Yesterday I turned 30.
As I am no longer a twenty-something, I found myself looking back at the trajectory of my life, and how much it has been altered by my decision to run for the Virginia House of Delegates this year. I’ve already written a diary previously about one of the reasons I decided to run for office, and tonight I’m writing another.
The people I’ve met, and continue to meet, are another reason why I’m running.
Since October, I’ve met scores of inspiring people, ranging from legendary civil rights activist Dr. Ferguson Reid (90 for 90 shout out!) to Jeff Weaver (just tonight!) What I’ve learned from just about each and every one of these folks, though, is that a real positive change never comes from a single individual from on high — it comes from groups of people coming together to fight for progress.
And now we find ourselves fighting to preserve that progress, and push it forward.
Tonight, around 130 energized progressive activists packed into a restaurant in Vienna, Virginia, to do just that. Our Revolution Northern Virginia continues to gather ever-growing crowds, and now that we have created work groups and laid the groundwork for voting, our group is beginning to take that progressive fight out to the streets. Some of these folks have never been involved in the process at all, while others thought they would never be involved again.
Each and every one of them has a story to tell, and all of them have become inspiring to me. Folks from all walks of life, from various parts of the state (and beyond) and from differing level of political engagement are now all coming together to fight for the Virginia — and the America — we believe in. One that embraces immigrants, women, minorities and people of all colors and creeds; one that is strengthened because of our diversity, not in spite of it.
These are the folks that I have met and formed bonds with over the months since the presidential primaries, and seeing their resolve gives me the strength to keep fighting. In the coming weeks, if you live in Northern Virginia, you will likely see me and many of these folks working to harness all of the energy out there right now, and turn it into the type of movement that will carry us through the 2017 elections this year, the 2018 mid-terms, and beyond.
For we are the Resistance and the Revolution.
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