The People Have Decided

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2020
Media Contact: Center for Popular Democracy Action; press@populardemocracy.org

New York, NY — Today, the Center for Popular Democracy Action released the following statement from Network President and Co-Executive Director Jennifer Epps-Addison after Biden was declared the winner:

The people have spoken loud and clear. Voters turned out in record numbers to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as president and vice president of the United States and to claim a vision for transforming our country. Across America, millions more people turned out to vote than ever before, despite a raging pandemic and the hurdles of voter intimidation, suppression and misinformation that were put in their way.

This election will go down in history. Joe Biden has won with more votes than any other president in the history of this country, and the United States has elected the first Black and Indian American woman as vice president. But central to the story of how we got here is the work of people and people’s organizations who have labored tirelessly to create a world where all of our voices are included. 

For four long years, in the face of unprecedented threats to our lives and our democracy, people organized to build more power than ever before. We came together to create sanctuary cities when immigrant families were under attack, we rose up and took to the streets in defense of Black lives, we saved the Affordable Care Act and prevented millions from losing their healthcare, and we elected the most progressive and diverse Congress in history. Then, knowing what was at stake in this election, people’s organizations across the CPD Action network mobilized unprecedented numbers of Black and Latinx voters, young voters, voters struggling to make ends meet and people who had never voted before, to lay claim to their right to determine the future of our country. 

As the Biden/Harris administration takes office, they are faced with a clear mandate from the people: They must take action to turn the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic, lead us out of this economic crisis to an economy that works for all, take bold steps towards advancing racial justice, implement humane immigration policies, transform our justice system, make up for lost ground in fighting climate change and ensure quality healthcare for all. They will need to lead with a bold progressive vision, and overcome at every turn those — in congress and in the judiciary — who will try to use their power to undermine the will of the people. 

Even as we celebrate this victory, Donald Trump is refusing to concede losing the election by attempting to stop the vote count in some places and calling for recounts in others, filing empty lawsuits, encouraging intimidation tactics from his supporters, and sowing chaos and confusion. But his desperate attempts to cling to power so that he and his enablers can continue to exploit and profit off of our communities will not work. No matter what he does to try to cheat his way through this election, the people have spoken and our decision will stand. 

We will not forget how low Trump and his enablers have brought this country. Most importantly, we will not forget how collective action by the people who suffered most under this administration brought us back from the brink. Today we celebrate the power of the people, and tomorrow we will keep fighting for a country that is worthy of all their hopes and labor. 

###
 
Center for Popular Democracy Action promotes equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with innovative base-building organizations, organizing networks and alliances, and progressive unions across the country. CPD Action builds the strength and capacity of democratic organizations to envision and advance a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial justice agenda.
www.cpdaction.org