Jan. 2022 - GAFSJ Survey; Election and Action Calendar; General Assembly Refresher; Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness


Educate, Activate, Convene

Jan. 2022

After Holiday Rest and Reflection, We're Ready.


Happy New Year to GAFSJ friends, members, and partners.  We're re-connecting on a personal level with our social justice team -- you -- as we make plans for GAFSJ's 5th anniversary event and the year ahead.  Please complete our short survey, thank you!

2022 promises to be another year of running the marathon of our lives.  We're in this race as a team.  We're social justice-seekers, supporting each other as we support the issues and causes that are essential to our lives and the life of our democracy.

We got this.  See you in the streets.

Election Calendar 2022


March 7, 2022.  First day to apply for absentee ballot for May 24 Primary.  

March 7-11, 2022.  Qualifying Week for candidates.

April 25, 2022. Last day to register for May 24 Primary Election. Check your county's Election Office for exact dates for Early in-person voting and the Election Day.  Check for last minute changes in polling locations.

May 24, 2022. Primary Election Day. Check Georgia My Voter Page for voting dates and polling locations.  

July 26, 2022. Run-Off Election. Check Georgia My Voter Page for voting dates and polling locations.  
August 22, 2022. First day to apply for an absentee ballot for the November 8 General Election. Check with your county's election office for requirements and dates for absentee ballots, and download the pdf application here.  
October, 2022. Check Georgia My Voter Page for early in-person voting dates and polling locations. Check with your county's elections office for dates and locations for voting.
November 8, 2022. General Election Day. Check Georgia My Voter Page

for voting dates, times, and polling locations.  

Never assume that you will vote where you have in the past.  

For answers to FAQs and other resources, check out VoteAmerica.

**thanks to Pat Byrd and Becky Butler for compiling this calendar.

GAFSJ Legislative Update 2022

2022 Georgia General Assembly begins on Jan. 10 and runs for 40 days in session.  The GAFSJ Legislative Update will include information about Lobby Days; what Bills will be dropping and where; and how the community can work together to impact legislative initiatives.  


Come out of the holiday haze with these resources:

Catch up on last year's legislative highlights.  Daily updates from the 2021 legislative session are available on the GPB Lawmakers website and can also be seen on the Lawmakers YouTube channel.

Track the bills coming up during the next General Session.  Stay informed and ready to contact your state legislators to support or oppose bills that are important to you.  

Learn about the legal efforts and court cases currently ongoing to fight voter suppression bills in Georgia.

Social Justice Action and Events Calendar

"There is no better defender of civil rights than a public that is informed and engaged." - ACLU GA

VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EVENTS

THURS., 1/6 - Candlelight Vigil to Defend Democracy from 5- 6:30 pm


Defend Democracy is organizing candlelight vigils across the country on the anniversary of the Capitol insurrection to say: We are One America. This can never happen again. The Senate must act to pass legislation immediately to protect our democracy. More info here for locations in Atlanta and cities across Georgia.

THURS., 1/6 - Advocates for Georgia's Educational Future - 6 pm



Fund Georgia’s Future works to create a just educational system by advocating for fair and full funding with commitments to inclusivity, maintenance, growth, and acknowledging and dismantling historical systems of marginalization in education.  Join their online kick-off event to learn more about their state-wide work, what equitable funding means, upcoming legislation, and how to get involved and join the fight for Georgia's future.

WATCH, LISTEN, READ

CALLBACK to Breast Cancer Awareness Month - "MBC accounts for 30% of diagnoses"

A message from a GAFSJ member in response to our October Breast Cancer Awareness post.

"I enjoy receiving updates from GAFSJ, and I deeply appreciate the work you do. As someone who lives with breast cancer, I was also happy to see Janel Green's coverage of breast cancer awareness month in the most recent edition. Ms. Green shared valuable resources and pointed out important disparities between the care that white and Black oncology patients receive, including roadblocks to diagnosis and treatment. Nonetheless, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of focus on metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

At age 39, I'm a single mother of 2 and Georgia resident currently in lifelong treatment for MBC. I'm among the 30 percent of breast cancer patients who are diagnosed with (or will go on to develop) MBC.

I'm living during a time when women are both contracting MBC at younger ages and living longer with it, sometimes for over 10 years.

Despite this slow transition from seeing MBC as an immediate death sentence to seeing it as a chronic illness, there is still a tremendous amount of stigma surrounding MBC patients like me. This stigma also dictates that the absolute majority of funds raised for breast cancer research goes toward screening programs and curative treatments.  Meanwhile, only 2% - 5% of funds raised for breast cancer research go toward the study and treatment of MBC.

MBC patients aren't demanding a cure. We are, however, demanding respect and the right to live as well as we can for as long as possible. Failing to directly mention MBC patients in breast cancer awareness month announcements further minimizes our worth, and this is really not okay.

The organization METAvivor advocates for MBC patients like me and is calling for legislation that allocates at least 30 percent of funding raised for breast cancer research toward MBC.

You can learn more about Metavivor's efforts here: Take Action - METAvivor Breast Cancer Research and Support | METAvivor

Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,  Kelli Lynn Karanovich (Grey)


GAFSJ is expanding its support for social justice issues in the community and we're counting on your help to continue our efforts: our newsletter and educational series, "Decode The Debate" and "Lunch with Leaders"; our new advocacy training program; and our annual anniversary event.  Please help support the cost of these programs with a monthly donation at the Sustainer level ($20 a month) with benefits including a free GAFSJ t-shirt;  free access to one-on-ones with the thought leaders featured in our educational programs; and discounts on training programs.  Click here to become a member today.  WE THANK YOU!

GAFSJ is growing.  Want to work with us?

NEEDED: Volunteer Treasurer/Board member with diverse skills and background including but not limited to bookkeeping, accounting and finance.  Apply here

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Email us if you have an event/announcement/action that you would like to see included in this newsletter: [email protected].

All GAFSJ newsletters are available at https://www.gafsj.org/newsletter


Carolline Stover