Resistance Roundup 02/23: Defending democracy in a digital world ??????????

Keep Faith

Since 2021, there has been a marked increase of diverse representation in the courts. By the end of 2023, 166 judges, two-thirds of whom were women, were confirmed. Even better news is that this momentum has carried over into 2024! This February alone, 56 Black judges were appointed to the federal judiciary. This is a promising sign and brings us a bit closer to creating a system where we are all represented.

Stay Woke

Gen Z and Millennial voters are on track to become the majority of the voting population. The best way to reach them? Social media.?

Gen Z, in particular, gets a majority of its news from platforms like Instagram and TikTok. And while digital avenues are powerful tools in reaching, educating, and mobilizing people to take action in our democracy, disinformation and misinformation disproportionately impact BIPOC and immigrant communities. While you stay up to date on the trends, make sure you verify the source before sharing.?

Take Action

Our friends at Represent Women released a brief exploring the challenges that Black women candidates face—and how we all can work towards effectively dismantling these barriers. Learn more about their research and how you can enact their proposed solutions.

NAL News & Updates

Last Saturday, we were joined by some of our latest NALpistas as well as new friends and visionaries looking to create meaningful change in the Midwest at our Grand Rapids Mixer. It was wonderful seeing everyone again, and we’re feeling refreshed and inspired by all the conversations we had! ??

Looking for a new podcast to listen to this weekend? We’ve got you covered!

Our CEO & President Ghida Dagher was featured on the podcast, Chief Influencer! She spoke about her own immigrant experiences, how NAL opened new doors for her, and why she remains committed to connecting with and empowering emerging immigrant leaders all across the country. Listen now to her interview!

In only 4 months, the NAL family will be reconvening in Washington, D.C. to celebrate our 10th annual New American Hero Awards! On June 27th, we’ll honor some inspiring immigrant leaders and celebrate our shared New American roots in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month! It’s a party you don’t want to miss—get your ticket now to save your spot!

P.S. Stay tuned as we unveil our 1st honoree in the next couple of weeks ??

We are searching for passionate and dedicated individuals to join our New American Leaders and New American Leaders Action Fund Boards of Directors!

Both boards play a vital role in advancing our goals and ensuring our organizations thrive. If someone you know fits the following criteria, we encourage you to submit a nomination:

• Politically engaged with values rooted in social justice
• An innovative and proven leader with the ability to drive positive change
• A candidate connected to the immigrant experience
• Sincerely committed to actively fundraising and ensure that our movement remains sustainable

?? ?? ???Submit a nomination today!?

#NALpistasDidThat

Here are some pretty awesome things our alumni?have done recently:

• Georgia State Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes?(Ready to Lead? 2019, Georgia) unveiled her Families First legislative package, which aims to provide financial relief by slashing sales taxes on everyday essentials for families.
• Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (Elected Officials Network) introduced the Stop Politicians Profiting from War Act?to prohibit Members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependent children from having any financial interests in any company that does business with the Department of Defense and banning them from trading defense stocks.
• Beto Yarce (Ready to Lead? 2018, Seattle) was selected as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, Region 10.
• New York City Council Members Amanda Farías (Ready to Lead? 2016), Crystal Hudson (Ready to Win? 2019 2019), and Shahana Hanif (Ready to Win? 2019) have sponsored a bill to establish a human milk bank in New York City that would collect, process, store, and distribute breast milk for infants and children.
• California State Senator Dave Min (Ready to Lead? 2017) introduced Senate Bill (SB) 1078 to establish the Office of Language Access (OLA) within the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), which would offer critical multilingual resources for government services.

Know someone who should be included in this list? Let us know! We're so proud of our NAL family for taking action to create a stronger, more inclusive democracy and would love to give everyone a shoutout!