September 24, 2025

Sent via email

Dear Friends and Family,

This past August 26—Women’s Equality Day—marked 20 years since we informally formed Katrina’s Dream. Two decades ago, the ERA seemed dead; we held a memorial service in 2005. That year, we launched our website and began building a virtual ministry with boots on the ground, addressing societal concerns. Active in the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, we face one final hurdle. We’re working with Senator Murkowski’s office on her resolution S.J. Res. 38, which would establish the ERA as part of the Constitution, and they expressed a desire to collaborate with President Trump on national issues. Inspired, I reached out to the White House Faith Office. The meeting will cover our target list, updates on Senators broached, our standing with other meetings, a reminder for a Dear Colleague, and how best we can engage and work with President Trump to unify our country in the pursuit of peace, equality, and abundance through faith, human ingenuity, and technological advances moving further into the 21st century.

As we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I reflect on our recently launched Yom Kippur 2025 Bubble of Love program—calling for forgiveness from both sides in Gaza to bring peace. This resonates deeply during the 80th UN General Assembly, currently convened this September, and is most poignant following our recent event, “AI, Automation, Amazon Labor Unions, and the Equal Rights Amendment,” held this past March 2025 at the United Nations Church Center. As I prepared for the High Holy Days, amid the tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s assassination—the founder of Turning Point USA, a key voice for conservative youth and free speech—I tried to dial back feeding into the frenzy. His sudden death highlighted the dangers of political violence and media manipulation, echoing the broader threats to democracy that my FTC complaint against Jeff Bezos’ potential acquisition of CNBC addresses. In that filing (July 30, 2025), I detailed how such a move could amplify Amazon’s monopolistic practices, antitrust violations, anti-union harassment, election interference, tax fraud, OSHA violations, and media consolidation—risks that silence voices and undermine public discourse on equality and justice. At his memorial, when his widow broke for a moment at the podium, I turned off the television, reflecting on my late husband William’s death. Recalling my call to Valerie Jarrett as we were to meet with folks at the White House regarding my upcoming second pilgrimage—her response, “We know. How do you want to play it?”—I was stunned but resolved to stay the course, drawing strength from conversations with William and Katrina. My 7,000-mile pilgrimage sparked a movement, leading Nevada to become the first state to ratify the ERA in the 21st century, followed by Illinois and Virginia.

With colleagues like Tammy Simkins of ERA Action—another widow like me—we brainstorm daily, building momentum toward equality. Knowing my financial constraints with an older sister recently hospitalized after a serious fall and my recent termination by Amazon for union activities, Tammy came up with the Twenty for Twenty initiative and is coaching me on fundraising. Twenty years of effort bring us to this threshold. With your help and a $20 monthly commitment, we can fulfill Katrina’s dying wish, expanding Katrina’s Dream into a legacy of peace, equality, and abundance. Your urgent support is critical to sustain our ministry and carry forward this vital work—please donate today

I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the White House Faith Office, despite not always seeing eye to eye on positions taken. This is what democracy looks like—it’s about talking, finding common ground, and working together. through difficult times fulfilling the American Expertiment– Katrina’s Dream — Our Dream.  

Love and Light in Christ,

Helene

P.S. Invoke your power—call Congress demanding the ERA using Power of One: https://www.katrinasdream.org/dreamscape/powerof10/

HDB:grok