Kicking Off AQE Advocacy Day - Black History Month in Action

Hi Ashley, Right now, hundreds of students, parents, educators, and advocates are on their way to the State Capitol for AQE's annual Advocacy Day, from cities across New York — Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Rochester, New York City. As we celebrate Black History Month, we recognize that the fight for justice has always been deeply rooted in the resistance of Black, brown, lower-income, and immigrant communities. Today we are continuing that fight by demanding a state budget that invests in the future of our children. In Albany, we're going to be meeting with State Legislators and sending a clear message: New York State must invest in the future of our children. Whether or not you're joining us today, send a letter to your own State Legislators now demanding the state budget prioritize children, not billionaires. For us, the fight for education and racial justice has always been deeply rooted in lived experience and everyday lives, especially for those families whose public schools and communities have been shortchanged for decades. Today's Advocacy Day is about sharing those personal stories and demanding what our communities need to ensure every child has access to a high-quality education and child care. We're demanding State Legislators prioritize a state budget that invests in public schools and sustainable child care, not the interests of billionaires. There are over 100 billionaires living in New York State, who have profited tremendously since the pandemic. At the same time, more than two and a half million New Yorkers are living in poverty, a number that has only worsened in the last few years. We need to make the ultra-wealthy and highly profitable corporations pay their fair share, and to invest in public schools, the child care workforce, and community services that uplift our working families and communities. If you cannot join us at the Capitol, you can still take action from wherever you might be today. Send a letter to your legislators demanding the state budget prioritize our schools and lift wages for child care workers, while ensuring the rich pay their fair share. Black history is, in many ways, a history of resistance - and today, resistance requires our action. Let's fight for the schools, the care, and the justice our children are constitutionally owed. Thank you for standing with us. In solidarity, Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari & Marina Marcou-O'Malley Alliance for Quality Education Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Alliance for Quality Education, please click here.