Today, a report from NewsOne details the launch of Bridge Together, a new initiative led by American Bridge 21st Century Co-Chair Gov. Deval Patrick that aims to support the grassroots organizations “necessary for sustained engagement beyond election day.”
As reported by NewsOne, Bridge Together is working with organizations like 1K Women Strong who turned out and educated voters during the 2021 Senate runoffs in Georgia and have been working on the ground in Virginia to add “collaborative capacity building and organizing in the region for the Nov. 2 election and the midterm elections.”
In addition to 1k Women, Bridge Together awarded grants to Vote Riders, Fair Count, Unity in the Community, and Vets Forward as part of its initial plan in the key swing states of Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. By working with these groups, Bridge Together will mobilize communities to ensure that people from every corner of America have a voice in our democracy.
By Anoa Changa | November 2, 2021
Key Points:
- “A new initiative spearheaded by former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick seeks to change funding for civic engagement and grassroots organizing. Building on his own experience as a candidate, Patrick says that supporting the grassroots is necessary for sustained engagement beyond election day.”
- “As co-chair of the American Bridge 21st Century, Patrick sees the new Bridge Together Initiative as a way to seed grassroots groups with the funding and support necessary to build forward.”
- “‘You have all this energy and all this capability, and all this hunger, to have a community that’s sustained all the time,’ Patrick said in an interview with NewsOne. ‘Bridge Together is about trying to invest in a permanent, grassroots organization, and grassroots organizing in some key states.’”
- “Working with 1K Women Strong, the Bridge Together Initiative supported organizing efforts in the January 2021 Senate runoff in southwest Georgia. Patrick says Virginia presented a clear and present need.”
- “‘The funding will help us connect Black and brown voters that are often overlooked in our communities with trusted information and resources before the midterm election,’ said 1K Women Strong’s Executive Director Shakya Cherry-Donaldson in a statement.”
- “Another part of the Bridge Together Initiative is also rejecting status quo assessments of which voting blocs are worth engaging. Instead of focusing on turning out suburban soccer moms, it recognizes the potential in all eligible voters. Supporting trusted community voices also helps cut through the noise of disinformation.”
- “‘People will get their information from trusted sources, and those trusted sources in many cases are their friends and neighbors,’ Patrick said. ‘Trying to be a way that we can help get accurate, factual information out to people who are interested in and want to be brought into the civic life is another opportunity.’”
Read the full report here.
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Published: Nov 2, 2021