Look at all we've accomplished together - but there's so much more to do

Dear Feminist Champion,

2020 has been a year unlike any other. Through the uncertainty of the pandemic, the Mass NOW team continued fighting to improve the lives of women, girls, and all marginalized genders across the Commonwealth. With your support, we advanced legislation on menstrual equity, abortion access, universal childcare and remained a leading voice on the frontlines for a more equitable future.

Now, as we usher in our first woman of color Vice President-Elect, Kamala Harris, we are reminded that there is so much more work to be done to bring intersectional feminist policy to the forefront of democracy in Massachusetts and nationally. And, as with most things in life, change comes by first looking inward - and that is exactly what we did. 

This year, Mass NOW co-wrote a letter to the National NOW board urging Toni Van Pelt to resign from her position as NOW President after multiple women of color came forward citing a pattern of her racist behavior. Toni’s ultimate resignation led to a grassroots, member-led campaign to end racism within NOW, and pushed our organization  to reflect on our own racial justice work and our place in the movement.

For the first time in decades, state presidents came together and determined that we  have to do better.  While systemic racism, hatred, and bigotry run rampant in our country, they have no place in our organization, and together we are committed to restructuring our vision and priorities to model the change we seek nationally. Next year and beyond, Mass NOW’s vision is to become a champion of  racial and gender justice in the Commonwealth. We have already begun implementing changes to the method in which we create our feminist agenda to garner increased engagement from the most silenced members of our community and we are committed to growing our coalition partners to include more organizations led by women of color. 

Our 2021 vision requires a renewed focus on uplifting the most marginalized voices in our state.  Can we count on you to pitch in and help us grow our organizing team to fight for  gender and racial justice across the Commonwealth? 

Thank you for all that you do to sustain our energy and work. 

In solidarity,

Mass NOW Co Directors

Bria Gambrell, She/Her/Hers

Sasha Goodfriend, She/Her/Hers

P.S. Thanks to the CARES Act, individual donors can deduct more of their charitable donations than ever before - but only for the rest of 2020!