Valiant Women of the Vote
March is Women's History Month, and the Women of Color Initiative (WoCI) has adopted the national theme, Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced. We created our campaign, Valiant Women of the Vote in Georgia, and will highlight Women of Color (WoC) who worked statewide to protect and increase civic participation and celebrate them.
We also know there are many Women of Color that made significant contributions to civic participation in your community, neighborhood, city, and organization who should be honored as well. To that end, we need your help to identify local WoC who supported civic engagement during the 2020 elections and the 2021 runoff for the GA Senate seats and celebrate them at home where they live.
These tireless women in our communities ranged from poll workers, canvassers, phone bankers, Women of Color who registered folks to vote, provided voting information, fought against voter suppression, and worked to get out the vote in Georgia. They have been courageous and fearless – valiant --about making change happen.
Celebrate Valiant Women of the Vote in YOUR Community
Let's give honor where honor is due! You are the key to making that happen at the local level. We need you to identify women where you live and celebrate them. There are endless ways to do that. Below are ten suggestions of how you can acknowledge these women between now and March 26th. When you celebrate them, capture the moment with a short video or pictures.
Ways to celebrate:
Make a call – call your honoree on the phone and thank them personally. Tell them why you selected them as Valiant Women of the Vote. Tell others in your group or community so that they can make appreciation calls, too. Texts are also fine. Remember, there can be a cost for your text.
Send a thank you card - create or buy thank you cards, get members of your group to join you by sending notes as well. Mail them at different times through the US post office, and your honoree can get thanks for weeks.
Post about your honoree on social media – create a short tribute to your honoree and post it on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and ask others to like and share your post.
Write about your honoree- Share what your valiant woman has done with the community- You can write an article or op-ed piece for your local paper use social media to share their story.
Plan a virtual appreciation party- host a Zoom party and invite the honoree and everyone you know to join you for 20 minutes as you recognize and celebrate your honoree.
Dropoff a present- Create a swag bag filled with fun items and goodies. It could be herbal teas or items such as bath bombs so she can have a "spa day" and drop it off at your honoree's front door. Make sure you include a note thanking and celebrating her!
Have an appreciation meal delivered- it could be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Find out your honoree's favorite restaurant or food and either cook it and drop off or order it from a local restaurant and have it delivered or if they only do takeout, pick it up and give it yourself.
Make a BIG appreciation sign – place it in the yard, on the front porch, attach it to the windshield of their car, or any other public place your honoree is comfortable with you putting a sign.
Plan a drive-by - organize a small parade of cars to drive by your honoree's house or location she is comfortable with and have her stand outside with a mask on or look out the window as people drive by and honk their horns, wave, and flash their hazard lights.
Make a charitable contribution in honor of your valiant woman. Find out her favorite charity or cause, go online, and donate. If there is a comment section on the online donation form, share why you are honoring her. If not, after you donate, write the agency, and explain why you donated in honor of your valiant woman.
Consider other ideas that come to mind – you are a wise woman and have many ideas and thoughts on how you can celebrate a valiant woman of the vote that we haven't listed here. Use them and share them with others.
When should you celebrate them? Throughout March. If you would like to share your local celebration of Valiant Women of the Vote with us, you can send us a 30-second video or up to three photos by March 26th.
We will feature Valiant Women of the Vote on our social media throughout April. Please submit your video or photos to gawomenofcolor@gmail.com.