Advocacy & Social Justice Update
Unbelievably, it was just three months ago that the Advocacy team and GWPI fellows were urgently working toward Crossover Day. Since then, our world has changed dramatically. If you’re anything like me, you never imagined that we would be where we are today. In many ways, this is a frightening moment. As a nation and individuals, we have experienced tremendous loss and many leadership failures. Months after the beginning of the pandemic, the path forward remains unclear. And now we have reached a national moment of reckoning regarding racial equity, justice, and the health of our democracy.While it is easy to get stuck in fear, I am a firm believer that we can find value and lessons in every challenge that we encounter. In some sense, the horrible tragedies that we have faced – individually, as a state, and as a nation – have created a moment of incredible opportunity. For many of us who believe in the power of public policy and advocacy, now is a time to think about how local, state, and federal legislative and other governmental change can be made to address the challenges we see.At the start of the pandemic, most of us were eager to find out when we can get back to “normal.” Doctors and public health experts immediately told us that, especially without a vaccine, we would have to find a new normal. Now, with massive unemployment, a national conversation about structural racism, and a reexamination of how government should work for the citizenry, in addition to the direct risks of COVID-19, each of us has a chance to recommit as citizen, advocate, and neighbor. As a colleague recently put it, now is our chance to be “authors of a new normal.”I encourage you to think about how you can contribute to the work that needs to be done – and to actually do it. I know it can feel that the challenges we face are insurmountable or that one person cannot change things on their own. But after seeing the shift over the past two weeks, I know that, through our collective efforts, we have the power to change the world.President Carter said it best in a statement last week: “…[s]ilence can be as deadly as violence. People of power, privilege, and moral conscience must stand up and say “no more” to a racially discriminatory police and justice system, immoral economic disparities between whites and blacks, and government actions that undermine our unified democracy. We are responsible for creating a world of peace and equality for ourselves and future generations.”The YWCA of Greater Atlanta advocacy team recognizes that now is a moment to recommit to our dual mission of empowering women and eliminating racism. Within the advocacy context, we will focus on continuing to bring an intersectional lens to our advocacy efforts by advocating for legislative changes that improve the lives of women and girls in Georgia. At the same time, we will be more intentional in engaging on efforts to advance racial justice in our state, starting with hate crimes legislation, along with “Justice for All” legislation that would eliminate outdated citizen’s arrest laws and reform “stand your ground” in Georgia.If you are grappling with what role you can play to contribute to change in this moment, you may find this tool and the corresponding simplified images below useful: Guide for Mapping Roles in a Social Change Ecosystem.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Return to Legislative SessionAfter much back and forth, the General Assembly has settled on June 15th for its return date to finish out the legislative session. Members will assemble at the Capitol to address outstanding legislative items over the final 11 working days of the 40-day session. BudgetAll indications are that, when the General Assembly reconvenes, legislators will primarily focus on a revised FY20 budget and finalizing the FY21 budget. A final FY21 budget must be passed by June 30th. As you may already know, both chambers (primarily the Senate) have been holding hearings on the FY21 budget. As always, you may access hearings online through links at http://www.senate.ga.gov/en-US/default.aspx or http://www.house.ga.gov/en-US/default.aspx.As has been reported, across the board, agencies have been asked to put forward 14 percent cuts to their budgets. This week, it was reported that Governor Kemp has indicated to agencies that revenues have stabilized sufficiently to allow for 11 percent cuts. Still, these represent significant cuts to agency budgets and will likely lead to cuts in important services, programs, and staffing.We encourage you to keep track of budget developments and to advocate with your representatives regarding funding priorities. GBPI is a great resource for keeping track of developments.
ANTIRACISM
If you are just coming to the conversation on antiracism and interested in learning more but aren’t sure where to start, here are some resources: https://medium.com/wake-up-call/a-detailed-list-of-anti-racism-resources-a34b259a3eea.