What happens when a bunch of pissed-off people start coordinating to change the political system?
Let’s find out together!
You probably know that we’re focusing our attention for the next 171 days on District 23, which has no incumbent, a truly odious GOP candidate, and a plucky underfunded mom stepping up to represent her neighbors.
Here’s the Hollywood ending we’re aiming for: Local hero (Katy Padilla Stout) wins the race, the brash young jerk (Brandon Herrera) gets his comeuppance, and peace and harmony reign throughout West Texas.
We kill the wall and save the hospitals!
Flipping D23 would tell a pretty different story about our “red” state, too. The visual pleases us so much we made a graphic to share with everyone — coming soon to a trucker hat near you:
That’s a lotta blue in an allegedly “red” state. That’s our goal!
Everything’s kicking off next Wednesday at our first-ever fundraiser for Katy. If you can, please join us!
This event is being underwritten, planned, staffed, and catered by US, the Glorious Ladies of FORWRD (GLOFs?):
Hosted by FORWRD-ATX members Evvie Nazro, Sheryl O’Briant, Edie Rogat, and Hannah Temple
Candidate Interview with FORWRD-ATX member Clayton Maxwell
Music by SUPERTIGHT, a feminist country punk band, featuring FORWRD-ATX member Carolyn Cohagan
Food by … all of us! If you’d like to contribute something, please get in touch with Christy Milner (another badass FORWRD-ATX member). The theme is ROAD FOOD … delicious and handheld.
If you can’t make it next Wednesday, you can still support Katy’s campaign … and share this link with your blue-state friends who want to know how they can make a difference.
Our Big Audacious Goal is $20,000 for Katy’s campaign. And (drumroll, please) we’re already more than 75% of the way there! Let’s see how much more we can do together next Wednesday … and for the next 25 weeks ….
Avengers Assemble 🦾
Are you ready to join the Katy Brigade? We’re hoping to cook up lots of activity and events across the district, follow the energy, and help coordinate and organize the groups working on the ground. Share your ideas and let’s start planning D23 road trips!
Same Fight, New Generation
We’ve witnessed a true masks-off moment in the past two weeks, as Southern states have gleefully raced to erase Black districts and representation before the midterms.
Our parents and grandparents marched, organized, and fought to secure voting rights and expand democracy in America. Now it’s our turn to carry on this fight. Rallies are being planned across the nation this Saturday, May 16, a national day of action to protest the Supreme Court’s unprecedented and partisan decisions.
Yeah, we’re tired of protesting at the Capitol too. But we’re a WHOLE lot more tired of a ruling party doing everything they can to tilt the board in their own favor, ripping up laws and precedence and DECENCY just to hold onto power.
So let’s make room for this rally in our weekend plans, if we can. If you need inspiration, watch this activist excoriate the legislature in Louisiana for their shameful actions:
Click here to view video
🗓️ Calendar Highlights
For Friday, May 15th: All Roads Lead to the South
Saturday, May 16th 10:00 - 11:00 AM Love as Action: Resisting Authoritarianism Please join the American Friends Service Committee and Friends Meeting of Austin to bear witness and show resistance to the authoritarian actions in our country. We will gather at the Capitol grounds for one hour of silent public worship. Our hope is that our presence will give hope to all who see us – to show that we can choose resistance - and remind everyone of our moral obligations to one another.
💜Saturday, May 16th 4:00 - 5:00 PM All Roads Lead to the South: Voting Rights Day of Action Our parents and grandparents marched, organized, and fought to secure voting rights and expand democracy in America. Today, communities across the country are being called to continue that work through organizing, civic engagement, coalition building, public education, and collective action rooted in the legacy of Freedom Summer.
Sunday, May 17th 2:00-3:30 PM Blue Action North Monthly Meeting We are a group of Blue Action volunteers in North Austin focused on increasing voter turnout and we need your help -- join us and we'll help you make the most of your "super power" skills as we FIGHT for our Democracy!
💜💜💜SAVE THE DATE Wednesday, May 20th 6:00-7:30 PM - FORWRD Fundraiser for Katy Padilla Stout, TX-23 Join us for an evening in support of Congressional candidate Katy Padilla Stout as she shares her vision for flipping Texas’s 23rd Congressional District. Featuring music by the local Austin band Supertight!
Recurring Events:
MONDAYS in May:
5-6 PM Moral Mondays: Love Forward Together Inspired by the work of Rev. Dr. William J Barber, Repairers of the Breach Please join us and share with your Circles!🙏🏻🕊️ We will be chanting and singing with the Raging Grannies. We are standing for PEACE and JUSTICE for our communities in Austin🕯️Texas🕯️the U.S.🕯️and across our Mother Earth🕯️ “We shall not be moved!”
5-7 PM Bannering in Cedar Park Help show Cedar Park how many of us work to end GOP fascism and corruption -- ICE OUT! No War! No Kings & No Dictators, End GOP Corruption, Fund the ACA, and more.
💜💜 5:00-5:30 PM Weekly Protest at the Menchaca Library Join FORWRD members in holding up signs at the Menchaca Library every Monday. Bring your own sign or borrow one of ours!
7-8 PM Austin Resistance Choir Hangout Need a happy way to start your week? Join the Austin Resistance Choir for a pop-in, no-experience-necessary hangout every Monday night at Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches.
TUESDAYS in May:
8:00-9:30 AM West Side Banners Over Austin with the Rosedale Huddle. These are super fun, peaceful, energetic! We will be holding banners and signs over the interstate at peak traffic /visibility times - we wave flags, support our banners and thumbs up to the many honks and waves from cars and trucks below. (Fan favorite? “Stop Truth Decay!”) At Far West and MoPac
WEDNESDAYS in May:
8:00-9:30 AM Banners Over South Austin with the Rosedale Huddle. Come help us fly Flags, Banner, and Signs like ICE OUT and HANDS OFF OUR LIBERTY on this bridge that no-one has noticed ... til NOW! Grab that coffee and meet us at 8AM for a workout waving and flagging to Lots of Honks and Waves from the many many commuters below.
8:00-9:00 AM ICE Out Rally N. Lamar & W. Rundberg Wednesdays 8:00am - 9:00am Bring signs in English and/or Spanish
FRIDAYS in May:
8:00-9:30 AM East Side Banners Over Austin NEW TIME! Join the Indivisible Rosedale Huddle at the 12th St bridge over IH-35 to wave signs and bring attention to current events.
© Ann Telnaes … from 2024 😖
