Ampersand Strategies

While we imagined we'd be in Milwaukee right now, we're still getting the chance to connect with old and new friends! Check out this blurb from our very own Josh Nanberg

Let’s do this! (And by do this we mean support this amazing ticket by requesting to vote by mail or, if voting in person on Election Day, wearing a mask and practicing social distancing). #BidenHarris2020 #MakeAPlan

On this Fourth of July, let’s all commit to make America again! Let America Be America Again BY LANGSTON HUGHES...Continue reading

It’s been a while since we posted a speech and asked you to read it. This one’s long, but you should read every word. Read it in the context of today. Don’t let yourself be lulled by the idea that the slave trade is gone. Look instead at how the vestiges of slavery still pervade our institutions and our consciousness. Say the names Elijah McClain, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, James Byrd, Trayvon Martin,... Michael Brown, Philando Castile, Emmett Till, Medgar Evers and thousands of others and recognize on the day we celebrate our freedom that some of us have yet to truly be free. What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour.

The best way to diversify the ballot is to look for potential candidates in places you wouldn't expect and a good place to start is usually with those who are on the ground, engaged in their communities.

Politics has a diversity problem, from the halls of congress to the campaign teams behind the scenes. We're committing to building a more diverse team and amplifying more diverse candidates in our work. Check out this op-ed penned by our friend Chuck Rocha (Solidarity Strategies, LLC)!

Thank you to everyone who attended yesterday's Quarantine Conversation, "If They Can Run, Why Not Me? This Is What Democracy Should Look Like." This conversation was more timely than ever, and we're so grateful to Atima Omara of Omara Strategy Group, LLC for sharing her afternoon with us and allowing us to consider how we can be better allies in our field. Highlights summarized below!

Don't forget to join us today at 3!

This Thursday, June 25th, at 3 PM Eastern, we're super excited to be bringing you our next Quarantine Conversation, "If They Can Run, Why Not Me? This Is What Democracy Should Look Like" with Atima Omara, President & Founder of Omara Strategy Group, LLC. Atima is a nationally recognized award-winning political strategist, advocate, and speaker who has spent 17 years engaging youth, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color at the intersection of politics and... advocacy in the progressive movement. At this crucial moment in American history, more underrepresented candidates are stepping up to the plate for the betterment of our democracy, and Atima's going to talk us through your first time running for office, whether you're a candidate or a consultant. Link to register below! https://us02web.zoom.us//1015923/WN_q9bSKFpRQ9uNCfLMwjyufw

Presidential campaigns and interest groups on both sides of the aisle are figuring out how to effectively use this moment in history to advertise for their upcoming elections.

We’ve definitely felt the pivot toward social media since being in quarantine, and we’re up to the challenge of turning social media clout into turnout come November. Check out this piece from The Verge!

Congratulations Amanda Cappelletti for PA on your success in the 17th District!

Now more than ever, we need to listen to and learn from black voices, which we took into account when choosing the next book for the Ampersand Strategies Book Club Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped From The Beginning" is a National Book Award winner that dissects how racist ideas were created, spread, and deeply rooted in American society. If you're interested in participating, request to join Ampersand Strategies Book Club and we'll accept you. Reading discussion schedule TBD once ...we gauge interest! N.B. The physical book is sold out at most online retailers, but the kindle edition can be found here: https://amzn.to/300AIsa