Happy Friday!
When Kamala Harris became the Vice President, the Senate was left with zero African American women and only 24 women in total. And as 18-year-old Zoe Navarro told the crowd at the launch of Women for Beasley on Monday, “representation matters.”
This week was all about women: what we need to succeed in our professional and personal lives, how our leaders can support those needs through good policy, and what Cheri will do about it as North Carolina’s next U.S. Senator.
When women thrive, we all thrive.
Cheri Calls for Equal Pay, Paid Family Leave at Launch of Women for Beasley
On Monday in Greensboro, a diverse group of women from across the state held a rally to launch Women for Beasley, a coalition dedicated to electing Cheri to the Senate.
Women voiced their support for Cheri as a strong, historic candidate who has the experience and commitment to serve North Carolina in the Senate and fight for working families. Check out footage from the event + interviews with Cheri from WXII and WGHP.
In her speech at the launch, Cheri talked about her commitment to standing up for women in the Senate. She advocated for protecting women’s reproductive rights, ensuring equal pay, expanding paid family leave, and improving access to childcare. She called for making the Child Tax Credit permanent, and talked about how these kinds of policies help everyone:
“The truth is, these aren’t policies just for women or just for children. These are policies that are good for the economy. Investing in child care, in paid family leave, and more, helps us grow our workforce and expand our economy—especially in a time when so many businesses are suffering. Because when women thrive, we all thrive.”
First Time Voters, Former Employees Voice Support for Cheri at Launch of Women for Beasley
Kicking off the event were speeches from Zoe Navarro, an 18-year-old from Siler City, and Denaa Griffin, a former intern of Cheri’s on the NC Supreme Court. The 2022 midterms will be Zoe’s first time voting. She was inspired by Cheri’s service on the Supreme Court, and described how “it mattered to me, as a young, biracial woman, to see a Black woman as Chief Justice.” Zoe decided to join Women for Beasley to help get Cheri Beasley elected to the Senate—”because representation matters.”
Denaa Griffin is an attorney, wife, and mother of two who worked for Cheri during her tenure on the Supreme Court. When she found out she was pregnant with her second child, she described being nervous about how it would impact her career ”but Cheri responded with joy and compassion.” Denaa said she took three months off for maternity leave, and told the crowd that Cheri “even cooked our family meals.” When Denaa came back to work, Cheri insisted that she bring her baby. Denaa voiced her support for Cheri serving in the Senate because she knew she could count on her to fight for similar policies in Washington.
Women for Beasley Holds Digital Launch
On Monday evening, Women for Beasley launched digitally, with an online event for supporters across the state. The event hit a slight hiccup when the power went out in Cheri’s home due to a rainstorm—but she found a flashlight, kept things moving, and highlighted why it’s so important we invest in our infrastructure!
Original source can be found here.
