"[We] make the way by walking” - Antonio Machado Proverbios y Cantares XXIX, shared by popular educator and critical pedagogy theorist Paulo Freire.

The 130th legislature has been sworn in and our state leaders are gearing up for the long session of the legislature. They are expected to meet January to June 2021. Their task is significant: passing laws and policies that will help everyday Mainers through a pandemic, the economic recession, and a terribly unequal recovery where we have some of the worst racial disparities in the country. There is much to do.

Our task is significant too. How can we come together, to make our voices heard, at a time when it is not safe to gather? How do we lift the voices of those most impacted with urgency and how do we push law makers towards bold action when, especially now, they can’t always see or understand the problems people face in our neighborhoods and in our communities?

This winter we’re seeing longer lines at food pantries and less food in the fridge. We’re seeing Mainers struggle to make rent and shelters are full. At a time when low-income Mainers are facing deep poverty and the pandemic has upended every aspect of life, we're calling on all equal justice supporters to help us keep the legislature clearly focused on the greatest need in 2021. It can be hard to see the way forward. The Spanish poet Antonio Machado reminds us that so often in life, we make the way by walking. We don’t know the way exactly. What can we do but walk forward together on a path towards equity and justice in Maine? We can’t think of better people to make the way with.

In that spirit, Maine Equal Justice organizing staff have been thinking together with the Equal Justice Partners’ Circle and with allied organizations and advocates about how to have an impact together in 2021. Usually, December is a time at Maine Equal Justice to plan in-person legislative trainings, days at the State House and in-person meetings with our state representatives. This time, you can join us online and at a distance - to talk about how we will shift power and resources to the communities who need it the most.

It’s time to engage in a widespread public education campaign to make sure Mainers have the information they need to act with purpose and impact. It’s time to tell our stories and come together around a vision for shared prosperity and opportunity. It’s time to help more Mainers understand the connection between a pandemic emergency, the need for a strong a safety net, and a just economy where everyone can succeed. We must highlight racial equity and the disparities made worse by the pandemic in all we do, understanding that there is no economic justice without racial justice and vice versa.

We need your help to get this message out far and wide to impacted communities and allies ready for action. We aim to bring together what we know about person-to-person organizing and digital organizing to leave no stone unturned.

Join us to:

• Identify key legislators who need to hear from us the most
• Mobilize our neighbors to reach out through all communication channels and find the ones that work best. We’ll be training volunteers on digital outreach to decision makers as well as using text and Facebook messenger to reach out. We can be old school too and catch their attention through letter writing and phone calling.
• We’ve heard feedback that legislators get so many emails; sometimes constituent emails don’t get the message across effectively. We’ll still use email as one contact method, but we want to emphasize trying several methods to see what works best.
• Engage in weekly communications with legislators so we keep their attention focused on the issues that matter most.

We are called to organize in our backyards, with our own legislators in a year where traveling and congregating isn’t possible. We can’t say enough how important it is to build a relationship with your local legislator and make sure to contact them regularly about issues that impact your community. Sometimes you might think that your legislator is totally “with us” on something and they’ll do the right thing. But Maine legislators often are reviewing thousands of pieces of legislation. They need their constituents to help them prioritize what to really fight for. It’s important to check in, share your perspective, help educate the legislator and ask them directly if they’ll be a supporter and even a champion of the issue. Hearing from just one, two or three people in their community about an issue can bring them to our side.

Let’s make sure we are mosquitos in the ear of Maine legislators in 2021!

Will you join us? Sign up here to stay connected. Virtual legislative trainings dates coming soon!