MAD Lunch: Countdown to Election Day: GOTV, Voting, and Politics

More momentous than the Civil War, Pearl Harbor, the Cuban Missile Crisis, or Watergate? That’s what pundits are saying about this year’s election on Nov. 3. (See Tom Friedman’s column in the New York Times https://nyti.ms/347p3Zb .)

Join us Tuesday, Oct. 27 for a Virtual MAD lunch, noon to 1 p.m. Central, and hear from three speakers on the frontlines of our democracy on Election Day: Louise New Jones, representing U.S. Sen. Doug Jones; Alabama Rep. Chris England, also Chair of the Alabama Democratic Party; and Shanté Wolfe, Woke Vote National Program Director. We will discuss GOTV efforts in Alabama, the state of leading progressive campaigns, and Election Night politics (watch parties will be different this year, for a variety of reasons!)

Registration is required. To register in advance for this meeting, click on:
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/tZwrdeCpqDgpGtD93zbQa55k8-pF…

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Here are details about our speakers:
About Louise New Jones … Louise (who is married to U.S. Sen. Doug Jones) was “Doug’s running mate” in the 2017 Senate campaign (celebrating her 25th anniversary Dec. 12, the day he was elected to the U.S. Senate in a stunning upset!). As a Senate spouse, Louise continues to speak out on matters that are important to her. In January, she will talk to MAD about healthcare legislation the Senator is working on, including bills pertaining to Medicare and Medicaid, support for rural hospitals, and solutions to Alabama’s high rates of infant and maternal mortality. Having lost a sister to breast cancer in 1997, Louise, along with Doug, recently served as an Honorary Co-chair of the Susan G, Komen Cancer run. Louise grew up in Cullman, Ala., and worked as a paralegal in Birmingham for 10 years before “taking up the challenge of a more demanding full-time job: raising a family” (the Joneses have three children and two grandchildren.) Currently, Louise serves as a Board member for the United Negro College Fund, is an honorary committee person for the American Portrait Gala, and is a participant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. She is also an elected member of the State Democratic Executive Committee of the Alabama Democratic Party.

About Rep. Chris England… Representative Christopher J. England has served the Alabama House of Representatives since November 2006. In 2019, he was elected Chair of the Alabama Democratic Party, ushering in a new era of leadership and party-building in the largely red state. Chris received a B.A. in English and B.A. in Political Science from Howard University in 1999. He then graduated with a J.D. from the University of Alabama in 2002. Chris is an associate city attorney for the City of Tuscaloosa. He is a member of the Police Athletic League Board of Directors as well as PRIDE Board of Directors. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Chris is married to Shea and they have three beautiful children. They attend Bailey Tabernacle CME Church in Tuscaloosa.

About Shanté Wolfe… Shanté Wolfe, of Augusta, Ga., is a Grassroots & Political Organizer focusing on cross-functional team development, GOTV, organizational programming for leading, and team management for social justice causes and electoral campaigns. Coming off a successful primary season with Sunrise Movement, she now helps to protect progressive incumbents, such as Ed Markey, Alexandria Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Talib, and helps new talent, like Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, win their tickets to Congress and the general election. Shanté is now the National Program Director for Woke Vote, focusing on election turnout, protection and, importantly, the bigger picture for 2020 and beyond. Learn more at https://wokevote.us/

New to MAD Lunches? MAD?Make A Difference is a progressive women’s lunch forum that has been meeting every 4th Tuesday in Birmingham, AL., since January 2017 to advance 1) education and 2) networking for political change in Alabama. During the 2020 pandemic, we host Zoom lunch-time conversations with Alabama political leaders, advocacy professionals, and local activists to help you stay engaged and get involved in the change process. Zoom events are easy to access, but we do ask you to register in advance.
To follow our events and newsfeed on women who are leading change, mark every 4th Tuesday on your calendar (3rd Tuesday in November, and no MAD lunch in December), “like” our Facebook page. Questions or suggestions for MAD? Email Jennifer L. Greer at jenniferlougreer@gmail.com, or Shannon Haddock at shannonehaddock@gmail.com.