Louisianahbrah Launch
On Monday night, we gathered at Saba to launch the next phase of You Can Ring My Bel. I want to thank Emily and Alon Shaya for so generously offering their beautiful space, the staff of Saba for donating their time to work the event, and everyone else who volunteered. I want to thank Phil Quinaz for setting such a bad ass mood with his sick jams and everyone on my host committee, particularly Walt Leger and Representative Royce Duplessis for their support and kind words. I want to thank everyone who donated—together we were able to raise $3,500, which will go a very long way to help this campaign stay independent and running. And finally, I want to thank everyone who came. Walking into that room and socializing under the soft pink glow of the Christopher Walken balloons was an act of bravery and an act of resistance—resistance against a false standard of decorum we’ve all been taught that we shouldn’t talk about politics. That it’s rude and uncouth.
Well, that isn’t flying anymore. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—WHOEVER TAUGHT YOU IT WAS RUDE TO TALK POLITICS HAD SOMETHING TO GAIN FROM YOUR SILENCE. And not only your silence, but our division. The only way we’re going to move forward is if we do it together, and luckily that’s something we’re really good at in Louisiana. We’ve always done our own thing and this new narrative that we’re a ruby red state and only play party politics is false. It is historically untrue and the goal of Louisianahbrah is to dispel it.
Which brings me to the next order of business: THE LAUNCH OF LOUISIANAHBRAH. Now that John Bel has been re-elected (thanks to each and every one of you), we’re pivoting the You Can Ring My Bel account to focus on general Louisiana politics. We will be changing the name to Louisianahbrah and our goal is to keep you informed and laughing and raging—among other things. We all know how big a year 2020 is, and this is our moment to show the rest of the country that we are here to stay. We have a point of view and it is distinct and Southern and progressive. We are not going anywhere.
Louisianahbrah is here to facilitate by:
introducing key players | demystifying the legislative process | promoting advocacy | creating a bad ass voting bloc
We’re going to be able to look our elected officials in the eye and tell them NAH BRAH. And they’re going to have to listen. So, spread the good word and share our new name when you see it popping up in your feed. Time to get it ready, ready for 2020.
Thank you again for showing up physically on Monday and virtually every other damn day. My good friend Gloria Steinem says that the magic happens when people gather in a room together to listen and be heard, and we have proven as a community that magic can be made on social media as well.
Cheers to you, my millennial, magical beings. Let’s show the rest of the country what’s up.
Marcelle
photos by Hunter Holder