Voting is a matter of faith, citizenship, and democracy, and I am thankful for the opportunity to support faith communities across Greater Houston and Texas as they lift up the voices of their members and neighbors through the electoral process.
As Texas Impact’s Community Mobilization Manager, I manage our Houston Faith Votes campaign, which brings together mainstream faith groups to build faith-based civic participation throughout Greater Houston. By providing vital voting and election-related tools and resources, our team is mobilizing diverse faith communities across Texas’ largest population center to engage their members and neighbors in elections that will determine the trajectory of our region and state in the years to come.
My favorite part about this job is developing meaningful relationships with people of faith who deeply understand their role in a complex web of secular and spiritual systems– and recognize the sacredness of the big, messy lacework. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know congregations that have worked to expand the franchise for more than 100 years, devotedly serving their communities and affirming the worth of their people through the Jim Crow Era, the Civil Rights Movement, and continued attempts by our government to limit voting access.
I’ve conversed with faith leaders who are the first line of support for newcomers, welcoming neighbors from more distant lands with open hearts and arms full of the necessities for a fresh start. They, too, are helping to grow the circle of citizens in our country and imparting the importance of civic participation to the newest members of our communities.
I’ve engaged with congregations that have found themselves in possession of valuable assets– land, buildings, a hefty financial gift– and are transforming these resources into spaces and services that inch us closer to a Beloved Community. They know we can’t arrive at that destination without participating in vital civic processes through which the systems and structures that govern public goods are codified.
All of these faith communities share a fundamental belief that each person matters, and all people are connected. They understand that casting a vote is a way of claiming association with and building a community. Our charge at Texas Impact is to help expand these communities’ capacity to broaden and deepen their work of inviting folks into relationship by encouraging and equipping them to use their voice at the polls.
Your membership makes this possible. The arc of justice is long, and we’ve got lots of work yet to come. By joining us, you make our network more sustainable and more vibrant. Together, we can weave a diverse collective of people of faith who learn from one another and amplify each others’ voices in our communities and in the halls of government.