Wednesday was supposed to be a day of celebration for organizers in Georgia.
Early in the morning, news outlets claimed that General Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, would be upset to defeat General Kelly Loeffler, leaving him as the first Black grandfather to be elected from state ever. Jon Ossoff was close to beating David Perdue in a second run. It was a double result that would give Democrats control of the U.S. Senate, and the first Democratic victory for Georgia in decades.
After years of registering and organizing the state’s growing population of minority voters, black voters turned out in droves and were tasked with empowering Democrats to effect. It was a year’s pay since it was made.
But as the day progressed, those same organizers watched in horror as pro-Trump took over the U.S. Capitol in Washington, passing law enforcement officials and getting lawyers away. By the time the Associated Press formally announced that Ossoff had won his race before mid-afternoon, this was not the biggest story of the day.
Felicia Davis, an organizer who is the convener of the Clayton County World Black Women Board, said her feelings shifted from when she woke up in the morning.
“I woke up feeling exhilarated, then I went into a state of anxiety, and then finally I became horrified,” she said.
Deborah Scott, executive director of Georgia Stand-Up, one of the organizations that helped move voters, said she and other organizers left their office Wednesday morning on a high note, but the feeling just hours later. “It was definitely taken over,” she said. “You look at the paper today, and the election is almost an afterthought.” I think that’s what they want, they want chaos. “
Looking at the images on television, Scott said she couldn’t help but think of how much more aggressive police were towards Black Lives Matter protesters.
“Most black people saw that and looked at it in horror and said it would be a different thing if it was us,” Scott said. “This took away from the feeling of ecstasy, as the people won, they chose who they wanted.”
Warnock’s Twitter feed caught the attention of the day’s whip, the New York Times noted. Aig 1.55f he tweeted celebrating the historical nature of what he has won. His next tweet, less than two hours later, raised Martin Luther King Jr. and condemned the violence in Washington.
Senator-Elect the Rev. Raphael Warnock
(@ReverendWarnock)Georgia, we made history. I am forever grateful. pic.twitter.com/hQfCYKEo3q
Senator-Elect the Rev. Raphael Warnock
(@ReverendWarnock)In this time of temptation, violence and anger, we must remember the words of Dr. King, “Darkness cannot bring out darkness: only light can do that. Hatred cannot drive away hatred: only love can do that. “Let each of us try to be a light to see our country out of this dark time.
He had won in Georgia made possible by months of modal canvas on display even in the final days of the race. In a final effort early Monday morning, Georgia’s stand-up canvases worked in pairs in a quiet suburban neighborhood, swiftly putting leaflets on doors with information telling people how to vote. Their goal was to knock down just over 6,000 doors on the last day, bringing their total state to 100,000.
On Wednesday night, after the violence at the Capitol extended to Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic candidate credited credible efforts to mobilize minority voters, tweeting memories of that work, and the historic achievement in Georgia.
Stacey abrams
(@staceyabrams)As today’s horrific display of horror and resentment shakes us, let us remember: @ossoff, Jewish son of immigrant & @ReverendWarnock, Georgia ‘s first Black Senator, joins Catholic POTUS & the first woman, Black + Indian VP in our country’ s capital. God bless America.
The attack on the Capitol also occurred when Republican lawmakers, led by Donald Trump, stepped up their bid to weaken confidence in the results of the 2020 race. Even though courts across the country have universally rejecting Trump’s claims about voter turnout, Republicans in Congress on Wednesday objected to counting election votes from swing states that Joe Biden won in November.
Although the challenges were ultimately unsuccessful, they were still a kind of voter ban, said Helen Butler, executive director of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, a civil rights group that helped registering voters.
“They’re trying to cast doubt on our process and they’re trying to make sure that some people don’t vote, it’s not counted,” she said. kind of wet spirits. But we are resilient and we are not going to let that stop us. Because we intend to protect the right to vote. “
Scott said her group had received calls from people in other southern states – North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi – trying to learn and reproduce strategies in Georgia in their states.
“Too late [the day] It was like ‘Okay, we know more work needs to be done now,’ she said. “It will give us strength. I see this, especially Georgia’s win, as a place of tension for the rest of the south. “