Hey, Team Beto, Rachel here! School is back in session so we’ve got a special issue highlighting all-things-college in this week’s issue of Writing No One Off. From new organizing opportunities for college students to Beto’s week on the trail visiting Historically Black Colleges and Universities in North Carolina and South Carolina, we’re ramping up our outreach to students across the country - and want to let you know how you can be a part of it.
Before we get into it, share this link to ask your friends to sign up to get Writing No One Off delivered straight to their inboxes.
Roadrunner
This week Beto made a swing from South Carolina to Virginia, where visited historic sites from the Civil Rights movement - including the Progressive Club in South Carolina and the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in North Carolina - formerly the Woolworth Building - where students participated in nonviolent sit-ins that catalyzed the civil rights movement.
As part of the trip, Beto has prioritized stopping by college campuses recently back in school. In less than a week, Beto will have visited four colleges throughout South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, including Benedict College in Columbia and North Carolina A&T State University, two historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), as well as Virginia Tech, the site of a mass shooting in 2007.
Throughout the trip, Beto has highlighted how students and young people have always been the drivers of action and change throughout history - from civil rights and anti-war movements, to climate change and gun violence facing our communities today.
Beto not only discussed student leadership across the country during this pivotal moment in history, he also talked about his commitment to confronting the racism of Trump, inequality across America and his plans to address systemic inequity in education. And after hearing Beto speak, many students told South Carolina’s The State newspaper “they [were] inclined to think of his candidacy over others” in the presidential race.
And yesterday in Virginia, Beto visited the reddest county in the state - one that, according to the Roanoke Times, has never seen a presidential candidate in history. And at his town hall at Virginia Tech, nearly 1,000 students showed up on a holiday weekend to see Beto talk about his plan to end the epidemic of gun violence facing our communities.
Just a quick reminder, elections in Virginia are *this year* so click here to find out more about voter registration deadlines and who will be on the ballot in November if you live in the Commonwealth.
Here’s where Beto will be in the coming weeks 👀
September 6: Keene, NH: Keene State town hall with Beto. RSVP here.
September 7: Manchester, NH: Beto to participate in the New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention. RSVP here
September 7: Durham, NH: Beto to hold town hall at the University of New Hampshire. RSVP here.
September 21: Des Moines, IA: Join Team Beto at the Polk County Steak Fry. RSVP here.
🧐 Looking to take action with the campaign? You can find an event near you on our map 🗺. And be sure to check the map frequently, as new events are added daily!
Blueprint
Every single dollar that you put into this campaign helps us connect with more voters and build more infrastructure. This week, those dollars were critically important in enabling us to make sure voters across the country - especially those who may not have been paying much attention - saw Beto’s national leadership in the weeks following the El Paso tragedy.
Following the announcement of Beto’s plan to combat gun violence, your support allowed us to run Facebook ads highlighting Beto’s bold proposal to institute a national assault weapons ban and get weapons of war off our streets. The below ads ran across the country this month and enabled us to bring more voters into this movement.
Help us get Beto’s message to more people:
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Favorite Things
It’s not just Beto that’s reaching out to students and college campuses now that school is back in session. We’re ramping up our campus engagement campaign-wide, and recently launched weekly webinars with college students across the country. Every Tuesday at 8pm ET, student supporters can participate in our webinars, where you’ll get information on how you can start organizing on your campus, tools and resources you can use, and opportunities to hear from other student volunteers about what’s working for them. Register here to join our call this coming week!
And if you can’t make our webinars - or just can’t wait to get started - you can also learn how to get started organizing on campus by checking our Students for Beto Guide online.
📋Campus volunteer spotlight 📋
Want to know more about our student organizers and volunteers on campus? Meet Sarah, a new volunteer who is a sophomore at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. She’s studying Religious Studies and International Studies with a research focus in religious/racially-motivated violence and white supremacy in the United States.
Beto's immediate, direct, and personal response to the El Paso shooting on August 3rd this summer resonated with Sarah and made her feel safe, listened to, and respected as an American citizen. As a young Jewish woman whose own religious places of worship have been attacked, Beto's answer and call to action against the white supremacy brought her to the campaign to put a stop to the actions of the current administration.
Sarah just signed up with the campaign and will be engaging fellow students at the College of Charleston and people around the Charleston area.
Revolution Rock
This week, we’re featuring Aisha McClendon, Director of African American Outreach at Beto for America. Aisha is an HBCU grad herself, a White House alum, and hails from Texas. After watching Beto’s senate bid and when he announced his candidacy for president, Aisha noted, “I've watched him with my own eyes, and I totally believe in him. The things that he's aligned with are things that I believe in.”
Q: How did attending an HBCU inform your interest in politics and public service?
I'm not sure if it informed more like embedded an understanding and expectation. There is a mystique about HBCUs that is hard to put into words. Dillard University was an environment where I was reminded that I was destined for greatness with an expectation that I would extend a helping hand to those along the way. We stood on the shoulders of those who came before us and it is our responsibility to be the shoulders for generations to come. Two decades later every day I hope to be a shoulder for anyone who crosses my path. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to grow from such rich soil.
Q: Best part about working in the White House?
WORKING AT THE WHITE HOUSE! There is no place like it! I always wanted to be a teacher so for me every day was a new adventure bigger than my wildest dreams!
Q: As a native Texan, why do you think Beto is best presidential candidate?
There is a saying in my community. “When people show you who they are, believe them!” and I believe Beto 100%. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to live up to their best potential. That represents my core values.
The path to victory runs through our 38 electoral votes. Beto has the best chance of becoming the first Democrat since Jimmy Carter to win Texas on the way to The White House.He stunned the world by turning Texas from a deep red to a state that is purple with a hint of blue. That is a testament to his tenacity and an example of what he can do for the country.
Q: What - from your experience - is the hardest thing about working on a presidential campaign?
This is my 5th presidential cycle and my answer to this question is still the same: not getting enough sleep! The work is rewarding but when you finally able to rest you keep thinking about what all you need to do so. Your dreams turn into strategy sessions! It is a horrible conundrum I have never seemed to master. And the pizza - you never knew you could solely exist off of cold pizza and soda until you work on a campaign.
Q: Word of advice or wisdom to those in college or interested in getting involved:
Always thank people. No matter how small the assistance was because you never know what people had to do to help you! I write one thank you card a day, and I will never be caught up in thanking everyone who has helped me in my lifetime.
C’mon Everybody
If it’s Friday then we’ve got a poll for you. This week, we want to know what issue you think young people are leading the way on in your communities:
Take the poll:
People Have the Power
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See you soon!
Rachel
@rachel_r_thomas