Emerge Reaches Tipping Point in Many States

Marya Stark, Emerge America Board Member

In our 3rd convening of Emerge Affiliates from our eight states, I led a visioning exercise to come up with future headlines for 5, 10 and 25 years from now. One of my favorites was an imagined headline in the National Enquirer: "Emerge Graduate Gives Birth to Five-headed Baby". When Emerge bumps news of an Elvis sighting, you know it is having huge impact. Other favorite headlines included: "10,000 Women Gather for Emerge Convention", "Half of Democratic Governors Across the States are Emerge Graduates", "Emerge Credited with Filling Over Half of All Elected Positions with Women".

After hearing updates from Emerge leadership in our states, I realized we already have a perfect headline: "Emerge Reaches Tipping Point in Many States". In Nevada, our Executive Director, Erin Bilbray Kohn was elected to be the national committeewoman to the DNC, unexpectantly jumping ahead of many other candidates. In Maine, where three Emerge alumnae have been elected to the House of Representatives, top elected officials and party leaders drive endless hours to present to the Emerge class. In Massachusetts, our Executive Director, Caprice Taylor, was chosen by the party to co-chair a woman's candidate recruitment program. And in Arizona, every elected Democratic woman is assumed to be an Emerge graduate.

As always, I was very engaged by Emerge's state leaders and the reasons they are so committed to Emerge's work. One woman told us about her dream of moving to California at age 16, not to surf, but to work with Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta. She movingly recollected how she missed her father for most of her childhood as the daughter of a migrant worker. I also marvel at the innovation and commitment to serve diverse needs. Emerge New Mexico had its first deaf participant this year and raised a lot of additional money to hire multiple sign language interpreters for the seven full weekends and their events throughout the year. I'm looking forward to that headline "Emerge Alumna Serves as First Deaf Member of the US Congress."