Letter from the Editor

BY ADRIANNE RAMSEY

The controversy surrounding elections has only become more polarized in the two years since Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Midterm elections are an opportunity for the country to reflect on where we are and what direction we would like to go in. My hopes for the upcoming elections are voter participation – I would love for people to actually show up and vote, although I know it’s not that simple. For the past two years, we have seen alarming trends in red states passing laws that make it much more difficult for people to vote freely and easily. I’m fortunate in that I have always lived in places that have good voter protection laws and actually want people to vote, but seeing videos of people waiting seven hours in line to vote in Georgia or reading about Florida’s state government misleading parolees about voting and later arresting them has me flabbergasted. There’s a lack of trust that is happening right now with regards to voting systems on both the right and the left, which is pretty disheartening because all the data says that our voting machines are secure and that elections have been counted fairly. Stacey Abrams is a great example of someone who has done an incredible job in mobilizing people to vote and making sure that people are registered. That being said, the themes of GIRLS 15: November are social justice and creative activism. It is very important for me to highlight femme-identifying artists and organizers who are tirelessly working to uphold our democracy through their works and advocacy for the rights of several communities, particularly BIPOC and womxn. The overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24th left a foul taste in my mouth but also lit a fire under me, as I realized that the fight is truly never over and now is not the time to be complacent. I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Alicia, Angie, Anisa, and Whitney for participating in this issue and speaking to me at length about their practices, which lie at the intersections of civic democracy, politics, and active engagement. It is also such a treat to highlight the activities of two incredible artist-run platforms, For Freedoms and 100 Days Action. Their discourse and activities surrounding civic democracy and artist engagement has been a huge inspiration for GIRLS.