By Bobby Dalton G. Roy, SEIU Local 1000
Education Programs Consultant in Sacramento
I have the great fortune of being born into a multi-generational family of labor activists which has served as my blueprint throughout my life as a servant leader.
On July 20th, I participated in the Strike For Black Lives because in order to create sustained social change in the US, we need all hands on deck. There has been so much uprising during the past few months. People are beginning to take off the blinders and are forced to look in the mirror and see how they have been complicit, intentionally or not, in supporting this current system that isn't serving everybody. Now is not only a moment of deep questioning but also radical action in creating a reality that serves everyone. For me, voting plays a huge role in taking action.
I am a proud SEIU Local 1000 member leader and a board member of the SEIU Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, both racial justice organizations. What I know to be true is that you cannot have economic justice without racial justice. Working people from all backgrounds—Black and White, Latinx and Asian, First Nations and immigrants—are coming together to demand justice and make this a place where all of us have our rights respected.
I know that working together, no matter what our background is, has continued to strengthen all of our communities. However, with this current President and administration, there is a pressure to divide us. Through my work in education and as an SEIU member, I know that we are stronger together. There is nothing we can't accomplish when we unify.
Now through November, we are going to continue to hold our elected officials accountable from local offices all the way to the White House and make sure they are investing in our communities. We must make sure there is an equitable COVID and economic recovery in order to protect all workers. We are committed to transforming our worksites, our communities, our state and our nation for the better. It's our duty to elect officials that share our values of putting people over profits and making a positive difference over making a dollar.
I believe all of our demands can be met, and voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris is the first step in making that reality.
This election isn’t only about ousting Trump. It is also about who we are as a country. It is about what we want for future generations to come. That's why I plan on voting on November 3, 2020.
