“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything” - William Shakespeare

There are many important upcoming state and federal elections in 2023,  so please read and save our newsletters. We will keep you informed!

April 2023

Greetings and welcome, Frankfurt and Mid-Hessen!

We are living in an unprecedented time: a twice-Impeached president, now indicted, and a politicized Supreme Court. Yet we had a big win, over ten points, for Janet Protasiewicz in the Wisconsin Supreme Court battle. 

There are more Democratic wins to celebrate: Washington D.C.’s African-American Mayor Harold Washington; Los Angeles’ first female and second African-American mayor Karen Bass; Andrea Jenkins, the first Black openly trans woman elected to U.S. public office., and Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who struck a 1931 abortion ban from the state’s law.  

There are many important upcoming state and federal elections in 2023, so please read and save our newsletters. We will keep you informed!

Opportunity knocks: The position of treasurer in our chapter is still open. Take this chance to get involved. Tune into our upcoming meeting on April 27 and volunteer!

Minutes from March Meeting

Frankfurt chapter holds lively meeting in March

Meetings to support a diversity of voices

Eleven Frankfurt-chapter members joined Chapter Chair Carl (Taylor) and Vice Chapter Chair Malaika (Kusumi) on the eve of the Democrats Abroad Germany annual general meeting for a short but engaging chapter meeting on March 23. Held online, the chapter meeting got right down to business by putting initial organizational structures in place and determining some of the chapter‘s priorities for the coming months.

Click here to read to the complete minutes

 Minutes prepared by Heidi Roecks

Events

Invite to Monthly Meeting

Thursday, April 27th 19:00-20:30

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything” - William Shakespeare

Frankfurt Chapter spring is here! We are springing into action with our newly elected DPCA voting reps. What is that? Why is it important to you? Come to the meeting and find out. 

We have a lot to report and plan. We need your voices and of course your wonderful presence. It is a BYOF event i.e., Bring your own friend! 

Agenda

Racial Profiling discussion

Tuesday, May 9th 19:00 - Save the date!

Frankfurt chapter’s second Racial Profiling discussion  is in the planning for May 9th, 7 pm as a hybrid event. There will be a panel of experts such as Amsterdam’s Police Captain and a researcher working on racial profiling. Our Global Black Caucus Chair, Leedonal Moore, will moderate the panel and following general discussion. Mark the date in your calendars!! More information will follow.

Food for Action 

Another Attack on Black Americans on the Agenda?

The Reparations Task Force headed by Saxony chapter member Antar Keith has alerted the DA Global Black Caucus to a proposal by the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to alter its Race and Ethnicity Statistical Standards.The plan is to add a designation "Descendants of Slavery“, which could have a wide-range impact on funding for social programs, political representation. 

"[A]ny big shift in how federal data is collected could result in an undercount of Black Americans in the coming census. In view of the current attacks on ballot access for this population group and the US legacy of divestment from Black communities, advocates argue that Black Americans can hardly afford any further measures that may strip them of essential resources and voting power."

Such changes can be viewed as dehumanizing as slavery itself is not an ethnicity, but rather a system of oppression.

Of the more than 40 million Black Americans, the overwhelming majority has not been made aware of this process and, once again, Black citizens are being robbed of their voice. Black Lives Matter and Black Votes Matter, especially to the Democratic Party, which has seen an unfortunate migration to the Republican Party over the years. Read more here. 

The OMB public comment period is open through April 27. Make your voice heard in this process! We have resources and a sample comment available on our website.

Meet & Greet Chapter member

Andrew is a Vietnam veteran and retired from the US Army as a chief legal non-commissioned officer with the Staff Judge Advocate Corps. A native of Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi, he earned a BA degree from Jackson State University and an MA from the University of Maryland. 

Besides being a member of the Democrats Abroad Global Black Caucus., Andrew is a member of the NAACP, a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Phylaxis Society as well as the National Business League and Minority Council. He lives in Heddesheim with his wife Brigitte and their two children.

Favorite Quote: “We are all humans until race disconnected us, religion separated us, politics divided us and wealth classified us.” - Unknown

Volunteer of the Month

DEDE WILLIAMS - "You Can Have it Both Ways"

Dede says:  “I’ve been interested in Democratic politics since the day I came home wearing an I Like Ike button a classmate had handed out on the playground, and my parents told me,” We don’t vote Republican.” I (finally) joined Democrats Abroad in 2008 to work for Obama’s first election and have been active in all the campaigns since, meeting prospective voters at GOTV tables, helping to translate press releases and contributing to newsletters as well as attending meetings, celebrating at victory parties, 4th of July cookouts and lots of other get-togethers. With DA, you can have it both ways. Enjoy living abroad while working for progress back home.”

Dede’s Motto: "Communication is never a one-way street "

Recap 

A Fun and Productive DAG Annual Meeting 

Democrats Abroad Germany held its annual general meeting – organized by the Wiesbaden-Mainz chapter – on the weekend of March 24-26 in Ingelheim on the Rhine, with 11 Frankfurt chapter members attending in person and several more tuning in virtually. Our newly elected chapter chair and vice chair, Carl Landon Taylor and Malaika Kusumi, as well as former chairs Kate Sawyer and Barb Chap, were there in person, along with members Bernie Aurin, Luca Fagiuoli, Reavis Hilz-Ward, Andrew Morgan, Evelyn Riera, Dede Williams and Connie Winslow.

A cocktail get-together on Friday evening kicked off the weekend as we greeted old friends, some of whom we hadn’t seen in person since early 2020, and steeled ourselves for a very high-power information and voting session on Saturday. A gala dinner at Ingelheim’s Winzerkeller was the highlight of the evening. Those who stayed for the first meeting of the newly elected DAG executive committee (Excom) and the Ingelheim tour on Sunday capped the three-day event with Sunday lunch at a local restaurant. At the meeting, Carl and Malaika were elected as DPCA voting representatives.

Take a look at the DAG website www.democrats.org/ for the full list of our elected national officers!

Photo Credits: Derek Bembry & DAG

Lastly

Expand Your Democrats Abroad Experience!

With so many things to do, expanding one’s Democrats Abroad experience may seem impossible! The Frankfurt Chapter is here to help with suggestions! It's just the best group, but there is more than meets the eye in Democrats Abroad. Here are a few tidbits for you to explore – enjoy!

1. State Teams: Joining your voting state team keeps you abreast of things that will indirectly or directly impact your life. You can volunteer or merely choose to be kept in the loop. https://www.democratsabroad.org/state_teams
2. Caucuses: have the conversations that are important to you or your loved ones: age, race, environment, culture, politics, gender. The events are informative and many of them fun. https://www.democratsabroad.org/caucuses
3. Events: Check out what is coming up. Join another country’s meeting. See what is going on in the world in which you live. https://www.democratsabroad.org/events

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage” - Anais Nin -- Dare to expand!

We hope you'll join our next online chapter meeting, next Thursday, April 27th.

Democratically yours,

Carl Landon Taylor, Chapter Chair

Malaika Kusumi, Vice Chair

DA Germany-Frankfurt and Greater Hessen

http://www.democratsabroad.org