Discussion of the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To celebrate and reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday, on Saturday January 18th, the DuPage Dems held a discussion of the Legacy of Dr. King in today's political climate. It was a great discussion that inspired, challenged and motivated us for the work ahead of us in 2020 & Beyond.
We would like to thank everyone who came out to participate in the discussion, thank you to SMART 265 for hosting us and we would like to sincerely thank all our speakers for their time and leadership.
Speakers
Michael Childress President of DuPage NAACP
Ken Mejia-Beal Activist & Illinois State Rep Dist 42 Candidate
Reverend Danita Anderson NaperPride & Pastor at Woodridge United Methodist
Patrick Watson Democratic 6th District Committeeman
Raza Siddiqui President of CWA Unified Council of Illinois & VP of NABET 41
Eddie Bedford Naperville Township Supervisor | | Sixth Dems One Year Countdown Awards Luncheon
Yesterday, the Sixth District Democrats had their annual awards luncheon. The Democratic Party of DuPage County works closely with the Sixth District Committeewoman Nancy Sheperdson and the Sixth District Committeeman Patrick Watson. We were happy to see so many DuPage Dems in attendance at the Luncheon.
Congratulations to the Award Winners: The Illinois AFL-CIO Vaseem Iftekhar, Northern Illinois American Muslim Alliance Matt Flamm Palatine Township Committeeperson Cynthia Borbas, Democratic Party of DuPage County Chair | | 2020 Outstanding Democratic Organizer
Cynthia accepted the award on behalf of the ENTIRE Democratic Party of DuPage County. The Award highlights the good work of years past that we've built on in 2019 and will continue to build on in 2020 & Beyond. This award is truly a nod to our entire organization and our allies.
in 2019 the DuPage Dems organized Phone Banking (virtual and in person) to GOTV for the 2019 Municipal Elections across all nine Townships.
We recruited candidates for positions up and down the ballot for 2020, working with current elected officials, the Democratic Party of Illinois and other stakeholders.
We held 12 Training Sessions for the 2020 cycle for Candidates, PCs and Volunteers focused on Petitions, Nominating Papers, Votebuilder and Financial Filings.
For the 2020 cycle, we had more than 40 Petition Action Days, helping candidates from President to Judge and every position in between. We had notaries at every event, to expedite the petition process. We also had a number of Bundling Days for Candidates, ensuring their nominating papers were complete and correct.
This is in addition to the many activities and days of action our nine amazing Township Organizations and almost 60 Candidates held.
We were also able to add over 150 Volunteers/PCs to Votebuilder, empowering more people and campaigns than ever to carry out data analysis, reach out to voters and keep track of voter contacts.
Perhaps most importantly, the DuPage Dems continue to reach out and coordinate with Elected Officials, Candidates, the Democratic Party of Illinois, additional Democratic Organizations, Labor Leaders, Grassroots Groups, Community Groups and other natural allies. We are all in this fight together, and the DuPage Dems are In It to Win It in 2020 & Beyond. | | DuPage Dems Difference Maker - Joan Knippen | | My interest in politics began during the 2016 presidential campaign. I think that is when I really started to pay attention. On election night I was not as surprised as many where, by the outcome. I had a gut feeling for several months on how the election was going to end. The days following the election where very emotional, so many felt hopeless and defeated. For me, I needed to become involved and have a purpose that I thought would make a difference. While activism wasn’t new to me; for the past 13 years I have volunteered and served on the board of directors for a national breast cancer organization, politics was completely different. I had no idea where to start. Thankfully, I found a local group, Progressives for Change – Elmhurst. It was a perfect fit, and felt good to be involved with like minded people. Maybe there was hope!
As 2017 progressed, I started becoming aware of local elections and the people running for those offices. I must admit I never paid much attention to local politics in the past. Of course, I voted, with the exception of presidential, senate and house candidates, I didn’t know much about local candidates. When I met Dan Hebreard in late 2017, his energy and excitement made me want to become involved, I asked if I could help with his campaign. I’m pretty sure my family thought I had lost my mind, as I had never shown any interest in politics before. In February of 2018, I met Linda Davenport, who became an extremely important person in my life, and I worked on her campaign too. Making sure we had a Democratic judge on the bench was a beginning for long needed change in the county judicial system. It was so awesome to share in that history making win!
2018 was such an important year for the Democratic party. So many people jumped in the ring to run for various positions. I love the fact that I had the opportunity to work with and become friends, with many of the candidates. The candidates educated me, and I in turn educated others. For the first time I felt empowered when I voted in the election. I knew the candidates and what they stood for. No more voting blindly for me!
While working for the candidates, I also became more involved with Progressives for Change. I joined the board of directors in 2018 and became the board chair in 2019. I absolutely love being part of the change in DuPage county. If I hadn’t stepped “out of the box” and joined P4C, I probably never would have crossed paths with so many amazing people, many who have become my dearest friends, who spend countless hours doing various types of activism. I not only have the chance to be politically involved, I also have the chance to promote many social welfare issues. Educating people in the community about hunger issues, immigration/refugees, climate issues, the LGBTQ community, etc., has really been life changing for me. We tend to be in our own little bubble and aren’t always aware of the struggles people are facing in our own local communities.
The last three plus years have been challenging locally, nationally and world-wide. My hope is 2020 will bring much needed change. It will take time to rebuild, but we need to believe it will happen. We need to keep fighting and promoting what’s right, otherwise it won’t happen. Running for a local office has definitely crossed my mind. While 2020 isn’t my year, maybe another year will be. For now, I will be putting my efforts into helping others win, mainly on some of the judge’s campaigns, while continuing to work on as many social issues facing the county as I can. But, its not just about what I’m doing, its about what we are accomplishing together. It takes a village, and I am so glad I get to be part of the village!
Joan Knippen Progressives for Change – Elmhurst Board of Directors | | *with so many candidates and organizations, any missed event is not intentional* | | Walk With Jeff Jacobson - Milton Township 430 W Roosevelt Rd, Wheaton, IL 60187-5056, United States Mon Jan 20, 11:00am
Monday Night Phone Banking - Rachel Ventura Rachel Ventura Joliet Campaign Offices, 617 N. Raynor Ave, Joliet IL 60435 Mon Jan 20, 6:00pm
NAACP DuPage Candidate Forum Cantigny Park Mon Jan 20, 7:00pm
Bill Foster Phone Bank DuPage Township Democratic Organization Tue Jan 21, 6:00pm
Postcards 2 WI - PLUS 908 Curtiss St, Downers Grove, IL 60515-4712, United States Tue Jan 21, 6:00pm
Fone4Fogerty, Jingle4Judges, Dial 4 Districts (2, 4) – 430 W Roosevelt Rd, Wheaton, IL 60187-5056, United States Tue Jan 21, 6:30pm
Bloomingdale Township Dems - January Meeting Glendside Public Library Tue Jan 21, 7:00pm
Dueling Pianos Night featuring The Killer Dueling Pianos - Rep. Kifowit Andy's Jazz Club Wed Jan 22, 6:00pm
Bill Foster Phone Bank DuPage Township Democratic Organization Thu Jan 23, 6:00pm
Democratic Party of Milton Township - January Meeting Glen Ellyn Historical Society Thu Jan 23, 7:00pm
Donuts with Senator Dick Durbin Sierra Club Illinois Fri Jan 24, 8:30am
Postcards 2 WI - PLUS 908 Curtiss St, Downers Grove, IL 60515-4712, United States Sat Jan 25, 10:00am
Canvass with David Guy Stevens 908 Curtiss St, Downers Grove, IL 60515-4712, United States Sat Jan 25, 1:00pm
Citizens for Jeff Gahris Fundraiser Emmett's Wheaton Sun Jan 26, 6:00pm
Monday Night Phone Banking - Rachel Ventura Rachel Ventura Joliet Campaign Offices, 617 N. Raynor Ave, Joliet IL 60435 Mon Jan 27, 6:00pm
Bill Foster Phone Bank DuPage Township Democratic Organization Tue Jan 28, 6:00pm
Postcards to Wisconsin Party Braconi's Restaurant & Pizzeria Tue Jan 28, 6:30pm
Addison Township Dems Monthly Meeting Addison Village Hall, 1 Friendship Plaza Tue Jan 28, 7:00pm
Reception for Azam Nizamuddin for DuPage Circuit Judge Tony Spavone's Ristorante Wed Jan 29, 6:00pm
NNU Meeting: Understanding Implicit Bias Part II City of Naperville Municipal Building Wed Jan 29, 7:00pm
Why Warren? with Daniel Biss 205 N 2nd St, Dekalb, IL 60115-3234, United States Wed Jan 29, 7:00pm | | *** For event details, use the links below *** | | Paid for by the Democratic Party of DuPage County, who continues the Fight for Economic Justice, Civil Rights and Our Environment within DuPage & Beyond. | | | | | | |
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