It’s time for Democrats to know they are not alone in this red state. For each one who stands up and declares “I am a Democrat” there are others empowered to find their voice.

By Laura Haight

I grew up in New Jersey; went to college, and worked in New York City. I thought I’d come to the South when I moved to take a job in Northern Virginia. Most of my life I’d been in areas that were both more liberal but also accepting of political differences.

Then I came to Greenville.

I know a lot of Democrats are, as I was, reluctant to declare their political allegiance. There just wasn’t a community – or so we thought – to feel safe in.

Today that changes. The Greenville County Democratic Party is building that community and we are inviting you and all your under-the-radar Democratic or Democratic-leaning friends to grab a hammer and help us by declaring: I am a Democrat.

It’s a public coming out party that, we hope, will show Democrats that there are a lot of us out there, you aren’t alone, and we need you.

This year, we need every Democrat to stand up and be counted. Not for a party. That’s just a name. But for the values it represents.

Here’s what we want you to do

Using your social media, post a brief selfie video stating your name and declaring “I Am A Democrat”. You can add more information if you wish, but we encourage you to keep your videos to no more than 20 seconds. With your post add the hashtag #IAmADemocrat, so we can find you all (we’ll need to do that for the coming out party!). Post this video on all your social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Encourage five friends to come out as well. You can tag them in your posts or just private text them, and ask them to do the same (think the Ice Bucket Challenge).

Want to go a step further? Add the I Am A Democrat frame to your Facebook profile picture. From your phone or desktop, got to your profile page, edit your profile picture. Click on Add Frame, and then search for keywords Democrat or Greenville to locate the frame, and click on “Use”. And you’ve done it.

What do you get for doing this?

Well, first the knowledge that you helped to activate and empower Upstate Democrats to stand together in this critical election year and to build toward exercising even greater influence in the 2020 election.

Second, there’s going to be a party. A big Labor Day run up to the November election ramp up to Get Democrats Elected and sent to the Governor’s mansion, the State House, and Congress. More details to come.

If you’re reading this in The Bray, you may think ‘Hey, everyone who knows me knows I’m a Democrat.’ Please join this campaign anyway. What’s important is that the entire community see the growing strength, the growing numbers and the growing power of Democrats in the Upstate. And to think of five people you know who might not have “come out” yet.

We’re coming out and standing up in the Upstate. Please join us by declaring ‘I Am A Democrat!’

Having trouble with your selfie or your profile frame? Email us.