become a time to commemorate black liberation from the institution of slavery, and to highlight the resilience, solidarity, achievements and culture of the black community.
This year, most Juneteenth events celebrating the promise of freedom and equality are going virtual. Check the American Promise website for a list of many occurring across the country in the coming days.
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| Upcoming American Promise Events
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June 30: Join American Promise for a national call featuring 2020 Bernie Sanders co-chairs Nina Turner, former Ohio state senator, and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California’s 17th District. 8 p.m.- 9 p.m. ET. Learn more about the call and register online.
June 30: American Promise President Jeff Clements will discuss how we can learn from the citizen-led successes of the past to amend the Constitution again during a webinar on how the 26th Amendment was won and what that means for current times. The amendment that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 was ratified in only three months, during one of the most contentious times in our history. The webinar starts at 2 p.m. ET. Learn more and register online.
July 28: Join Jim Rubens, American Promise board member and former Republican state senator from New Hampshire, as he leads a discussion of “The Conservative Case to Get Money Out.” Webinar hosts are American Promise and co-sponsor Take Back Our Republic. 8 p.m. ET. Register online.
More online: Watch the American Promise calendar for event updates and check our YouTube Channel for recordings of many of our past events.
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American Promise empowers Americans to act together to win the 28th Amendment so people, not money, govern in America.
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