COVID 2019 vs Campaign 2020
On Sunday January 12th 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) released info about a disease outbreak in China, I was at my great-grandmother's house. My mother’s side of the family gathered to eat, learn about this metro council campaign, and discuss how to help. The meeting gave us hope for the future of our city, but little did we know a pandemic was brewing. COVID—19 was reported on New Year’s Eve as ‘pneumonia of unknown cause’ but eventually became the beast that has killed over 23,000 people in the U.S. This virus has caused record-breaking unemployment while exposing inequities in healthcare, education, housing, food access, and much more. These issues are nothing new for my community as American Descendants of Slavery aka “African Americans,” but now that the issues have hit others, our country is wondering — what will the government do about it? From stimulus packages, to unemployment pay, to the type of work our youth are assigned for non-traditional instruction, everything is political. That’s why now is the perfect time to go even harder with political campaigns.
Why is this the perfect time to get involved in politics?
The government decides what we can and cannot do in this country. During the pandemic we’ve seen this practiced as Mayor Greg Fischer and Governor Andy Beshear have given us orders. These orders span from urging citizens to remain ‘healthy at home’ to restricting dining in at restaurants. I believe these two leaders have done a fine job at protecting Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large in the midst of coronavirus. We’ve seen thousands of Kentuckians praising Governor Andy Beshear with memes, social media groups, and even song tributes online. Unfortunately, these warm and cozy tuck-ins mean nothing when some of us are facing the boogeyman. Black Kentuckians are dying at 2.5x rate from the coronavirus. This disparity doesn’t sound like “we are in this together.” Is togetherness leaving our seniors in nursing homes without access to meals? Is togetherness leaving our incarcerated citizens to die in overcrowded jails? Is togetherness allowing our unhoused populations to sleep under overpasses while our hotels sit empty? This isn’t together, it’s torment. The need to be politically engaged is more important now than ever before. In this moment, we have to take close looks at our elected officials as well as our political candidates to see how they are responding to the pandemic.
What has our campaign been doing?
I am no politician yet, but as a teacher-artist-servant, my first response is to be a first responder. My grandmother works for the Air Pollution Control District and UPS. My mother works in immediate care. My aunt is a nurse. My father is driving delivery trucks across the state to deliver PPE. Even if I weren’t running for political office, I’d still be on the frontlines fighting for our people because it runs in the family. Some candidates are doing push-up challenges while we challenge our youth to stay engaged in school. Some candidates are feeding misinformation while we feed senior citizens in need. Some candidates are still soliciting donations for campaigns while we are soliciting donations to get families groceries, PPE for hospitals, and keep businesses open. We’re not quiet, running, or hiding from this pandemic. We are proud collaborators and contributors of Louisville Mutual Aid. This is what sets us apart from other political campaigns.
What’s up with the election?
Kentucky’s new voter registration deadline is Tuesday May 26th and the primary election is moved to Tuesday June 23rd. Governor Andy Beshear wants to move forward with mail-in votes but there hasn’t been an official decision. I support mail-in ballots but know it could present obstacles for many. Kentucky’s Secretary of State, Michael Adams, wants to require that voters pick up absentee ballots from local county clerks. When 47% of the households in my neighborhood don’t have vehicles, this is a problem. I’m hopeful we can make voting safe, accessible, and easy for everyone.
What’s the new plan?
For the past few weeks we have stopped in-person canvassing, meetings, and events. This is for the safety of everyone who we work with or would come into contact with. This week we relaunch our campaign with safety measures that will protect us all while still connecting with voters. We won’t be knocking on your door but we’ll be calling or texting your phone. We won’t be handing you materials but we’ll be sending you mail. We won’t be having events in person but we’ll be hosting virtual town halls and broadcasting live on social media. This campaign will not stop, because we have too much work to do and you are worth fighting for. The priorities we had before are even more important now — economy for all, housing for all, safety for all, health for all, inclusion for all, LOUISVILLE FOR ALL!
How can you help?
If you can make phone calls, send texts, or help share on social media, sign up to join our team! Please keep in mind this is less of a political campaign and more of a political combat. We aren’t just talking about making the city better, but actually doing it. Will you join the fight?
Jecorey Arthur, Louisville Metro Council District 4 Candidate