“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”
~ Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977)
These words come from a civil rights activist who persevered despite losing nearly everything—her job, her possessions, her uterus, the right to run for office—to people who actively sought to oppress her as a Black woman. She is not alone. Her story is shared by too many.
The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
At AoCC, we believe in the inherent value of every person. We understand that the systems privileged people created 245 years ago fail millions of Americans today. When Indigenous, Black, people of color, disabled people, women and LGBTQ+ people tell their stories of bias and oppression, we believe them. When people struggle daily with fear of discrimination or harm, we cannot look away.
Not me, but we
With this knowledge comes the clarity that while another suffers injustice, we each play a part in the solution. As people of conscience, we choose to amplify the concerns of those directly impacted by injustice and systemic oppression, to ally with them, putting their priorities front and center.
In every issue of the AoC Checklist, you will find such calls to action. We track over 150 communities still denied the privileges many of us take for granted like clean water, ease of voting, freedom from mistreatment, and access to quality health care, just to name a few. The AoCC team compiles these calls to action with credit and writes scripts so you can easily speak up in support.
It takes all of us
While we are delighted by the many good works of the highest levels of government, we know that one president or party cannot solve all ills. It takes all of us lifting our voices—in support of communities we aren’t even part of—over and over until the system itself changes.
In this week’s AoC Checklist, you’ll find eight such actions. We invite you to complete them in support of these communities and to affirm the sacred dignity of every person.
We know Fannie Lou Hamer was right
Every call you make and every action you take gets us closer to the kind, just, equitable, and thriving nation we know is possible. We hope you’ll join us in speaking up this week.