The first enslaved African people were brought to stolen Indigenous land in August 1619 . From that day onward, Black Americans and their allies have fought a relentless battle against white supremacy that included property damage, harrowing freedom escapes, armed rebellions, and more.

In November of 2017, Stacy Lynch, daughter of Bill Lynch, famed democratic political strategist and the mastermind behind New York City’s first black mayor David Dinkins, convened the first gathering of the Daughters of the Movement. It was for selfish reasons that she made those initial calls for a dinner, Stacy said; “I needed a sisterhood.”

Over the past few months, I’ve been more than troubled by this election cycle’s get out the vote strategy. As we creep closer to election day, the narrative across the country has ranged from "Vote like your life depends on it," to "Vote or shut up."

From Supreme Court cases to state-level legislation, the past year has brought unprecedented attacks on critical race theory, diversity, equity and inclusion, school curricula and the books available to the general public, as well as affirmative action.