Last week, Virginia and the United States saw some pretty big victories for justice!

It was also painfully clear that we still have more work to do as the members of the Emanuel African Methodist Church were laid to rest following a horrendous act of racial violence.

While we mourned with our neighbors in Charleston, SC, we also had hope. In the midst of the reminder that we have so much further to go for racial justice, good organizing keeps us moving forward through difficult times.

We are looking for 200 committed social justice leaders who will agree to donate $25 or more each month to help Virginia Organizing expand and organize. Will you be one?

We want to expand the messages of racial justice, economic justice for all, immigration reform, and more to other parts of the state. Will you consider making a monthly donation to Virginia Organizing to help support this work?

If we expand our organizing, we can have more weeks like this past one:

On Monday, we invited you all to come join us at a Voting Rights Rally in Roanoke, Virginia on June 25. One of Virginia Organizing’s young leaders, Dulce Elias, spoke to about 400 people at this rally commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.
Tuesday brought the good news that citizens who were formerly incarcerated will not have to satisfy their court costs and fines before their civil rights are restored. Those fines will still need to be paid, but will no longer be a barrier to voting. People directly affected by this decision were present and got to personally thank the governor for his actions.
On Wednesday, we learned that our solar panels generated 1,235 kWh for us in June. That’s power that came from the sun — and not from fossil fuels.
The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Thursday that Virginians will keep their health insurance subsidies in a 6-3 definitive decision. This is a big deal for more than 320,000 Virginians who receive a tax credit.
On Friday, the Supreme Court was back in session and granted same-sex couples the right to marry in all 50 states. More celebrating!
In Harrisonburg on Saturday, Virginia Organizing leaders gathered to celebrate our 20^th anniversary!

These victories are cause for celebration, but we still need to educate more people about racial injustice, provide Medicaid expansion for up to 400,000 Virginians, and ensure greater access to the polls every Election Day. And continue to work on local campaigns like hydrofracking, food deserts, racial profiling, public transportation, and more in at least 15 communities across the Commonwealth.

We are excited to report that we just hired two more community organizers — our 13^th and 14^th — to work in the New River Valley starting this fall.

Right now, any donation up to $60,000 will be matched dollar for dollar. Will you be one of our 200 monthly sustainers for $25 or more a month?

You can set up a monthly donation by credit card by clicking here. If you’d like to help us avoid credit card fees, contact Sally Bastian at bastian@virginia-organizing.org or 434-984-4655 ext. 229 or download our monthly draft form here and follow the instructions to send in your donation.

Thank you for your commitment to social justice for all people.