Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

It’s a new day. Light all those Biden polls of young people on fire and throw away the ashes.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

If you are in line to indict donald trump, stay in line.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

No one could have predicted…

People are weird.

Somebody needs to explain to DeSantis that nobody needs to do anything to make him look bad.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Dead end MAGA boomers crying about Talyor Swift being a Dem is my kind of music. Turn it up.

Let’s show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Fuck that bum, let’s go Joe!

The revolution will be supervised.

When the time comes to make an endorsement, the pain of NYT editors will be palpable as they reluctantly whisper “Biden.”

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Chutkan laughs. Lauro sits back down.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Flash Fundraising for the Student Engagement Project in NC + July 30 Zoom Announcement

Flash Fundraising for the Student Engagement Project in NC + July 30 Zoom Announcement

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Flash Fundraising!

This is our first FLASH fundraising for this cycle.

Campus organizers and canvassers in the South, including in North Carolina, are being targeted, with a rash of credible threats to their safety coming in the wake of the Trump assassination attempt.   As the NC Black Alliance’s Deputy Director Marcus Bass explained:

Political violence and the backlash to efforts that invest in equity and justice are not new issues.  Black and Brown communities have had to deal with the enduring threat of white supremacist violence, police violence, and legislative violence for generations.

But, for North Carolina organizers and canvassers, this feels different.  Canvassers report being followed and verbally harassed.  According to Marcus:

This week, in response to inflammatory statements following the assassination attempt, we decided to pause our canvass operations, along with several partner organizations, out of concern for the safety of our teams in the community.  As we resume our field operations into the weekend, we do so with a heightened focus on safety and security measures.

This is where we can help.   We’re already helping expand the Alliance’s campus voter engagement process in North Carolina from their traditional focus on the State’s HBCUs onto new campuses with majority or substantial African American student bodies.  But the canvassers need to be safe during this unusual electoral season in NC!

And yes, we have an Angel Match!  The usual rules of engagement, up to $100 per person, add your donation in the comments or by email to get the match.

The North Carolina Black Alliance (and other organizations in NC) are consulting with groups like the Trusted Elections Fund (TEF), an organization dedicated to preventing election-related political violence.  Check them out at www.trusted-elections.org.  TEF has a number of recommendations for the campus project, but security enhancements cost money, and these changes need to be implemented right away.

This heightened security threat was not in the budget, and we asked how we could help.

Here’s what we want to fund with this Flash Fundraiser:

 Personal safety devices for all canvassing staff.  These will include safety alarms (sirens and strobe lights).

Extra security personnel:  Additional staff hours to coordinate the ordering and delivery of safety devices, organize buddy system teams, and generally check on, coordinate and react to security situations as they occur.

There are other measures the organization will be taking, but the safety devices and security personnel are the most immediate need.  The Alliance believes this can be accomplished with $8,500, which will equip the existing canvassers, as well as the expansion team planned for the Fall.  We’d like to add a cushion of an additional $1,500 for what we assume will be the inevitable unexpected security expenses, which brings our goal to $10,000.

Also, mark your calendars for a Zoom on July 30 at 7 pm Eastern Time!

This is a Zoom you won’t want to miss, I think, with the energized and engaging folks from the Campus Youth Project.  I think you’ll come away excited and inspired and impressed with this group.

 

Reader Interactions

80Comments

  13. 13.

    Another Scott

    +$100.

    Thanks WG and everyone.  Kudos to the people in NC (and everywhere) doing the work in the trenches.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  15. 15.

    Wolvesvalley

    I put in $50 earlier, and here’s another $50. Happy to support the safety of these brave folks.

  16. 16.

    banditqueen

    What else can I do–of course I’m in. As always thank you for an opportunity to help out just a tiny bit. Will keep up with post cards this year (last time I did them I sent it seems like I sent thousands to AZ–for Sinema but still)–as Scott says, eyes on the prizes even if Sinema ended up being the booby prize.

  22. 22.

    H.E.Wolf

    Shades of the Civil Rights movement, 60+ years ago. :-/

    Thanks for posting this fundraising opportunity.
    Yes to keeping our voting-rights companions safe!

    Next Tuesday’s Zoom sounds great. Thank you for the advance notice.

  25. 25.

    Joy in FL

    I just put in $25.
    I have so much appreciation and respect for these folks who are doing this particular work. I’m so glad we can help them persist in safety.

    The Zoom is now on my calendar.

  33. 33.

    tailfedders

    In for $25. Saw a group of young men a couple of weeks ago in my Raleigh-adjacent town, with clipboards and shirts with the word “Vote”  (couldn’t make out the rest).  I was a bit concerned for their safety in that moment, and the crazies are clearly ramping up now.

  35. 35.

    WaterGirl

    @mrstealyourcostcosample: Thank you!

    If you want to be part of the match, you can either list your donation here or send email to watergirl at balloon-juice.com

    Otherwise your donation still counts, of course, but it isn’t doubled with the match.

  47. 47.

    Spanish Moss

    @WaterGirl: Thanks! I have been busy negotiating peace settlements between warring factions in both my family and my husband’s family. Totally separate wars, but it is so weird and stressful to have them happen at once. I am very over people who get upset, shutdown communication, then jump to all kinds of erroneous conclusions. I feel like the phone has become a permanent attachment to my head. It is so nice to come to BJ to destress and soak up the calm vibe.🤣

  59. 59.

    1by0

    I’m in for $100. Great cause; sad that this group has to deal with such BS. It breaks my heart.

  64. 64.

    SFBayAreaGal

    I would like to donate $100. I’m confused on where I go to donate the money. Is there a link?

    Any help would be appreciated.

  76. 76.

    RaflW

    I definitely dislike that this is necessary, but I really appreciate the work to reach out and see what’s needed, how fast-response funds can help, and creating places for our often-modest individual gifts to have outsize impact. I threw in $100 early yesterday when I was feeling a smidge despondent and went to the general 2024 Activism page. All I saw was a new campaign, “North Carolina” & “Safety” and at that time only $50 in the kitty, and said “yep!”

    When so many PACs and other orgs are jamming my spam folder on my phone with texts, it was great to have a trusted place to make an “I need to feel some hope” gift. Thank you, WG.

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