kim

So, I have a few thoughts regarding Alabama’s election last night. Am I disappointed that Doug Jones lost? Absolutely. Am I also encouraged by how Doug Jones ran? ABSOLUTELY! I haven’t seen an Alabama statewide election this competitive in a LONG time. Tommy Tuberville won by only about 4 percentage points. Let that sink in. FOUR POINTS. In ALABAMA! That tells me something: Alabama isn’t nearly as untouchable politically as some people would have you believe. And THAT is encouraging to me. Several good things happened last night. We saw competitive races across the state, Democratic victories, and a level of support for Doug Jones that many people probably never thought possible in Alabama. Jones received more than 800,000 votes in a state that many have written off politically. But the biggest win? SHOMARI FIGURES WON REELECTION TO CONGRESS IN A DISTRICT THAT WAS EXTREMELY GERRYMANDERED TO FAVOR REPUBLICANS! Let that sink in, too! What does this mean? It means Alabama may not be the safe red state that people have grown accustomed to. It means there are voters here who want something different. It means change is possible, even when the odds are stacked against us. It also means there is still WORK to do. And trust and believe, Montgomery AND Washington, D.C., got the message last night! One more thing… (and I say this in love). To my Alabama natives who now live in other states: Now is NOT the time to tell us that Alabama will never change. And PLEASE don’t tell us that everyone here is complacent or doesn’t want change, because that simply isn’t true. Remember, some of the states you currently live in, and sometimes look down on Alabama from, were once considered solidly red, too. People said those states would never change, either. But guess what? Change happened because people stayed, organized, voted, worked, and refused to give up. We don’t need your negativity right now. We need your encouragement and support. There are people right here in Alabama who are putting in the work, fighting for progress, organizing communities, and refusing to accept that things have to remain the way they’ve always been. Don’t dismiss their efforts simply because the results aren’t happening as quickly as you would like. And finally, to my fellow Alabamians: Cry today. Wipe those tears tomorrow. Then get MOTIVATED and get back to WORK! Because change doesn’t happen overnight, and it certainly doesn’t happen when we give up. Alabama is worth fighting for. And last night proved that the fight is FAR from over!