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February may be a short month (and shockingly cold this year) but LWVOC has a full calendar of hot opportunities for you!
Next week at our February 11 Hot Topics, we're celebrating a century of national Black History commemorations through a special dialogue between renowned scholars and authors, Dr. Marvin Dunn and Dr. Rebekah McCloud. They will be discussing Dr. Dunn's book A History of Florida Through Black Eyes. Purchase from Amazon or available in Kindle Unlimited.
"I know Florida. I was born in Florida during the reign of Jim Crow and have lived to see black astronauts blasted into the heavens from Cape Canaveral. For three quarters of a century, I have lived mostly in Florida. I have seen her flowers and her warts. This book is about both. People of African descent have been in Florida from the arrival of Ponce de Leon in 1513, yet our presence in the state is virtually hidden. We have been denied our heroes and heroines. Our stories have mainly been left untold. This book lifts the veil from some of these stories and places African Americans in the very marrow of Florida history."
~Dr. Marvin Dunn
|  | National Opportunity: The League of Women Voters US invites you to join them in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, from March 6-8, 2026, for the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee. If you plan to attend the Selma Jubilee, they encourage you to fill out the Google form. This helps them coordinate with fellow League members traveling to Selma and ensures you’ll receive updates about local gatherings, League-specific programming, and on-the-ground opportunities. The form features some events and a link to the Jubilee website where you can explore all the events and activities.
| | | This year marks a milestone of both progress and persistence in the US as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of federal recognition of Black History month/week. What was once a week of learning and recognition has grown into a month of cultural observance of Black history. The architect of this celebration was Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a son of formerly enslaved parents, Dr. Woodson understood that denying people of their history denies them of their humanity. The League of Women Voters recognizes Black History Month and honors a legacy of hope, joy, persistence and resilience that is Black history as well as American history. Read more HERE about local events and resources to learn about Black History Month. |  |  | Join Us for an Evening of Vision & Action: Protecting Our Water Future, FEB 17
You’re invited to an inspiring evening with two remarkable environmental leaders who are transforming how we safeguard America’s most precious resource—our freshwater.
Click HERE to register and learn more about this special event.
Over wine and artisanal bites, discover the innovative strategies emerging from Florida and Colorado, where citizens are pioneering new approaches to ensure clean, abundant water for drinking and thriving ecosystems.
Special Guests:
Former LWVOC president and American Rivers lobbyist, Deirdre Macnab, recapping western efforts and Dr. Leslie K.Poole, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Rollins College catching us up on our local water battles
Location: Winter Park Leaguer residence; guided parking available in neighborhood. Please contact Lee Rambeau Kemp if you'll need special accommodations for food/parking/etc. | | | | FEB-JUN, 2-5:00pm
Observe City of Orlando Council meetings and submit for posting on LWVOC website.
FEB-JUN, 1:30 & 7:00pm
Observe Apopka City Council Meetings and submit for posting on LWVOC website. Observe in-person at City Hall or online at Live streaming on YouTube
FEB 9, starting at 8:45pm
We will be giving presentations and registering students to vote along with staff from the Supervisor of Elections office.
| | FEB 11, 10:30am-1:30pm
Sell League branded merchandise
FEB 21, starting at 7:45am
At this communitywide outdoor event, we will have a table to register voters and provide voter education/information.
>>Click How to Volunteer video for easy instructions! Volunteer opportunities are open to League members only.
| | | NEEDED: Voter Outreach volunteers who speak Spanish or Haitian Creole!! Please contact>> Saudi Ellis |  | | STATEMENT from the LWV of the US on Federal Immigration Enforcement
“The League of Women Voters condemns the escalating actions by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that put people at risk, deny individuals their constitutional rights, and undermine the democratic values meant to protect us all.
“We are horrified by federal immigration enforcement operations that deliberately infringe upon First Amendment rights to assemble and dissent."
|  | Call To Action: Our Community Vote
Setting politics aside, we unite in this Community Vote to affirm a clear principle: NO ICE IN OUR STREETS
Masked officers, secret policing, and fear-based immigration enforcement undermine trust and make us all less safe. Use this form to contact your legislator and urge them to protect due process and keep ICE out of our neighborhoods.
Join thousands across our communities by sending the email in the link above to your legislators and declaring: no ICE in our streets.
Shown above, Jill and Paul Heroux, Immigration Comm. Co-chairs | | |
| | | Last week, the Rollins College Democracy Project partnered with the LWVOC to conduct a voter registration training event attended by 19 students. (Mary Montanus shown below r. with student) The training focused on the importance of voter engagement and provided participants with guidance on how to register voters accurately and responsibly. Students learned about eligibility requirements, registration procedures, and best practices for nonpartisan voter outreach. The Democracy Project looks forward to applying these practices to events later this semester to promote high voter turnout for the upcoming elections |  | Many of you know that this past year we moved to a new membership database through the LWVUS. We learned in December that some of our members may have thought that their membership was up to date but this was actually NOT the case. If you have not renewed recently, please visit the LWVUS portal HERE to confirm your membership is still active. Thank you for your support! We could not do this without you!
If you have any questions please reach out to Katie Sanders, our Operations Manager at operationsmanager@lwvoc.org.
|  | Our Nominating Committee is in the process of interviewing prospective members of the 2026-2027 Board of Directors. Our board guides our priorities, encourages members in their activism and supports League efforts to defend democracy. If you feel called to serve the League in this capacity, please contact Kay Hudson lwvkay@gmail.com or any member of the Nominating Committee: Sandi Vidal, Gina Hall, Kathy Sheeran and Joan Erwin. | | |
| |  | | Penny Sell
Meg Bowen
Christina Arguelles
Crystal Davidson Sims
Mike Abram
Share this newsletter and encourage your friends and family to JOIN HERE
*Current members, don't forget that you'll be renewing through our national LWVUS site! Watch your email for reminders! |  | Susan Spradley
Alice Filteau
Anne Rogers
Valeria Shapiro
LWVOC offers multiple ways to $upport our non-profit with giving preferences such as "planned giving" as well as our "Giving Society". Explore these and more on our Giving page HERE. Contact Lee Rambeau Kemp if you have questions. | | |
Sponsors are vital to our work to empower voters by providing timely information for the benefit of non-partisan civic engagement in our community and we have a range of sponsorship levels available. To further explore how to become a sponsor, please contact LWVOC Vice President and Fund Development Chair Lee Rambeau Kemp HERE
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