History

DC Unite for Progress (DC UP) began in the spring of 2016 (under the name DC Unite Against Hate) with the mission of preventing Trump from becoming president. We started as a few friends fearfully discussing Trump’s early primary successes and grew into a core team that mobilized close to 200 individuals to plan volunteer trips, knock on doors, and phone bank to support candidates who oppose hate and bigotry and promote a more just and inclusive democracy. Through our work, we built a network of energetic activists ready to take on the challenge of fighting for progress during the Trump presidency.

DC UP is proud to be part of a still-growing list of like-minded groups working across the country to build a better democracy. In 2017, we helped Delegate Danica Roem and other Democratic candidates come within one seat of flipping the Virginia House of Delegates, demonstrating along with our partners in Virginia and DC that grassroots organizing can have real power in local elections. In 2018, we knocked on over 2,000 doors for U.S. House of Representatives candidate Leslie Cockburn in VA-5. In 2019, we mobilized 64 volunteers to knock over 4,000 doors and engage in conversations with approximately 1,200 individual voters, to help elect Delegate Dan Helmer (VA-40) and re-elect Delegate Elizabeth Guzman (VA-31) and flip the Virginia House of Delegates to Democrats’ control.

The Trump administration represents a renewed attack on core U.S. values and the most disadvantaged communities in our society, but these challenges are not new. Grassroots progressive groups and individuals have been working for decades to promote candidates and policies that move our country closer to actualizing our democratic ideals. DC UP believes in our democratic institutions and the enduring spirit of United States residents. We seek to mobilize people living and working in Washington, DC to do the hard work necessary to elect candidates who will uphold these values.

Mission

We are a group from the nation’s capital working to support a just and inclusive democracy free from hatred and bigotry.

What we believe:

We believe that we have an urgent responsibility to work toward a more just and inclusive democracy.

We believe that hatred, lies, and bigotry have no place in the U.S.

We believe that many policies of the Trump administration present an unprecedented and existential threat to U.S. democracy.

We believe that we must act now and together to build governing bodies that respect diversity and represent the rights of all people.

Learn more, and join us!

Contact Aman, Amanda, Claire, Dina, Evan, Kat, Kyle, Leanne, Rachel, and Victoria at dcuniteforprogress@gmail.com if you want to learn more about our work, volunteer, or partner with us during the 2020 elections.