Letter to Obama
On behalf of SANz (Sistas in Australia and New Zealand), a diverse group of over 5000 professional Black women from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Indigenous Australian and New Zealand residing in Australia and New Zealand, we extend our warmest greetings to you.
As a group, we aim to empower each other through social activities that foster strength and support, allowing us to achieve success that would otherwise be unattainable without the support of like-minded women.
We understand the value of collective strength and appreciate your consistent message of the same in your speeches and public life, which is why we are reaching out to you today.
While it may not be well-known in Australia, we wish to inform you that many African American women in Australia actively campaigned and voted for you throughout your political career, beginning with your Illinois race for State Senate. As it pertains to US politics, it is widely acknowledged that Black Women win elections.
We are elated to learn of your upcoming visit to Melbourne. We cordially invite you to grace the SANz with your presence before or after your speaking engagement at the University of Melbourne on March 29th, 2023.
We believe your presence would provide a tangible manifestation of the 'power in numbers' theory, which we wish to test in Australia. We would be delighted if you could be the beacon of light for SANz during our month-long celebration of International Women's Day.
As primary breadwinners for our families, the cost of attending your speaking engagement is prohibitive for many of our members. However, your unwavering inspiration motivates us, and we remain confident you will not disappoint us.
We appreciate that the audience at your speaking engagements in Sydney and Melbourne will comprise few Black faces and even fewer Black women. Therefore, we have decided to speak truth to power and extend our humble invitation to you to join us in Melbourne.
We kindly request that you confirm your attendance with our lawyer and former Kansas State Senator, Donald Betts. Thank you for considering our invitation, and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
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