DAG-Stuttgart February 2021 Newsletter
Dear Friend,
After the harrowing attack on our Capitol and on our very democracy, we embraced our new President and very first female Vice President with a sense of relief that the past four years are over and excitement for what lies ahead. Some of the first steps Joe Biden took after being inaugurated were to promptly address the COVID-19 crisis, racial justice and climate change.
February is Black History Month. This month we honor the men and women who strove for equality and shone as professionals in many different fields, such as Katherine Johnson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Maya Angelou. Here are a list of excellent movies to watch for Black History Month:
For those of you looking for literature for Black History Month, here is a small excerpt of many good books :
The Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus is supporting Black History Month by featuring Black American Veterans every day in February. Check out the Caucus FB page: https://www.facebook.com/DAVetsAnd MilitaryFamilies/
Stacey Abrams is a voting rights activist fighting for equality and voter rights. She founded Fair Fightafter narrowly losing the 2018 gubernatorial race in Georgia. Thanks to her dedication and hard work many more people registered to vote in her home state, which helped to flip the Senate blue last month. The work of Ms. Abrams has been lauded as following “in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Now Ms. Abrams has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize!
It is time to request your absentee ballot! This can be done at www.votefromabroad.org. Request that your ballot be emailed to you, this saves time. Americans living overseas must request their absentee ballots every calendar year. You can check the status of your absentee ballot by contacting your election office in the district of your voting state directly.
Do you vote in the state of Louisiana? Louisiana is conducting two special primary elections next month, to fill a vacancy for the 2nd and 5th congressional Districts.
Some states are trying to restrict the ways we can vote and who may vote by filing bills aimed at limiting voter access and reforming election procedure. The majority of these bills would restrict or put limitations on how and who can vote by mail, create photo ID laws and purge voters from the voter lists. Mail-in voting has expanded significantly due to COVID-19 fears, while lawmakers and election officials try implementing proper health precautions for those wanting in-person voting.
As the Senate run-offs in Georgia and the presidential election showed us: our overseas votes make a huge difference! So remember to request your absentee ballots on time!
Upcoming Events:
Info Sessions for potential DAG Leaders: Wednesday, February 10 at 7pm and Saturday, February 13 at 4 pm
Our Stuttgart Chapter Meeting is this Friday,February 12th at 7 pm. Join us for a friendly chat! Please RSVP to receive the Zoom link.
The DAG annual meeting and Elections will be held on March 20th from 10:30am -6 pm. To vote in the election you must be a DA Germany member and RSVP for the meeting by 12pm on March 20, 2021
Happy Valentine’s Day!