February 2024 Contents Co-President's Message League Day at the General Assembly Upcoming Event: Advocacy Program Planning Meeting (TOMORROW!) Upcoming Event: LWV National Convention (June 27-30) Opportunity to Serve: Become a Digital Program Guru! Virtual Events and Webinars |
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Hello Members: As this country celebrates Black History Month, LWVLY also celebrates the legacy of African American women such as Ida B. Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, Mary McCleod Bethune, and Dorothy Height, who were champions in the women’s rights movement and fierce advocates of equal voting rights for all Americans. Even with the passage and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, African American women did not gain the same rights and privileges as white women. For several decades after women were granted the right to vote, African American women were prevented from voting through physical violence, intimidation, poll taxes, literacy tests, and many other unfair practices designed to disenfranchise voters. Fast forward to 2024, and unfortunately women of all races are still facing some of the same struggles, now manifested in new ways such as the purging of voter rolls, closure of polling places without warning or explanation, and enactment of strict voter ID requirements. Now more than ever, we must unapologetically continue the work of the League by empowering voters, defending democracy, protecting and expanding voting rights, and ensuring that everyone is represented in our democracy. We invite all LWVLY members to join us on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at 10 a.m. in Merritt Hall at CVCC for our annual Advocacy Program Meeting. During this important meeting, we will review the League’s positions on voting rights, education, reproductive choice, guns, and many other issues. We look forward to a productive discussion and positive learning experience for all. We hope to see you there! Bethanie Mickles, Co-President, LWVLY (on behalf of Jennifer Gauthier, Co-President) |
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League Day at the General Assembly |
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On February 7, 2024, LWVLY Co-President Bethanie Mickles, Esq. and Vice President Muriel Mickles, Ed.D. attended League Day 2024 at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, with 60 other attendees from Leagues across the Commonwealth. The event began with a breakfast meeting at the Omni Richmond Hotel featuring several speakers. Some of the topics discussed at the breakfast included reproductive choice, eliminating the Electoral College, and voting rights. Following breakfast, attendees headed to the Capitol to visit with members of the Virginia General Assembly and distribute packets to legislators that discussed LWV-VA’s 2024 legislative priorities and legislation of interest. Following the legislator visits, attendees walked to the Senate chamber and House of Delegates chamber and were recognized on the Floor. At the end of the day, attendees were encouraged to attend the LWV National Convention on June 27-30, 2024, in Washington, DC. More information about the National Convention is included later in this bulletin. |
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Co-President Bethanie Mickles and Vice President Muriel Mickles at League Day 2024 in Richmond. |
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Upcoming Event: Advocacy Program Planning Meeting |
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This year's Advocacy Program Planning Meeting will occur TOMORROW, Saturday, February 24, 10AM-12PM. We will meet in Merritt Hall, Room 5118, on the the campus of Central Virginia Community College. Members may park in Lot 4 behind Bedford Hall. A map of CVCC is available here. We encourage every member of LWVLY to attend this meeting. The LWV is a grassroots organization, and as such, it relies on each member to share their thoughts and opinions about the direction of the organization. At the meeting, we will discuss the positions of the LWVUS and our local positions. Before the meeting, please read a summary of LWVUS's positions, available here; if you would like to read a longer descriptions of these positions, you can do so here. Please also take some time to read our local positions, available here. The League takes action on issues that have been studied and on which the members have reached agreement regarding the position. The League's political effectiveness rests on its reputation for thorough study. There is an old League saying: "Study without action is futile; action without study is fatal." At the meeting we will ask: Do you agree that the League should continue this program? Do you have any additions to this program? Do you recommend re-study of any of these programs? Do you have any new programs for study?
We determine our program by reaching consensus. Consensus is the basis of the grassroots character and effectiveness of the League of Women Voters. For the League, "consensus" refers to the overall decision-making process by which a League determines there is substantial agreement among members to discuss and arrive at conclusions on issues. Consensus is not a vote; it is the collective opinion of a substantial number of members, representative of membership as a whole, reached after objective study and discussion of an issue. Please read about the consensus process here. Have a friend who is interested in the League? Bring them along! We will have a device so that new members can join and returning members can pay their dues if they haven't yet done so. Forgot to RSVP? That's okay! We hope to see you tomorrow! |
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Upcoming Event: LWV National Convention |
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Each summer, LWV members from around the country gather to learn and collaborate on League issues and strategies, set program priorities, and vote on a range of positions. On June 27-30, 2024, the Convention will occur in Washington, DC, giving LWVLY an excellent opportunity to send a large delegation. At the 2024 National Convention, delegates from all Leagues will vote on our 2024-2026 Program, 2024-2026 budget, 2024-2026 LWVUS Board of Directors and Nominating Committee, and submitted bylaws amendments. There will be opportunities to network with fellow League members, participate in a variety of workshops and trainings, and hear from dynamic speakers. LWV will also host a Lobby Day on Thursday, June 27. LWV is still finalizing details about Convention, but please start considering now if you might be interested in attending. We will share more details as soon as they become available. |
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Opportunity to Serve: Become a Digital Program Guru! |
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As part of a national organization, our LWVLY has access to numerous resources to educate voters, share information, promote the League and generally empower voters. In fact, we have more great programs available than we currently have the human resources to manage! There is a powerful app called Vote 411 which offers a one-stop site for everything about elections---folks can check their voting status, see what's on the ballot for their local election, or find their polling place. League in Action (part of Outreach Circle) is another great app---this digital organizing platform could help us build a digital community where people could view a list of actions to support their particular areas of interest. But we need people to learn these systems and help us fully implement the programs in Lynchburg. If you're interested in helping us integrate a digital program, contact Jan Willinger at janintheburg@gmail.com or 434-444-5076. |
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Virtual Events and Webinars |
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March 12, 5:30pm Mountain Time (7:30pm Eastern) Event: A book club-style discussion via Zoom with Kimberly Hamlin, author of Free Thinker: Sex, Suffrage, and the Extraordinary Life of Helen Hamilton Price: Free Register here. This event is sponsored and led by the League of Women Voters Colorado. March 20, 3pm Event: The Missing Constitutional Right: How a Voting Rights Amendment Could Revitalize American Democracy Price: Free Register here. The right to vote is one of the foundations of democracy, yet in the United States, it has never truly been available to all. Generations have seen different versions of the same conflict: disenfranchised groups of people fighting for their right to cast a ballot. Today, this struggle continues, with attempts to prohibit some Americans from voting, such as those with criminal convictions, and to deter others, such as minority groups. Author Richard Hasen argues in his new book, A Real Right to Vote, that a constitutional amendment would end the fight over the franchise. But could it be that simple? And, perhaps more importantly, is there a way to overcome the politics of voter suppression and convince both parties to enshrine this right for everyone? Join the Brennen Center for Justice on Wednesday, March 20, at 3 p.m. ET. for a live virtual event with Hasen, professor of law and political science and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA School of Law. He will be joined by moderator Wilfred Codrington, associate professor of law at Brooklyn Law School. Hasen and Codrington will discuss what it means to include an affirmative right to vote in the Constitution and what it would take to get there. March 20, 7-9pm Event: A screening of Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II Price: $5 Register here. LWVVA invites you to spend an evening with Gregory S. Cooke, producer and director of the documentary Invisible Warriors, African American Women and World War II. Mr. Cooke will introduce the film and give us perspective on the contribution of these "invisible warriors" before the movie is shown. Cooke has dedicated his career as an educator and historian to help relocate African Americans to the main pages of history. Invisible Warriors is his directorial debut following a successful stint as Associate Director on Choc’late Soldiers from the USA. "Invisible Warriors tells the important story of women who have been ignored for too long due to their race, gender, and class. African-American 'Rosie the Riveters' highlight the resilience, tenacity, dedication, and pride of a people, with lessons that transcend the barriers between us and that resonant today.” (Amber Mitchell, Assistant Director of Public Engagement, The National World War II Museum) |
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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging the informed and active participation of citizens in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. We never support or oppose any political party or candidate. |
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