Let DC Vote in the People’s House SUMMER 2007 www.dcvote.org Voice Jack Kemp, LCCR’s Nancy Zirkin, Ilir Zherka and Mayor Fenty declare an aggressive strategy for the DC VRA’s next steps. One of DC Vote’s tiniest advocates makes the biggest impression at a community festival. The DC Vote staff gather together before visiting House offices at Congress Day 2007. Intern Josh Bumpus talks strategy for the Voting Rights March with local students and teachers at Ben’s Chili Bowl. Mayor Fenty and members of the DC Vote Board mingle at Champions of Democracy 2006. Working to End Taxation Without Representation in the Nation’s Capital From the Executive Director Dear Friend: At DC Vote, we rely on people. We are a small organization that accomplishes mighty feats, but we never go it alone. At every turn in our nine year history, we have been fortunate to have volunteers, coalition partners and donors infusing the movement with abundant energy, nationwide contacts and financial resources. With the help of others, we gathered 500 citizen lobbyists on a frigid February morning to educate Hill staffers. We turned out 5,000 marchers who demanded the vote at the Voting Rights March on April 16. We mobilized thousands of citizens across the country to contact members of Congress and Senators, urging support for the DC Voting Rights Act. With the help of others, we moved the members of the House of Representatives to pass the DC Voting Rights Act on April 19. With the help of others, we have achieved what some said were impossible goals. Take a look through our newsletter to see all we have done to arrive at this critical point in the movement. I invite you to join us any way you can so that we can fulfill the promise of democracy. Please consider making a donation to become a DC Vote member. If you have already sent a gift this year, please consider giving again. We promise to put every dollar to good use educating Americans out in the states on DC’s denial of democracy. Our fight in the Senate calls for more resources, and we rely on people who care about ending taxation without representation in the nation’s capital. DC Vote’s stars are aligning, and democracy is on the rise. Please join us. We rely on you and thank you. Sincerely, Ilir Zherka Executive Director
Transcript
LetDC Votein thePeople’sHouse
SUMMER 2007www.dcvote.orgVoice
Jack Kemp, LCCR’s Nancy Zirkin, Ilir Zherka and Mayor Fentydeclare an aggressive strategy for the DC VRA’s next steps.
One of DC Vote’s tiniest advocates makes the biggest impression at a community festival.
The DC Vote staff gather together before visiting House offices at Congress Day 2007.
Intern Josh Bumpus talks strategy for the Voting RightsMarch with local students and teachers at Ben’s Chili Bowl.
Mayor Fenty and members of the DC Vote Board mingle at Champions of Democracy 2006.
Working to End Taxation Without Representation in the Nation’s Capital
From the Executive Director
Dear Friend:
At DC Vote, we rely on people. We are a small organization that accomplishesmighty feats, but we never go it alone. At every turn in our nine year history,we have been fortunate to have volunteers, coalition partners and donorsinfusing the movement with abundant energy, nationwide contacts andfinancial resources.
With the help of others, we gathered 500 citizen lobbyists on a frigid February morning to educate Hill staffers. We turned out 5,000 marcherswho demanded the vote at the Voting Rights March on April 16. We mobilized thousands of citizens across the country to contact membersof Congress and Senators, urging support for the DC Voting Rights Act.
With the help of others, we moved the members of the House ofRepresentatives to pass the DC Voting Rights Act on April 19.
With the help of others, we have achieved what some said were impossible goals.
Take a look through our newsletter to see all we have done to arrive at thiscritical point in the movement. I invite you to join us any way you can so thatwe can fulfill the promise of democracy.
Please consider making a donation to become a DC Vote member. If you have already sent a gift this year, please consider giving again. We promise to put every dollar to good use educating Americans out in the states onDC’s denial of democracy. Our fight in the Senate calls for more resources,and we rely on people who care about ending taxation without representationin the nation’s capital.
DC Vote’s stars are aligning, and democracy is on the rise. Please join us.
We rely on you and thank you.
Sincerely,
Ilir ZherkaExecutive Director
Voice SUMMER 2007 • www.dcvote.org 2
City officials applaud members of Congress moving the DC VRA through committee.
Witnesses swear in for a hearing on constitutionality.All agree it’s time to correct DC’s injustice.
Ilir Zherka is backed by the mayor and city council while announcing DC Vote’s advocacy approach.
Leaders from every ward of Washington, DC draw together for Congress Day 2007.
Cosponsors Added to Bill FollowingCongress Day 2007Nearly 500 people turned out to educatemembers of Congress and their staffabout the DC Voting Rights Act onCongress Day in February.
Citizens from all eight wards ofWashington, DC, and supporters fromaround the region visited nearly all theoffices in the U.S. House ofRepresentatives.
Teams included senior citizens, electedofficials, students and communityactivists. Advocates with red and blue“Let DC Vote” buttons were found inoffices, in the halls and on elevators.
Special thanks to Verizon for donating the breakfast. Verizon provided themorning fuel for our citizen advocates tohit the halls of Congress with gusto.
Law Professors AffirmConstitutionality Legal scholars from universities aroundthe country signed on to a DC Vote lettersupporting the constitutionality ofcongressional voting rights for the Districtof Columbia.
Sheryll D. Cashin and Viet Dinh ofGeorgetown University Law Center, CharlesJ. Ogletree of Harvard Law School andJamin Raskin of American UniversityWashington College of Law were amongthe first co-signers of the letter to the Hill.
Signed by 25 legal scholars, the letterstates, “As law professors and scholars,we would like to address these questionsand put to rest any concerns about theconstitutionality of extending the right ofrepresentation to residents of the District.”
DC Vote sent the letter to members of Congress to quell any lingeringconstitutionality concerns.
Bruce Spiva, Rep. Scott, Mayor Fenty,Prof. Dinh and Del. Norton prepare for committee.
Del. Norton confers with Rep. Davis before a DC VRA committee hearing.
DC Voting Rights Act Passes the HouseOn April 19, the House of Representatives voted 241-177 in favor of the DC
Voting Rights Act. This marks the first time in a generation that the House of
Representatives passed a bill to give the nearly 600,000 tax-paying American
citizens living in the District of Columbia a voting member of Congress.
Here’s a glimpse into some of the work we did to get the bill to this historic point:
Voice3 Working to End Taxation Without Representation in the Nation’s Capital
Volunteers, including friends from DC for Democracy,prepare to visit Senators for DC Vote’s Lobby Day.
Finding PartnershipsAcross Party LinesMore than 20 former elected andappointed officials from both sides of the aisle have come together insupport of the DC Voting Rights Act.
Dignitaries like Jack Kemp and J.C. Wattsjoined with Tom Daschle and KweisiMfume to go on record in support of theDC VRA. The DC Vote coalition broughttogether this group of distinguishedindividuals who all agree on thefundamental necessity of democracy.
Silent ProtestDozens of Washingtonians, includingMayor Adrian Fenty, the shadowdelegation, and DC Vote supportersstood before the House Judiciary
Senators comment on the unusually packed hearing room during the DC VRA mark-up.
Del. Norton and Ilir Zherka congratulate DC Vote staff and supporters at the DC VRA victory party.
Nancy Zirkin, Ilir Zherka and Jim Moore celebrate once the bill clears the House Floor.
Committee during a hearing in May as a striking display of solidarity for the DC Voting Rights Act.
During a part of the testimony read by DC Vote Board Chair Bruce Spiva,Washingtonians quietly rose todemonstrate to members of Congressthat real people are affected by thedenial of a vote in the District ofColumbia.
An Evening to CelebrateJust days after the Voting Rights March,the DC VRA passed the House and DC Vote took time to celebrate this hard-fought victory with our volunteers andallies, including Congresswoman EleanorHolmes Norton.
We thank John Boyle at Marty’sRestaurant for donating the space andfood for the festivities.
Key legislators and advocates address the media after the DC VRA passes the House.
Chairman Coyners prevails over a DC VRA mark-up in the House Judiciary Committee.
DC Voting Rights Act Senate Action
Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Bob Bennett (R-UT)introduced the DC VRA in the Senate on May 1. Followed by two Senatecommittee hearings, Lieberman held a mark-up in the Committee onHomeland Security and Governmental Affairs on June 13.
DC Vote applauds the 9-1 bipartisan vote in favor of the DC VRA. All theDemocrats on the committee voted for the bill. They were joined by three keyRepublicans: Senators Susan Collins (ME), Norm Coleman (MN) and George Voinovich (OH).
The mark-up is a resounding victory for DC voting rights. DC Vote and our coalition worked aggressively to secure these votes, and we are thrilledto see that our efforts paid off.
Voice SUMMER 2007 • www.dcvote.org 4
Voting Rights MarchMakes HistoryThe photos from the Voting Rights March speak for themselves. Thousandsturned out—as many as 5,000—andCongress listened. We marched fromFreedom Plaza to the Capitol to demandthe vote and within days, the DC VRApassed the House.
The turnout was unbelievable—especially given the gale-force winds and unseasonably cold weather. Unions,veterans, students, seniors, internationalgroups, citizen action groups andhundreds of our coalition partnersspanned across Pennsylvania Avenue as they marched.
Countless organizations and individualsmade significant contributions to thesuccess of the March. We thank theLeadership Conference on Civil Rights for cosponsoring the event with us. Weappreciate Common Cause and PeopleFor the American Way for allowing us tophone bank from their offices night afternight. We give special thanks to MayorFenty and the DC government for allthey did to make the day a success.Most of all, we thank every individual who marched to demand the vote.
Our generous sponsors include:
• Akridge • Ben’s Chili Bowl • Busboys and Poets • Comcast • City Living Source • DC Chamber of Commerce • DC Professional Taxicab Drivers Association• DC for Democracy• DCist• Forest City Washington • Gertrude Stein Democratic Club• Jenner & Block LLC • Leadership Conference on Civil Rights• Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO • The Meltzer Group • TV One • Twenty-First Century Democrats • Verizon
Voice5 Working to End Taxation Without Representation in the Nation’s Capital
Chandrai Jackson-Saunders prepares for herphoto shoot as an everyday Washingtonian
who is denied voting rights.
A TV commercial featuring boardmemberMarque Chambliss ran in targeted media markets across the country.
Traffic on www.dcvote.org skyrocketed in the month of April
to more than 160,000 views.
Interns Josh Bumpus and Molly McArdle have 16 months of DC Vote experience
between them. Interns? More like experts!
Print, TV and Radio Round Out CampaignWith images of life-saving firefighters and a lifelong publicschool teacher, DC Vote produced print ads that were viewedby hundreds of thousands of visitors in targeted Metrostations and bus shelters.
Chandrai Jackson-Saunders, the counselor and teacherfeatured in one of the print pieces, was so impressed withthe message that she produced postcards of the image andmailed them to hundreds of her colleagues. DC firefighterLarry Chapman inspired a New York Times columnist totravel to DC and tell his story.
Satellite media tours and audio news releases wereproduced with Delegate Norton and Jack Kemp asspokespeople on talk radio programs across the country.
DC Vote produced a series of videos spotlighting ‘everyday’Washingtonians to tell the story of DC’s unique relationshipwith Congress. They feature real DC residents who explainthat Washington isn't made up of only politicians andmonuments. These paid placements have generated morethan 30 million impressions nationwide.
Another Summer in the CityThis summer our offices at 15th and U Streets have been filled with old faces and a few new ones.
George Washington University senior Josh Bumpus, an internsince September 2006, is staying on for the summer.Grinnell College junior Molly McArdle, our summer 2006intern, is back for another season.
Wesleyan University graduate Nell Schaffer volunteersweekly, and Phoebe King, a senior at Maret, joined the DCVote team for her senior internship. The interns have beensetting up meetings with Senators, organizing events, andspeaking to students around the city.
Extra! Extra!
As the word continues to spread, the DC voting rightsmovement is taking the spotlight in a spread of editorials,news stories and op-eds:
New York Times • “Democratizing the Nation's Capital” Editorial 6/21/07• “Democracy Inches Along at Home” Editorial 4/18/07 • “Foiled by the Gun Lobby” Editorial 3/28/07
Los Angeles Times• “Give D.C. the Vote” Editorial 6/19/07• “A Vote for a Vote for DC” by Nicole Gaouette
& Johanna Neuman 4/20/07• “Give DC Representation” Editorial 3/23/07
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric• “Taxation Sans Representation” 6/1/07
The Colbert Report• Interview with Rep. Davis of Virginia 5/3/07• Interviews with Del. Norton 4/24/07, 3/22/07, 7/27/06
NewsHour with Jim Lehrer• “Washington, D.C., Fights for Voting Rights”
by Kwame Holman 4/17/07
Visit www.dcvote.org to read more.
Increased Gifts Create PossibilitiesThe philanthropic community has stepped up to help DCVote expand our activities in this critical year. In January,the Public Welfare Foundation awarded DC Vote a one-yeargrant of $250,000, the largest we’ve ever received. At a special briefing held in March by the WashingtonRegional Association of Grantmakers, the Meyer Foundationand Trellis Fund announced renewed support at increasedlevels. The Arca Foundation also responded with a new grant of $50,000.
We’re grateful to our foundation partners for recognizing that a vote in Congress can be used to leverage resources for DC across a variety of philanthropic interests,including education, public health, economic developmentand the environment.
Voice SUMMER 2007 • www.dcvote.org 6
Champions of Democracy Awards ReceptionOn Tuesday, October 24, DC Vote held its Sixth AnnualChampions of Democracy Awards Reception at the MadisonHotel. The DC Vote Board, donors, supporters, volunteers,elected officials and members of our coalition celebrated DC Vote’s stars aligning.
DC Vote was privileged to honor the following Champions of Democracy:
The Honorable Jack Kemp, Former Congressman & Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Carol Thompson Cole, Managing Partner,Venture Philanthropy Partners
Charles Miller, Partner, Covington & Burling
We appreciate everyone who contributed to an evening somagical, our success was written in the stars.
Clockwise: Attorney Charles A.Miller steps up to receive his
Champion of Democracy Award.Carol Thompson Cole delivers
remarks to a captivatedaudience. Champion of
Democracy Jack Kemp receiveshis award for outstanding
advocacy work with the DC VRA.
DC Vote Board members Daniel Solomon and John Klenert discuss the voting rights movement.
Frank Rich Sr., Elizabeth Rich and Kevin Kiger exchange a few laughs in the Silent Auction room.
The DC Vote staff enjoy a job well done following Champions of Democracy.
HostMario Morino
Jane & Daniel Solomon
David Steinberg
BenefactorElizabeth A. Allen
Cathy Hughes,Founder/Chairperson,
Radio One, Inc.
Foster & Associates
Eric Koenig & Amy Schwartz
The Meltzer Group
Pepco
Joshua Pokempner
The Private Bank at Bank of America
Radio One, Inc.
PatronAkridge
Diane & Norman Bernstein
Covington & Burling LLP
Richard & Lois England
Jenner & Block LLP
Lorie S. Masters & Jack Rose
Lloyd Leonard & Elizabeth Wiener
Lovell & Jack Olender
Royal Kennedy Rodgers & Johnathan Rodgers
Bruce Spiva & Anna Gelpern
Spiva & Hartnett LLP
Joe Sternlieb & Linda Singer
The Summit Fund of Washington
United Food & CommercialWorkers Union Local 400
Voice7 Working to End Taxation Without Representation in the Nation’s Capital
We Need Your Support!In recent months, we’ve undertaken agroundbreaking public awareness campaign,organized a historic Voting Rights March, doubledthe size of the DC Vote coalition, and kept the DCVoting Rights Act moving through five congressionalhearings as well as a successful vote in the U.S.House of Representatives.
We need your help to maintain this intense pace of outreach, education and advocacy. Please helpus make the most of this once-in-a-generationopportunity to gain voting representation for thepeople of DC. Please make a generous, tax-deductible contribution to DC Vote today.
You can make a secure online donation atwww.dcvote.org/join or use the enclosed envelope to send us your contribution.
Youth March Extra MileHigh school and college students from across the DC metroarea poured onto the streets on April 16 to make theirvoices heard at the Voting Rights March. The tremendousturnout of local youth was the culmination of months of hardwork put in by local students from the School Without Walls,the University of the District of Columbia, the GeorgeWashington University, Howard University, and elsewhere.
Students and teachers held monthly meetings at Ben’s ChiliBowl and School Without Walls to plan for the March anddecorate posters. Dozens of student volunteers came out onApril 16 to help pass out t-shirts, register participants andset up equipment. These young activists added an extraboost of energy and enthusiasm at the Voting Rights March.
DC Vote is proud to welcome Ed Davis and Andy Shallal as our most recent board members and Danny Rose as our new Development Director.
DC Vote appreciates our many supporters who help us withpro bono services, meeting space and event assistance. DC Vote extends special thanks to Ben’s Chili Bowl, Busboysand Poets, Common Cause, DCist.com, Rob Getzschman,Jenner & Block LLP, L & M Production Design Group,Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, League of WomenVoters, Legal Seafood, Levendis Law Group PLLC, Marty’s,People For the American Way, Colin Stewart, Worthy Foes andwww.IndieRoots.org.
We are especially grateful to Kathryn Allen, Liz Allen, MarqueChambliss, Larry Chapman, Paul Davis Jr., Stacey Gates,Alan Heymann, Chandrai Jackson-Saunders, Sam McCoy,Darleen Meskill, Kathryn Ray, Lindy Russell-Heymann, BruceSpiva, Mark Schaefer, Myrna Sislen and Eleni Vageltos fortheir participation in our national public awarenesscampaign; and to Reuben Hameed, Cedric Kinlow, Eugene D.Kinlow II, Tonya Vidal Kinlow, Robyn Kurland, Collin Lawson,Ashley Oubre, Marian Patten, Bonita Russell, Laura Segaland Misha Segal for their exceptional help.
Students and educational institutions have always been an important part of DC Vote’s outreach. Special thanks go to Lafayette Elementary School, the DC Young Suffragists,School Without Walls and the University of the District ofColumbia.
Thousands of participants, dozens of partners and hundredsof supporters made April’s Voting Rights March an amazingsuccess. Special thanks go to Ellen Buchman, James Day,John Johnson, Phil Pannell, Linda Paris, Neil Richardson,Christian Samuelson, Stephanie Scott and Erica Swanson fortheir extraordinary work.
Hundreds of students demand the vote at the largest DC voting rights demonstration in history.
DC Vote is a 501 (c) (3) educational and advocacy organizationwhose mission is to secure full voting representation in Congress for the residents of the District of Columbia.
Team DC Vote stirs up attention for the voting rights movement at a summertime parade.
Volunteers educate Senators and Hill staff about next steps for the DC VRA.
A Young Suffragist attracts the attention of tourists as she marches with her mom in front of the White House.
Student Summer Send OffDC Vote is excited to announce our third annual Students forDC Vote 2007 Summer Send Off. Join Students for DC Votein the Langston Room at Busboys and Poets on Monday,July 30 between 5:30 and 7:30 PM for free food, greatconversation, and stimulating collaboration. Take thisopportunity to talk to fellow students about the DC votingrights movement and learn what you can do to help at homeand schools across the country. To attend, please RSVP toMolly McArdle at [email protected].
Turning Up the Heat with Community OutreachYou won’t find our staff at their desks all summer. DC Vote staff and volunteers are mingling and sharinginformation at mainstay community events like Unifest, DC’spremiere African-American cultural festival and parade. Youcan also find us at Capital Pride and Fourth of July paradeson Eight Street and Palisades. Informational postcards weredistributed at each event as part of DC Vote’s campaign toencourage local residents to tell long-distance family andfriends about taxation without representation.
