Be ready for your sign & your moment

[View this email in your browser]( Michael’s Monday Motivation Whether it is in the game of sports or game of life, maybe during a worship service or in rapid response in a campaign, we need to pay close attention to the moments in life so that we are ready. You don't know when something will be said or done that will completely shift your energy, your mindset, your life! This past Sunday, I witnessed two totally separate examples where people were learning about the exact same scripture at different parts of the country, at different times for different sermons and getting different lessons. I mean like WHOA. Similarly, we watched the herstory of the NBA Liberty winning its first WNBA championship in overtime, in large part because of late free throws and then finding a way to overcome a large deficit. Equally, we are learning about major news stories happening by the hour within our national and local politics where we must wonder are people listening to the cues being given to them. Sometimes, it's a subtle nudge that happens in silence that we miss in the midst of the noise or being asked if you are prepared to step up in case someone else isn't there. No matter what the situation is, the universe is speaking to you so Be ready for your sign and your moment! Women's Leadership Conference in Detroit The Women's Leadership Forum of the DNC invites you to join us in Detroit, Michigan Oct. 27-28 for our Annual Conference. If you have attended in previous years, you know that we typically meet in Washington, D.C. for this event. This year, however, we will gather in one of the election's key battleground states to make an impact on the most important election of our time. We will spend the first day canvassing and reaching out to Michigan voters - a unique way to engage with this critical population. On the second day, we will gather together again for panels, interviews and special guests including Minnesota's First Lady Gwen Walz. Hotel and room block information will be sent shortly, but this event is right around the corner, [so click here]( or on the invitation below, to register today. [Register Here!]( KidZ for Democracy Town Hall As the presidential election approaches and many adults remain undecided, this is the perfect moment for our youth to step up and show that your voices matter. At our last Town Hall, kids aged 7 to 17 courageously shared their bold visions for the future, and this time, we’re amplifying those powerful voices even more. This is your chance to speak, be heard, and shape the future alongside the adults who will soon cast their votes. Don’t let the decisions about tomorrow be made without your input—your voice is the future. Together, let’s create the change you deserve.. RSVP here to reserve your spot: [RSVP Link]( Previous Town Hall Recap:  [September Town Hall Recap]( [RSVP]( MDP Chair Barnes on MSNBC "We're gonna turn out as many voters as we can and we're gonna win as big as we can so that it is not a question whether or not Donald Trump lost this state." Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes joined MSNBC to share how we plan to deliver Michigan for VP Kamala Harris. [Watch Here!]( Young people make $200-$400 as Digital Voting Ambassadors $200 per session to help Get Out The Vote The program has started! Ambassadors can earn up to $200 for participating, which takes about 5 hours. Until October 24th, Ambassadors can earn referral compensation up to an additional $200. Apply now to save your spot! [Apply Here]( See your ballot. Make a plan. Vote! Check your registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with Voting While Black's Civic Center [Learn More]( October 9, 2024 NEW: National Poll Shows Support for Criminal Justice Reform Would Strengthen Election Chances for Both Harris and Trump 81% of Likely Voters Support Criminal Justice Reforms with High Support in Key Swing States WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an election year that will be decided by a small margin in a few battleground states, new polling shows criminal justice reform is a winning issue that both candidates can capitalize on to win the White House. The recent national poll conducted by BSG on behalf of FWD.us reveals that 81% of likely voters support criminal justice reform, with strong backing across party lines—85% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 76% of Republicans being in favor of policy changes to reduce incarceration. The results show that criminal justice reform is an increasingly popular issue with the American public. Supporters for both Vice-President Harris and former President Trump, as well as those leaning toward each candidate, would be more likely to cast that vote if they took a strong position in support of reform. Despite some of the same reckless “tough on crime” campaign tactics that pepper every election cycle, the poll reveals that many voters, and especially Black and Latino voters, are increasingly aware of what actually keeps people safe, and are looking for elected leaders who will deliver on policies that advance real safety and justice. “Poll after poll–including this one–show an electorate well educated on the harms of mass incarceration and invested in the benefits of reform. In a national election likely to be determined by a small margin in a few battleground states, support for popular, commonsense criminal justice reforms can tip the balance,” said FWD.us Executive Director Zoë Towns. The detailed poll memo and national & state toplines can be viewed [here]( and [here](. Please find additional quotes from national and state leaders below. Key findings from the poll include: - Support for criminal justice reform is high in blue, red, and purple states across the country, including in some key swing states that will decide the election: Three-quarters or more of likely voters in Arizona (77%), Georgia (74%), Michigan (81%) and Pennsylvania (80%) say they support criminal justice reform. - Nationally, by a margin of 5 to 1, support for criminal justice reform makes voters more, not less, likely to vote for a candidate, with similarly high impacts in Arizona (5 to 1) and Michigan (4 to 1), and an even stronger impact in Pennsylvania and Georgia (6 to 1). - Two-thirds of Black voters (67%) and a majority of Latino voters (55%) say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate if they supported criminal justice reform. - The share of likely voters who say it is important to reduce the jail and prison population in the United States is higher today (72%) than in February 2024 (65%) or October 2022 (70%). An even higher share of Black (80%) and Latino voters (74%) believe it is important to reduce incarceration. - More voters today believe that “mass incarceration causes many of the problems that lead to unsafe communities such as homelessness, poverty and drug or mental health challenges” (65%) than did at the beginning of the campaign season (60% in February 2024). This includes 72% of Black voters and 63% of Latino voters who are disproportionately impacted by crime and incarceration. “We cannot continue the cycle of mass incarceration that has separated so many Latino families and overshadowed real public safety solutions. Latino voters want more opportunities, and the tools to build a better future for our families and communities,” said Melissa Morales, Founder & President, Somos Votantes. “When I talk to voters in Pennsylvania, criminal justice reform comes up again and again. We know it’s the right policy, and this poll shows that the politics are on our side,” said Pennsylvania Speaker of the House, Joanna McClinton. “Black voters will play a huge part in determining the outcome in this presidential election, in Georgia and across the country, and ending mass incarceration matters to them,” said LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute and Founder of Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium. Contact: [Juan Pachón](mailto:press@fwd.us) How Unnecessary Police Stops Spiral into a Series of Anti-Black Disparities Police in the United States conduct more than [20 million]( traffic stops every year, making it one of the most common reasons for police contact in the country. Odds are, you’ve even experienced being the driver in a traffic stop yourself. The commonality of this experience ends almost immediately, however: [research]( has long established that your race can play a determinative role in an officer’s decision to pull you over, how they'll treat you during the encounter, and the cascade of consequences that those decisions may unleash in your life. This is corroborated by dozens of [assessments]( conducted by the Center for Policing Equity using police behavioral data from various types and sizes of law enforcement agencies around the county, which consistently reveal anti-Black disparities in who police decide to stop, search, and more. Related Resources from the Center for Policing Equity: - [Compounding Anti-Black Racial Disparities in Police Stops: White Paper]( - [Compounding Anti-Black Racial Disparities in Police Stops: Key Findings Brief]( [Read the Blog]( Hurricane Relief You can help people, communities, and businesses in Florida affected by recent hurricanes, including Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, by donating to verified fundraisers by clicking on the button below. Any and all support fundraising is welcomed! There is and will continue to be no shortage of need. Given the severity of the storm, recovery will take months, even years, from this storm. [Donate to the Hurrican Relief Fund]( [The GEM National Consortium Panel at CBC's Annual Legislative Conference 2024]( National GEM Consortium at Congressional Black Caucus 2024 The National GEM Consortium recruits high quality underrepresented students looking to pursue Master’s and Doctoral degrees in applied science and engineering, and matches their specific skills to the specific technical needs of GEM employer partners. The current GEM Fellowship application cycle opened on July 1, 2024. This cycle will close on November 8, 2024. If you are starting the process [click here]( to access our Prospect Card and initiate the application. If you are a 2024 applicant or returning to complete your application, please log in below. If you have any inquiries, please don't hesitate to contact us at Fellowships@gemfellowship.org or 703-562-3646. [Go To GEM Website]( If you make it to L. Joy’s class every Sunday morning, you already know—it’s not enough to just show up to vote. You’ve got to be election-ready, informed, and prepared to make your voice heard! With Get Vote Ready: A Journal for the Empowered Voter, you’ll have the ultimate guide to navigating voter registration, understanding what’s on the ballot, and making a solid voting plan. This journal is more than just a voting checklist—it’s your personalized roadmap to becoming an empowered, informed voter this election season. Whether you're a first-time voter or a seasoned pro, Get Vote Ready ensures you’re prepared to participate fully in every election. Make sure your voice is heard! [Learn More & Purchase the Journal]( Daily Interfaith Prayer Call with a Call to Action Every day at  8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT and continuing every night through Election Day, please join us on "Pray Us Forward." [Register here in advance.]( After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the call. [Join the Pray us Forward Call]( Want to know get information events like Pray us Forward and joining the fight for Democracy? Text “Democracy” to +1 (917) 810-3409 [Join the Call]( Volunteer with the Harris-Walz/Coordinated Campaign Voter Protection & Access Program. We make sure every eligible voter can cast a ballot and have it count! We're recruiting volunteers to serve as poll watchers (monitor voting activity in a polling place), assist on the voter information hotline volunteers, monitor the counting of ballots, and phone bank. We'll train you for every role, and you do not need to be a lawyer to participate. Remote and in-person opportunities are available. With less than one month left, we're focusing in on our key battleground states, and need more help in the following states for early voting and Election Day (click links below to sign up for these states): [Pennsylvania Voter Protection Sign-Up]( Voter Protection Sign Up]( [Michigan Voter Protection Sign-Up]( [Nevada Voter Protection Sign-Up]( [Arizona Poll Observer]( and [Arizona Hotline Volunteer]( Sign-Up Forms Or, to explore opportunities in other states, please sign up on our [National Interest Form](. Republicans Made Helene Recovery Worse & Will Make Future Disasters Unmanageable In the aftermath of Helene, North Carolinians have stepped up and focused on helping their neighbors in the west. However, as most people are focused on ensuring Helene survivors have the resources they need, right-wing operatives have been hell-bent on spreading disinformation, making it harder for communities to understand the resources available to them, and inflaming political tensions in the weeks before the election. Our prerogative is to make sure voters understand that Republicans have absolutely no moral ground to stand on when it comes to disaster preparedness and recovery. Their climate change denialism, votes against funding, handouts to the homebuilding industry, and plans in Project 2025 have made and will make our state and our residents less safe. And their inclination to spread disinformation in the aftermath of a natural disaster, when accurate and timely information is of the essence, shows their utter unfitness for public office. Project 2025, the blueprint for the next Trump administration, would wreak havoc on disaster preparedness and recovery. [Read More and Get The Shareable Images]( VP Kamala Harris Talks Black Agenda With Roland in North Carolina WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President [Kamala Harris]( is announcing a plan to give Black men more economic opportunities and other chances to thrive as she works to energize a key voting bloc that has Democrats concerned about a lack of enthusiasm. Harris’ plan includes providing forgivable business loans for Black entrepreneurs, creating more apprenticeships and studying sickle cell and other diseases that disproportionately affect African American men. Harris already has said she supports legalizing marijuana and her plan calls for working to ensure that Black men have opportunities to participate as a “national cannabis industry takes shape.” She also is calling for better regulating cryptocurrency to protect Black men and others who invest in digital assets. The vice president’s so-called “opportunity agenda for Black men” is meant to invigorate African American males at a moment when there are fears some may sit out the election rather than vote for Harris or her opponent, Republican former President [Donald Trump](. [Read More]( KAIROS Conversation with Rev George B Walker Chief Diversity Officer, Planned Parenthood Federation of America George Walker is chief equity officer at Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). George is an executive coach with a background in diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is also a leader in advocacy, development, and partnership cultivation. George served as the director of diversity and inclusion for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. President Barack Obama appointed him to the White House Initiative for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). George has an MDiv from the Divinity School at Duke University and a BA in history from Morehouse College. He has a certificate in executive coaching from Georgetown University. Andrea C. James Executive Director, The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls Attorney Andrea James has been engaged with criminal justice issues since her days as a youth worker. She is the founder and executive director of Families for Justice as Healing—a criminal justice reform organization that advocates for community wellness alternatives to incarceration, with a focus on women. She is a 2015 Soros Justice Fellow and the author of “Upper Bunkies Unite: And Other Thoughts on the Politics of Mass Incarceration.” In 2009, James was sentenced to serve a 24-month federal prison sentence. After a lifetime of work seeking justice for others, she was stunned at what she encountered when she herself entered the federal prison system as an incarcerated person. She has subsequently used her experience to change the narrative and raise awareness. What is the effect of the incarceration of women on children and communities? Can we shift from a criminal legal system to one focused on human justice? Today, James also serves as executive director of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. In January 2021, the organization launched the #FreeHer campaign, which is pushing President Biden’s administration to grant clemency for 100 women who, James believes, have served enough time for their convictions. Currently, the United States has 230,000 women incarcerated, and these women behind the wall are disproportionately Black and POC mothers, sisters, and neighbors. James remains focused on ending this inhumane and racist legacy. See you Wednesday! Wednesday, October 23 · 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST Video call link: [( Or dial: ‪(US) +1 651-571-1259‬ PIN: ‪460 226 103‬# More phone numbers: [ CALIFORNIA Reception with Gwen Walz Monday, October 21 Early Evening Washington, DC [RSVP HERE]( Out for Harris DC Dance Party Thursday, October 24 Evening Shakers DC [RSVP HERE]( If You’d Just Like to Give To Support the Harris Victory Fund [CONTRIBUTE HERE]( [Watch The Video]( It's time to get on the bus, and get out the vote! Join us as we partner with the official Harris/Walz campaign to launch free bus trips to get out the vote in Pennsylvania. Buses leave at 9am on Saturdays. We’ll scale up each weekend with plans to send 70 buses from across NYS into PA by Election Day. Click on the bus location to sign up: [Harlem]( [Upper West Side]( [Brooklyn]( [Queens]( [Bronx]( [Buffalo]( [Rochester]( [Binghamton]( Phone banks in the evenings available 6 days a week. A mix of in-person and virtual. Full schedules and sign-up below. [Sign up Here!]( ICYMI Michael Blake attended the Women For Harris-Walz and the Black & South Asian Women for Harris-Walz events in Brooklyn [Register For Free!]( Our very own Michael Ceraso, executive director and founder of Community Groundwork (CG), is hosting a Washington, D.C., birthday party fundraiser to support community college students pursuing civic careers. The event is scheduled for Oct. 20, 2024, at Manifest from 5 to 7 p.m. ET. [RSVP here.]( CG diversifies the political landscape and broadens the socioeconomic reach of political staffing as the nation’s first training pipeline for community college students interested in careers in government, political campaigns, and nonprofits. CG provides training workshops, mentorship, and paid job-shadowing opportunities for its students. [Click here to meet the June cohort.]( In the coming year, Community Groundwork will expand to North Carolina and New Mexico and launch a community-college-led newsroom, empowering students to report on politics. You can’t make the in-person event? [Join Ceraso for a virtual party with music and special guests on Monday, October 21 at 7 p,m ET.]( Black Power Voters Alliance Textathon Color Of Change, along with an array of other organizations, is hosting a virtual Black Power Voters Alliance Textathon on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. EDT, to inform and mobilize more than 1.6 million Black voters to ensure they’ll turn out and vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. [RSVP: Black Power Voters Alliance Textathon on OCT. 24]( We are excited to announce a new application deadline for our Leadership Institute [Spring 2025 Internship Programs]( Deadline: Friday, November 1, 2024 As a valued member of the CBCF community, we invite you to help us spread the word about this incredible opportunity for young leaders to grow and gain invaluable experience in public policy and business-related careers. What are the Program Options?   - State Farm Communications Internship - Walmart Emerging Leaders Internship - Pathways to C-Suite Internship Who is Eligible to Apply? - Rising college seniors or recent graduates (within the last 24 months) by the program start date (January 13, 2025). - Must have a 2.5 GPA or 3.0 GPA (C-Suite Interns). - Interest in public policy or business careers. What are the Benefits? - Free Housing in Washington, D.C. - Networking Opportunities with influential leaders and professionals. - Bi-Weekly Stipend to support your experience. Through programs like this, we are investing in the future of Black leadership and empowering our emerging leaders to move from Vision to Victory. [Spring 2025 Internship Programs]( [Learn More About Project Freedom]( Social Media & the Democratic Battleground Coalition Given the continued misinformation happening on social media from one outlet, we should not pursue bans of other content that can empower young people and communities of color. Please revisit our previous poll below. [See the Poll]( Text “Democracy” to +1 (917) 810-3409. KAIROS: DEMOCRACY PROJECT exists to promote social welfare and civic betterment by mobilizing and engaging Communities of Color and Young Adults through Issue Advocacy and awareness on the impact of safeguarding our Democracy on their everyday lives. From deploying local Influencers and surrogates of Color from the KAIROS Communications war room to hosting KAIROS CONVERSATION Listen & Learns to executing a targeted media and message mobilization, the KAIROS: DEMOCRACY PROJECT will be the go to place for engaging Leaders of Color around Issues and Democracy in the country, not just for one election but for future generations. Join the fight for Democracy by helping us organize voters!: [$50 ⮕]( [$100 ⮕]( [$250 ⮕]( [$500 ⮕]( [$1000 ⮕]( [Other ⮕]( Join KAIROS in partnership with HQ DC House! Kairos is thrilled to announce our partnership with HQ DC House, the only premier social and professional club in Washington, D.C. dedicated to supporting and empowering the Black community. Interested in becoming a member? Click here to start your journey with us. To learn more about HQ DC House and their impactful initiatives, [click here.]( When completing your application, don't forget to respond to the question "How did you hear about us?" by selecting "KAIROS.” Let's make a difference together! [HQ Membership Application]( October 23 Rev George B Walker Chief Diversity Officer, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Andrea C. James Executive Director, The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls October 30 Beth Lynk Executive Director, When We All Vote November 6 Rev. Jim Wallis Writer, Teacher, Preacher and Justice Advocate Save the Dates October 20-23 NMSDC Annual Conference Atlanta, GA November 6-10 SOMOS Legislative Conference Puerto Rico November 7 SOMOS Panel-The Future of Juvenile Justice in the Next Administration Puerto Rico December 2-7 National Black Caucus of State Legislators Washington, DC KAIROS "a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action : the opportune and decisive MOMENT" "The right or critical MOMENT" Join Our KAIROS Community: Text ‘KAIROS’ to 917-983-0800 [Facebook icon]( [Instagram icon]( [Website icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( [YouTube icon]( Copyright (C) 2024 Atlas Strategy Group. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Atlas Strategy Group 1 Bruckner Blvd Bronx, NY 10454 USA Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( [Logo]