Your Voice May Be Heard: Developing the Democratic Platform

(Hat Tip to Gina of What About Our Daughters)

It looks like the Democratic Party is ready to listen and they are now soliciting our issues. I don't know if you remember my previous posts "Now What?" and "A Movement Has Begun"; but those particular posts addressed the lack of attention our issues as black women receive on the political floor as well as the lack of urgency we have displayed in putting them there.

Well, now an opportunity is staring us all square in the face. It is time to put our money where our mouth is. From July 19 to July 27, Platform Meetings will be hosted all across America. The purpose of these meetings is to "develop a specific position, recommendation, or policy that [we] believe needs to be addressed" and submit it "directly to the campaign". These submissions will be reviewed and could possibly become a part of the Democratic Platform.

“The platform is an official statement of the Democratic Party’s position on issues. Each statement of policy is called a ‘plank’ in the platform. Traditionally, the process of developing this platform is run by political insiders in Washington. This time we’re doing it differently. These Platform Meetings all across America are the bottoms-up process to generate ideas and information that may be directly incorporated into the platform. Reports from these meetings will be reviewed by the team responsible for the Democratic Platform. Some will be incorporated into the final platform, ratified at the Democratic National Convention.”

Click here for more information on how you can participate in existing Platform Meetings or host your own.

This site eliminates all excuses, by providing you with a list of meeting locations near you as well as step by step instructions, tips, explanations and agendas needed to host your own successful meeting.

It is time to really start thinking about the changes that we would like to see. Let's not continue to be the spectators that sit around and complain about the bad plays that are being made. Get your gear on and get in the game.

I have a feeling that the black blogosphere is going to explode around this topic. Be sure to visit sites like What About Our Daughters and Black Women Vote. They, among MANY other sites (see my "Blog Watch" on the sidebar), are extremely passionate on this topic and provide great insight. The owner of the blog Black Women Vote, SheCodes, is working to form a Black Female Political Action Committee whose primary focus is ". . .to use every political, social and economic weapon to make the improvement of black female experience a top priority in America" while Gina of What About Our Daughters is constantly shedding light on black women issues and has received press credentials to cover the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

It's time to get uncomfortable ladies. Let's make our voices reach beyond our cubicles. Gather your weapons of knowledge, education, resilience, strength and meet on the battlefield. . .

Stay Tuned. . .