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January 31, 2020 | Deeds Digest No. 156
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The Deeds Digest is your bi-weekly look into the latest news from Deeds Not Words and what's making us inspired, angry, and ready to change the world. đ
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Hey, #Changemakers!
I remember the first time someone asked me to register to vote. It was 2014, and the hope of a new, progressive Texas was in the air.
And although I couldnât register because I wasnât a citizen, I felt so privileged to even be asked.
Shortly after explaining how I was not eligible to vote, a volunteer told me that I could still be involved and ensure that my eligible peers were registered. From that point, I was hooked. I wanted to make sure that everyone in my school, in my generation, was registered. I wanted our voices to be heard.
When you have the right to vote, it may be easy for you to take the process for granted â and for those of us who canât cast a ballot, the urgency for those of you to take action means so much more (I mean, my DACA literally depends on your vote).
And with so much misinformation and a legislature that continues to disenfranchise our voices, simply reminding a young person to vote is not enough.
Thatâs why at Deeds Not Words we are not only focusing on registering 35,000 young people to vote in 2020, but weâre also invested in letting them know why their vote matters and how the civic process works. And weâre not alone!
There are other amazing youth-led organizations such as our friends at Texas Rising, Jolt Initiative, and MOVE who share our vision for a stronger, better represented Texas.
Young people (like me!) in Texas are the largest, most diverse voting generation in history. We are young. We are Black. We are brown. We are women. We are men. We are in between and outside the gender binary. We are queer. We are parents. We have one god, or many gods, or no gods at all. We menstruate. We have abortions.
And we deserve to see that beautiful diversity be reflected in the people we are electing to office and the policies we are enacting in our communities. And this year will be our year.
So are you ready for the polls, Changemakers? I hope so.
In solidarity,
Claudia Yoli
Co-Executive Director
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Our team is growing! Weâre thrilled to announce that weâve added two new members to our team. Please meet Natasha and Ananas! đđ˝
Natasha Acevedo, Youth Organizing Manager (She/her): "Iâm from El Paso, TX but Iâve traveled all over and my favorite feminist icon is Eve Ensler. I began getting really involved in politics in college and when Bernie ran for president, I became a huge advocate and volunteer eventually finding myself in the labor movement due to that work. But Iâm pretty chill, I love to go skateboarding, love to write and play music, and overall I believe we all deserve to live in a healthy society and I imagine a world where we all have equal opportunity. And how do we create that? Through organizing."
Ananas Mustafa, Curriculum & Training Coordinator (She/her): "Iâm from Philly and am a proud East Coaster, though Iâm excited to now be in Texas and part of the Deeds Not Words community! My feminist icon is Alaâa Salah, a Sudanese woman and 'kandaka' who has become an icon of the Sudanese revolution."
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Meet the ob-gyn using TikTok to teach millions of teens about safe sex: âWe can really make a big differenceâ
The social platform TikTok might seem to be an app overrun by teenagers making comedy videos, but one doctor is using the app to teach teens about safe sex. After seeing her colleagues use TikTok to advertise their practices and debunk medical myths, Staci Tanouye, MD, decided to try the app out for herself. She started posting videos about STDs, birth control, and what it takes to be a gynecologist â but it wasnât until she made a video about safe sex and herpes that she posted on Monday that ultimately took off and aggregated 10.5 million views.
âI now see the potential of how big it is and how much I can get my message out just for general education. It's no longer for recruiting patients to my practice. This is bigger than that,â she told Yahoo Lifestyle. âThey are very powerful platforms that we can really make a big difference on.â
Thank you for your work, Dr. Tanouye, and making proper sex education accessible for youth!
Hereâs whatâs also inspiring us:
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A Ugandan Climate Activist Was Cropped Out Of A News Agency Photo Of Greta Thunberg At Davos
After posing with fellow young climate activists like Greta Thunberg, 23-year-old climate activist Vanessa Nakate of Uganda soon found herself being the buzz on social media after she was cut out of the photo by several news organizations. Vanessa told BuzzFeed News she was heartbroken to see websites use a photo featuring four white activists but not her.
âI cried because it was so sad not just that it was racist, I was sad because of the people from Africa. It showed how we are valued. It hurt me a lot. It is the worst thing I have ever seen in my life,â said Vanessa.
When weâre highlighting the narratives of youth in activism, itâs especially important to highlight underrepresented voices in movements â because all of their experiences are valuable to help move our world forward. We stand with you, Vanessa, along with the countless young activists of color in the climate change movement who are pushing for change within their communities.
Hereâs what also has us fired up:
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Hey Changemaker! Are you sure youâre registered to vote?? Recent voter purge efforts targeted recently naturalized Texas citizensâ by wrongfully claiming that around 95,000 ânon-citizensâ were attempting to vote. In January of last year, âFormer Texas Secretary of State David Whitley sent an advisory to local registrars asking them to look at their voter rolls.â Shortly after, activist organizations and partners, like TCRP (Texas Civil Rights Project), Jolt, Move TX, and the ACLU, along with others filed a lawsuitâ Move TX v. Whitley This botched attempt for massive voter purging is a clear case of voter intimidation and voter disenfranchisement.
So, whatâs a voter purgeâand why do they happen? Well, simply stated a voter purge is an effective cancellation of oneâs voter registration application, which prevents somebody from voting. Valid reasons to purge a voter include moving and death. However, there are many cases where eligible voters are unfairly removed. And it doesnât just happen to recently naturalized citizensâit could mistakenly happen to you too.
Unfortunately, many voters do not realize they have been purged until they attempt to vote on election day. At that point, itâs too late.
#Changemaker Pro-Tipđ
đ˝ Check your registration status before the cutoff registration date to make sure youâre eligible to vote where you live. The last day to register to vote is Feb. 3rd. 2020.
#Changemaker Pro-Tipđ
đ˝ If you move, make sure you update your voter registration.
What can you do if you canât vote; either because youâre 17 or younger, a non-citizen, DACAmented, or your rights havenât been restored? You can help us stay vigilant by joining the voter protection movement and being a poll monitor!! This statewide, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition made up of more than 100 local, state and national partners works year-round to advance and defend the right to vote and to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process. Online trainings start soonâso sign up now!
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#Changemaker of the Week:
Rep. Ayanna Pressley
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Our Changemaker of the Week this week goes out to Rep. Ayanna Pressley! The Representative fired back at Secretary Betsy DeVosâs after she claimed that being pro-choice is similar to being pro-slavery.
Pressley tweeted her response to a tweet from The Hill reporting the remarks. She challenged DeVos to come visit her for an educational conversation.
"Dear Betsy," Pressley wrote. "As a Black woman & the Chair of the abortion access task force, I invite you to come by the Hill and say this to my face. Would welcome the opportunity to educate you."
Shoutout to Rep. Pressley for standing up to dangerous (and inaccurate) anti-choice rhetoric. We see you, Changemaker!
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