We, the more than one million members of MomsRising from every state in the nation, love our families and our country.  We know that the current extremist attacks on women’s health and family economic security are only serving to weaken the United States, not strengthen it.  That’s why, on the anniversaries of the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment and the 1963 March on Washington which are this week, we join our colleagues in working to mobilize women voters in 2012 around preserving women’s Health and Economic Rights (HER rights) and build an even stronger nation that lives up to its full potential.

When family economic and health security is threatened, we are all threatened.

To counter these threats, MomsRising has joined forces with the leadership of HERvotes, including:

• American Association of University Women
• Black Women’s Roundtable, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
• Dolores Huerta Foundation
• Feminist Majority Foundation/ Ms. Magazine community
• National Coalition of 100 Black Women
• National Congress of Black Women
• National Council of Negro Women
• National Council of Women’s Organization
• National Council of Jewish Women
• National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
• National Organization for Women
• National Partnership for Women and Families
• National Women’s Health Network
• National Women’s Law Center
• Raising Women’s Voices
• Women’s Information Network
• Women’s Research and Education Institute (WREI)

We understand the power of women’s and moms’ voices and we will be amplifying those voices with the HERvotes blog carnival and social media project.  When we share our stories and our voices with others, when we find common experiences and common beliefs, we can educate people, change minds, move public policy, and elect leaders who can change the world.

That’s the power of our democracy. Each of us can speak the truth, work to make change where we see injustice, and work together to build a stronger nation for all.  And that’s the power of grassroots on-the-ground and online organizing. Millions of people can come together who know that politicians and policies that hurt half our population, really hurt all of us. And we know that working together, we can mobilize people to vote, and to vote for people who prioritize women, moms, kids, and families on Main Street; not just corporate jet owners on Wall Street.

With the anniversaries of the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment and the 1963 March on Washington this week– and with the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial this Monday, we draw great inspiration from a man who, through the power of grassroots and commitment to what is right, ultimately changed the world. Dr. King knew that a nation in which people are disenfranchised and discriminated against is not a strong and a proud nation.  Women and mothers know that, too.