51 for 51 Calls on Biden and Congress to Make D.C. the 51st State with 51 Votes in First 100 Days
Six Figure Ad Buy to Advocate for Statehood Legislation
Washington, D.C. — Today, 51 for 51 joins D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in calling for Congress to pass D.C. statehood legislation in the first 100 days of the Biden administration. 51 for 51 is also announcing a six figure ad campaign demanding that the Senate pass statehood legislation with 51 votes.
“The Biden administration and the 117th Congress have the opportunity to right one of the most grievous wrongs in our country by making D.C. the 51st state with 51 votes in the Senate — something President-elect Biden has already pledged to do,” said 51 for 51 Campaign Director Stasha Rhodes. “D.C. statehood is a racial justice issue, it is a democracy issue, and it is a safety issue for over 700,000 mostly Black and Brown D.C. residents.”
She continued, “The attack on the Capitol yesterday further exposed the entrenched racism at the root of the District of Columbia’s lack of statehood. Mayor Bowser requested the National Guard be brought in to help quell the threat of this white supremacist mob — a request a governor would not have to make — only to be denied by the Vice President and the acting Secretary of Defense, reportedly due to ‘poor optics.’”
This means that a white supremacist mob was able to roam freely under Confederate and Nazi flags in our nation’s capital. There was no similar concern over optics when dozens of police forces were deployed to the streets of D.C. over the summer, when D.C. residents engaged in peaceful protest following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. This is simply the latest example of the racist double standard that results from the District’s lack of statehood.
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51 for 51 is a coalition of D.C.-based and national groups committed to equal representation for the over 700,000 D.C. residents who remain locked out of our democracy. The coalition of 20 progressive groups believe American citizens living in the District deserve a voice in Congress and control over their own local laws. Already, President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris, and Senators Warren, Markey, Gillibrand and Hickenlooper have endorsed 51 for 51’s proposed path to statehood.
Additional Information
Website: https://www.51for51.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/51for51