Wednesday, February 8 - Donate to Atlanta Activists / Chicago Votes Voting Guide
Action You Can Take Today
Action 1: Donate to support activists defending the Atlanta forest
Action 2: Read the Chicago Votes voting guide before the February 28 election
Action 1: Donate to Atlanta Activists
Atlanta has the highest percentage of tree canopy of any major metropolitan area in Americae—a main factor in ensuring Atlanta’s resiliency in the face of climate change. The forest in Southeast Atlanta is home to wetlands that filter rainwater and prevent flooding. It is also one of the last breeding grounds for many amphibians in the region, as well as an important migration site for wading birds.
The history of this particular land is deeply scarred. In the 1800s shortly after the land was stolen from Muscogee Creek peoples, it was used as a plantation. In the early 1900s, a prison farm was opened where inmates were forced to perform unpaid agricultural labor, marking the rebranding of slavery into for profit prison labor. The Atlanta Police Department currently uses this hallowed ground as a firing range.
This forest is at risk of destruction as the police and Hollywood make plans to pave over Atlanta’s largest remaining green space.
The Atlanta Police Department seeks to turn 300 acres of forest into a tactical training compound featuring a mock city. This project was announced to the shock of community members who had been given no opportunity to weigh in on the proposal. The entire process has been shadier than the forest itself.
Activists are currently protesting this encroachment on the Atlanta forest. In January, an activist known as “Tortuguita” was shot and killed by the Atlanta police during an occupation protest. This marks the first police killing of a demonstrator in the history of the U.S. environmental movement.
These activists need our support. If you have the means, please consider making a donation:
Action via Defend the Atlanta Forest
Action 2: Read the Chicago Votes Voting Guide
The Chicago Votes 2023 Voter Guide is out! Chicago's Municipal Election Day is February 28, 2023, with early voting overlapping perfectly with Valentine’s Day and the season of love. Take a love-themed, teen magazine-inspired voter guide with you to the polls. It breaks down important election dates and processes, like voter registration and vote-by-mail deadlines. On top of that, the guide includes a mayoral candidate questionnaire and explanations of the offices on the ballot.
Read and share the Chicago Votes voting guide before the February 28 election!
Action via Chicago Votes
While some of these Daily Actions come from our own work as Indivisible Chicago Alliance, others are from our many partners working to advance the progressive agenda. We invite you to join us in supporting their work. Postings from partners do not imply Indivisible Chicago Alliance endorsement of specific policies and positions.