E-bulletin - Issue I - January 30, 2007
Dear DC Vote Supporters:
A New Year means new possibilities for the DC Voting Rights Act, and we are capitalizing on every opportunity by organizing Congress Day 2007. In addition to advocacy, our grassroots efforts are in full-swing with online outreach on YouTube, superb volunteer efforts, and an upcoming indie rock band tour! Check out the new additions to our Board and coalition as well as DC voting rights media coverage that may have slipped by you.
Click through the links below to learn more about DC Vote's activities:
Congress Day 2007: Busloads Expected for February 15 Event
Join us for Congress Day 2007 on Thursday, February 15 from 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM.
DC Vote is leading the coalition of more than 60 organizations working together to pass the DC Voting Rights Act (H.R. 328). We will bring together our coalition, supporters, citizen activists, and members of the DC City Council and their constituents to walk the halls of Congress on February 15 for Congress Day 2007. Mayor Fenty and Chairman Gray will attend and several Councilmembers have agreed to turn out busloads of activists.
We want you to be a part of the push to enact H.R. 328! Learn more about Congress Day and register for the event by sending an e-mail to CongressDay@dcvote.org.
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Public Welfare Foundation Infuses the Movement with Generous Gift
DC Vote has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Public Welfare Foundation, an investment that comes at a critical point in the DC voting rights movement.
Over the past few years, the Public Welfare Foundation has helped DC Vote garner a great deal of exposure and support from foundations and the philanthropic community. It has held multiple meetings to raise awareness of the issue, including a DC Voting Rights Summit in January 2005. We are extremely grateful to the Public Welfare Foundation for their extraordinary investment in our mission.
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DC Vote Makes Waves on the Internet
DC Vote is now on MySpace, Facebook and YouTube!
On YouTube, DC Vote has posted all of the videos available on our Web site, including public awareness ads, media coverage of DC Vote and documentaries about DC's denial of voting representation. In one month, our videos were viewed hundreds of times!
On MySpace, Students for DC Vote have set up a regularly updated profile found at: http://www.myspace.com/studentsfordcvote. It briefs students about upcoming events, current legislation and suggested activities. Currently, Students for DC Vote has nearly 200 friends on MySpace, including the DNC, the NAACP and Senators Evan Bayh and Jim Webb.
On Facebook, Students for DC Vote have created three separate groups to show their support of DC voting rights and spread awareness about the issue. Combined, these three groups boast a membership of more than 1,500.
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Welcome Friends: New Board Members and Coalition Partners
We are proud to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors and four new coalition partners to the DC Vote family. Find out more about these valuable additions to our dynamic coalition:
We are delighted to introduce to you Ed Davis, Stefan Nicholas and Andy Shallal, our newest Board members:
Ed Davis is vice president of policy and research at Common Cause. His responsibilities include helping Common Cause develop its position on issues, supervising the research department in the development of reports and providing assistance and advice to Common Cause state organizations.
Before joining Common Cause in 1987, Ed worked for 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative analyst and later as chief-of-staff for Representative Philip Burton (D-CA). Ed graduated from Haverford College and has a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
Stefan C. Nicholas, Esq. is a partner at Levendis Law Group, LLC. Stefan received a B.A. in International Relations from Georgetown University in 1991. He received an M.A. in Foreign Affairs and a J.D. degree from the University of Virginia in 1995 and 1997, respectively. Prior to obtaining his J.D., Stefan worked in Washington, DC on Capitol Hill, at the State Department, and at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Stefan is also the grandson of civil rights hero Hilda Mason.
Andy Shallal is an Iraqi-American activist and a businessman. He is the founder and proprietor of Busboys and Poets, an activism center and café in Washington DC, which features prominent speakers and authors and provides a venue for social and political activism. Andy is a graduate of the Catholic University of America and attended Howard University Medical School.
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Volunteer Spotlight: Chandrai Jackson-Saunders
Congratulations to Chandrai Jackson-Saunders! If she looks familiar, we know why. In addition to being a native Washingtonian and an employee of DC Public Schools for more than 17 years, she is also featured in DC Vote's latest rounds of outdoor ads at Metro stations and bus shelters. So you may have seen her smiling face before!
We honor Chandrai as Volunteer of the Month for going the extra mile. On her own initiative, Chandrai transformed the bus shelter ads into a glossy postcard and mailed it to 720 of her closest friends and family members. She received positive feedback from all over the country. She will soon extend her campaign and send the postcards to the DC City Council and members of Congress calling for an end to taxation without representation.
Thanks to Chandrai, a fantastic idea became a widespread educational campaign!
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DC Voting Rights Rooted in Indie Rock
DC Vote was recently approached by local musician and entrepreneur Rob Getzschman for input on a rock band tour centered on the topic of giving DC a vote in Congress. We are on board with any support we can give to the bands who will likely kickoff a mini-tour in April and a larger tour this summer.
To quote our good friend Rob, "The illustrious marriage of DC indie rock and the quest for voting rights has found its home here at IndieRoots.org." As the planning continues for the band tour, take a peek at their newly launched site, indieroots.org.
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Extra! Extra! DC Vote in the News
During the month of January, you may have noticed DC voting rights featured in the Politico, the Washington Post, Roll Call, DCist, the Hill, the DC Examiner and the Washington Times.
You may have missed us in the Baltimore Sun or on CNN.com, but DC Vote's mission was covered there too! Check out all our hits this month from CSPAN to the Salt Lake Tribune by visiting our media coverage page.
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Upcoming Events
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Shop DC Vote Merchandise
DC Vote has merchandise available for sale through our cafepress.com store! Our merchandise is perfect for gifts for friends and family both in and outside of DC. If you're looking for DC Vote shirts, hats, mugs, aprons, buttons, cards or even boxer shorts, our online store has it all.
Here are some samples:
  
 
  
Click here or on any of the images above to go to DC Vote's online store.
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My DC Vote
Log in to My DC Vote from the left navigation bar on DC Vote's Web site and you will be able to manage your contact information, e-mail subscriptions, and learn what's new since your last visit. DC Vote has also updated its membership and contribution page. Using My DC Vote makes it easier and more secure than ever to donate to DC Vote online. (All online transactions are handled by our secure server).
Signing up on our Web site is now easier than ever, and one of the keys to our success will be the ability to reach supporters across the country to ask them to help us end taxation without representation. We invite all of our members and supporters to log in to My DC Vote to tell us where you are currently registered to vote. If you are a DC resident, you can tell us what Ward you are in, and, if applicable, you can tell us the state where you were registered to vote before moving to DC. DC Vote has a secure server and does not share its e-mail list or any information about voting registration with anyone.
It takes a great deal of resources to work on all these projects and stay engaged in all these activities. Please help DC Vote by making a donation today.
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