By Ashley Bulayo
Volunteerism has been changing state legislatures through a mighty network between deep blue and red states across the country. The Sister District Project is on a mission to mobilize their enthusiastic volunteers in targeted races in swing states to build enduring progressive power in state legislatures. At Sister District Project, friendship circles and strategic political activism have proven to be a winning mix.
Sister District was formed in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. As the harsh news that Hillary Clinton lost the election began to sink in, activist Rita Bosworth found herself distressed and began wondering what to do next. Being in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a solidly blue and politically activated base, she wondered, “What if we could connect these resources where they are with where they need to be?'" After a few Facebook exchanges with other activists, Rita Bosworth created the organization Sister District Project with four other co-founders, Candis Mitchell, Lala Wu, Gaby Goldstein, and Lyzz Schwegler. Within a week of the 2016 election results, they had started setting up the groundwork to help build progressive political power through grassroots activism. Their goals? Win elections, develop legislators, support organizers, and educate and empower communities.
Sister District Project co-founders Candis Mitchell, Rita Bosworth, Lala Wu, Gaby Goldstein, and Lyzz Schwegler (from left to right). Photo courtesy of Sister District.
Their political strategy stems from the ‘sister cities’ concept, where two distant cities or towns form a civic or social relationship to promote cultural and economic ties. Sister District began matching local volunteers with strategically important campaigns in other states, tasking them with things that could be done remotely, from fundraising to writing postcards and contacting voters, with the goal of electing progressives and sparking positive change across the country.
The organization has activated over 50,000 volunteers, raised upwards of 3.6 million dollars for progressive candidates, and reached out to over 3 million voters.
Passing the torch
In March 2021, Rita Bosworth passed the torch to co-founder Lala Wu, who became Sister District’s new Executive Director. Wu shared her excitement, "We are extremely committed to being an equitable organization and contributing to achieving racial and other equity in the world beyond. I'm especially proud to be taking the helm of the organization as the first woman of color in this role. It's very exciting as we reaffirm our commitment to equity and inclusion."
Wu will be in charge of advancing Sister District's primary mission to build enduring progressive power in state legislatures. “We do this because states are critical for every aspect of our lives,” she says. “If you care about reproductive justice, gender equity, climate change, education, coronavirus relief, you name it - no matter what you care about - it has to start with the states."
Sister District Project co-founder Lala Wu. Photo by Tumay Aslay.
The fight for voting rights doesn't stop
Volunteers are at the heart of Sister District as they canvass, phonebank, write postcards and fundraise for candidates. These efforts are essential, especially to support activists and candidates in states where the electorate is fighting against voter suppression. As of March 24, 2021, GOP legislators had introduced over 360 voter restriction bills nationwide.
Georgia recently passed Senate Bill 202 with new regulations on absentee voting and in-person voting rules, such as banning giving food and water to voters waiting in line, as well as changes to how elections are administered in the state. Likewise, Texas' proposed Senate Bill 7 would create further restrictions, including limits to early voting hours and prohibiting drive-thru voting. With the power of Sister District's voice and team, they hope their organizing efforts will bring attention to why passing these voting restriction bills will be detrimental to our democracy.
Building bridges between elections
Critical change doesn't just happen during an election year. Dramatic political success and big wins are usually the result of many years of intense, strategic grassroots organizing. Case in point: Georgia voters flipped two Congressional seats from red to blue in 2020 - electing new Senators Rafael Warnock and Jon Ossoff - thanks to the work of star organizer and Democratic icon Stacey Abrams, LaTosha Brown of Black Voters Matter, and many other groups. Successful grassroots organizations find ways to engage their constituents between elections.
Sister District is hosting ‘State Bridges’ events twice monthly in 2021, each focused on one of their partner organizations doing year-round power-building work in key states. Their upcoming event on April 29, 2021 will feature The Texas Organizing Project
State Bridges was recently launched, connecting volunteers across the country with community-based organizations doing year-round power-building work.
“Some people ask, oh, when is this gonna be over? Now that Trump is out of office and Biden and Harris are in office, is it over?’ It's not over,” says Lala Wu. “This infrastructure is incredibly critical, and we have to continue to build it. That's the only way to succeed. We have to also not let down our guard, not let off on the gas, but continue to fight and persevere and build this infrastructure that's so necessary for us to be able to build this kind of progressive power that's actually enduring."
Get to know more about Sister District Project
In February 2021, Sister District held its fourth annual Summit, virtually this time because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the Summit, attendees took a deep dive into their strategy for 2021-2022, including what their electoral map looks like moving forward. The organization will assist campaigns in battleground states such as Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and more. Video recordings and resources from the summit have been made available for public access.
No matter where you live in California, there’s a way to participate in a meaningful way with the Sister District Project. Your voice and actions count.