Southwest Virginia deserves strong voices and real representation in the US House of Representatives. In November 2024, 9th District voters have the opportunity to elect Karen Baker!
The breadth and depth of her professional and personal experiences have prepared her to meet the needs of her district. As a hardworking, determined, proven public servant, Karen is exactly right for our region and our nation.
Karen G. H. Baker For US Congress VA 9th District Website: www.BakerforVa9th.com Email: info@bakerforva9th.com Facebook: bakerforva9th Twitter: @bakerforva9th Instagram: @bakerforva9th
Karen Baker was born in Chicago and grew up in Michigan. She graduated from William Smith College, with a degree in comparative religion, and moved to Washington, D.C., where she was a staffer at Americans for Democratic Action. She then went to law school at Catholic University. She began work at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as a trial lawyer, trying large-scale sex, race, and age discrimination cases, and eventually rose to become the Assistant General Counsel for Systemic Litigation.
(The following are Dr. Ivonne Wallace Fuentes’ remarks as delivered to Roanoke Valley Democratic Women Membership Meeting attendees on March 22, 2024.)
Thanks to Barbara and Priscilla for inviting me to speak to you for Women’s History Month.
As a professional historian, and a feminist historian, every day is women’s history month for me, but I do love how March offers us all an opportunity to reflect on the historical impact of women.
Dr. Ivonne Wallace Fuentes (Photo credit: Megapixie.com/A. Tonken)
Too often, I think, we tend to think of history in the way we might think of antique china and crystal — lovely, in its pristine cabinet, where its mostly admired in passing; treasured — maybe it was passed down to us by elder generations of women we loved. Maybe something we might even think to use, pulling it out for important ritual occasions like Thanksgiving, but not really a part of our daily life, like the rough and tumble Target dishes that go into the dishwasher every night. But history, and historical thinking, is not china we pull out once and twice a year. It is part of the air we breathe every day, whether we recognize it or not. As I teach my students, it’s not an empirical list of facts about the past — it’s not a long CVS receipt of names and figures. History is an argument, it is an x-ray, and it is a weapon.
Hello, Roanoke Valley Democratic Women members past, present, and future!
As we near the end of winter and the first quarter of 2024, I’ll admit I don’t have strong enough language to express how important this election year is and what it means for the stability of the country, to equality, to democracy. Without a doubt, Democratic women are key to winning in November!
The goal of Roanoke Valley Democratic Women (RVDW) is to ensure that you, our members, are up to date on topics and issues that interest you and arealigned with our “Big D” Democratic values. We aim to inform you about local, statewide, and national Democratic candidates and to offer a forum for social and political engagement, as last year’s busy schedule attests. Already this year we’ve heard from dynamic speakers Roanoke City Sheriff Antonio D. Hash, Roanoke Chapter NAACP President Dr. Brenda Hale, and Professor of History Dr. Ivonne Wallace Fuentes. We’ve supported actions to reduce gun violence and continue to press for necessary changes in our region. We have much more to come – at membership meetings, Dems After Dark, special actions, candidate Meet & Greets, and voter registration and GOTV efforts as voting season draws closer.
I’ll be blunt. What happens this year – in our local, state, and national politics – will determine if we progress or go backwards! Together, we make a difference. Let’s work together to learn, act, and make our voices heard! Please join us and share this invitation with your friends and family across the Roanoke Valley. The work of RVDW is dependent on your voice, support, and involvement!
Thank you in advance for your new or renewed membership in Roanoke Valley Democratic Women. I look forward to seeing you and standing strong beside you in 2024!
A logo that centers women: Our new logo features visual symbols of our demand for suffrage and equality, improved font and visibility of the word “women.”
A logo for our region: RVDW encompasses the entirety of the Roanoke Valley. Our new logo uses the dogwood blossom, Virginia’s state flower, to visually expand and include our regional community.
A logo with a message: Women of the Roanoke Valley are in this 21st century struggle to advance equality, demand autonomy, secure our rights, and preserve democracy.
Thank you to the design team (Graphic Artist Beth Deel, RVDW Communications, and RVDW Board) for their work in developing our new logo.
Notes from the design team:
RVDW’s new logo and iconography represent our place in modern day politics and society while acknowledging the generations that came before us.
Pictured above are several examples of suffrage activism graphics. The yellow rose and the sunflower emerged as powerful symbols during the women’s suffrage movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The yellow rose became a symbol of hope and solidarity in the United States. In 1913, suffragists wore yellow roses during a march in Washington, DC, to advocate for women’s right to vote. Similarly, the sunflower gained significance in the UK and in the motto “Faith, Hope, and Courage.” The flowers embodied the resilience and determination of women fighting for their right to participate in the democratic process.
Why not a “donkey”? The association of the donkey with the Democratic Party traces back to the 1828 presidential campaign of Andrew Jackson when women and BIPOC were not full citizens of the United States.
Today, the US Senate unanimously passed Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine’s legislation to rename Roanoke’s federal building the “Reuben E. Lawson Federal Building” in honor of the life and legacy of civil rights lawyer Reuben Lawson. The legislation now moves to the House of Representatives where Rep. Ben Cline’s support is important.
Thank you to all who have supported the effort to rename the federal courthouse in Roanoke after the late civil rights attorney Reuben E. Lawson.
In December, Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner introduced the legislation to make the change but support from Rep. Ben Cline, in whose district the courthouse is located, is imperative. And so…
Please add your voice AGAIN!
Simply download, print, sign (include your address) and mail the following letter to Rep. Ben. Cline, 10 Franklin Rd. SE, Suite 510, Roanoke, VA 24011.
RVDW’s January meeting reminded us of the importance of engaging with our elected local leaders. Capturing the enthusiasm and heart for service guest speaker Roanoke City Sheriff Antonio Hash has for his job, his city, its residents, and his staff will likely prove impossible.
RVDW highly recommends organizations invite Sheriff Hash to speak to learn about his department, his vision, and to enjoy his contagious positivity. (“You’re welcome!” in advance for that recommendation.)
City Sheriff is a Constitutional Office. In 2021, Antonio Hash, then a 13-year veteran of the Roanoke City Sheriff’s Department, proudly ran and won election as a Democrat. While he will run for re-election as a Democrat in 2025, Hash reminded his audience that his sworn duty, like all public servants, is to the Constitution (State of Virginia and US), his department, his city, and to all the citizens of Roanoke City.
Hash eagerly explained the Sheriff Department’s mission, values, structural organization, and its relationship to other agencies.
Greetings with a CALL TO ACTION from your Political Affairs Committee!
The brand-new Virginia General Assembly office building was open for business on Monday, MLK Day. Undeterred by wintry weather, 22 Roanoke and New River Valley residents, including two minors and three members of the RVDW Political Affairs Committee, embarked on an important adventure, seeking meetings and facetime with State Senators and Delegates.
Happiness is . . . experiencing citizen lobbying!
Gun violence prevention was the focus of the day, as we followed guidance from Groceries Not Guns founder and RVDW member Catherine Koebel. Bills to watch this session include Child Access Prevention Laws, Funding for Gun Violence Prevention and Gun Industry Accountability, Permit to Purchase Handgun Laws, and an Assault Weapons Ban.
We left home at 9:30am and travelled three hours in the snow, over Afton Mountain, lunching along the way, and arriving in Richmond around 1pm.
After clearing security in all our layers, hats, mittens, and scarves, we headed up to Sen. David Sutterlein’s office. Sen. Sutterlein’s (new) district includes the City of Roanoke. These constituents’ voices brought the perspective of a city traumatized by gun violence – personally and as a community. Vice Mayor Joe Cobb and Roanoke City Councilmember Luke Priddy, who is a consultant for Jennifer Boysko in Richmond this session, were present for the meeting. We spent almost an hour seeking common ground on the issue of safe storage and child access legislation.
At 2pm we joined voices and hearts with other gun violence prevention activists from across the state at the 32nd Annual MLK Day Vigil at the nearby bell tower. This year’s event was historic in its own right as we heard remarks from Del. Don Scott Jr., our state’s first Black speaker of the House of Delegates.
Following the vigil, our group returned to the General Assembly building to meet with our respective Delegates, Joe McNamara and Sam Rasoul. office where we were welcomed warmly.
Our delegation headed back to the bus at 4:20pm and safely returned to a snow-covered Roanoke five hours later. Shout out to Abbott Bus Lines for their excellent service.
Best wishes, warmest regards,
Sandra Whitley Ryals, VP Political Affairs Political Affairs Committee Members: Barbara Andes, Becky Clark, Jessica Hilbish and Catherine Koebel
CALL TO ACTION: GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION BILLS
CALL. CALL. CALL. As often as you can. Every day is not too often! Put your delegate and your state senator on speed dial! In 2023, Johns Hopkins University research showed 81% of Americans support Child Access Prevention laws, including 58% of Republicans. Keep that in mind when you call.
Del. Sam Rasoul (D)
804.698.1038
Script: “Please be a vocal supporter on social media and in your legislative updates of Child Access Prevention programs and laws.”
Del. Joe McNamara (R)
804.698.1040
Script: “Please vote for Child Access Prevention legislation.”
Sen. David Sutterlein (R)
804.698.7504
Script: “Please vote for Child Access Prevention legislation.”
The 2024 Virginia General Assembly convened Wednesday, January 10, 2024.
Happiness is . . . having Democrats in the majority in the Senate and the House of Delegates, thanks to your votes in November!
Watch for lots of grandstanding and speechmaking, as many new legislators take office, and our Republican governor tries to rebuke democratic advances.
Roanoke Valley Democratic Women (RVDW) invites everyone to a celebratory “Dems After Dark” on Thursday, December 7th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Barrel Chest Wine & Beer. In this post-election, early holiday season of 2023, we’ll gather to celebrate winning back the House of Delegates and maintaining control of the Virginia Senate. Hors d’oeuvres will be provided. A cash bar will be available.
In the spirit of giving, we are sponsoring a food drive during the event. Donations of non-perishable food items (please, no glass) will benefit Feeding Southwest Virginia. Founded in 1981, Feeding Southwest Virginia’s mission “is to nourish neighbors, engage community partners, and develop solutions to address food insecurity.” Most needed items include:
