Refuge to Representation: Help Me Shape History

I have been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to the US presidential campaign, working towards the historic election of the first Black woman to the highest office in the nation. I will be stationed in Pennsylvania, described by The New York Times as "America’s Most Consequential Battleground State," where every vote could determine the outcome. To seize this incredible opportunity to support the historic election of the first Black woman president, I need your help to make it possible.

My name is Ras.I Martin, and I am a recent graduate from Oxford University, where I studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). I am the first in my family to have attended university. I have been recognised as the 9th most outstanding British future leader by Powerful Media, one of the youngest governors in NHS history at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, and the former sole British delegate to the Commonwealth Youth Parliament.

Through my connections with key Democratic organisers leading the state’s efforts, I’ve been granted a unique chance to witness and participate in every level of the campaign—from grassroots mobilisation to statewide strategy. For three weeks leading up to Election Day, I will be deeply embedded in communities across Southeastern Pennsylvania, working in a diverse array of towns and cities.

This experience will also involve daily collaboration with a delegation of British MPs and their parliamentary staff, offering a transatlantic perspective on campaigning. My responsibilities will include community engagement, organising local campaigns, and partnering with community leaders and politicians to drive electoral success. In addition, I will work alongside regional campaign organisers to contribute to broader strategic discussions during the campaign’s final and most critical phase.

Let me share some background about myself. Imagine a small room, cold, dark, and damp, with a sink on one side and a bed on the other. No duvet—just a thin blanket covering it. Shouting came from adjacent rooms, where other traumatised people were processing their grief. This one room was my home growing up, a women’s refuge, as my mum and I trundled and trekked across London in search of safety and stability. We stayed in conditions like this for four years and spent the subsequent years tiptoeing along the line of absolute poverty, scraping together pennies to put food on the table and clothes on my back.

This context, which shaped my lived experience, ignited a fire within me to push for progress so that others in similar or far worse situations might have the opportunity to break free from these cycles. This guiding vision inspired my ambition to enter representative politics and, one day, become an MP, so I can enact these changes myself. With this goal in mind, I sought to understand the academic foundations behind the decisions I witnessed around the world, which led me to pursue a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford.

To gain practical political experience, I represented the concerns of young people on an international level through the Commonwealth Youth Parliament. I was later motivated to be elected as a hospital governor, where I could advocate for addressing class and race-based health inequities in my local community.

As part of my continued journey to understand politics in practice and acquire the skills to become an effective MP, the opportunity to work and campaign in the US election is invaluable. This chance to engage with US politics during one of the most consequential elections in a generation, while learning from political experts, will equip me with essential skills and create future opportunities. These experiences will better prepare and propel me towards my goal of pursuing a career in British representative politics.

Your support will help cover the essential expenses of my trip to the U.S., allowing me to play an active role in this critical election and contribute towards making history. By donating, you'll directly support my efforts on the ground, including flights, accommodation, and living expenses, all of which are necessary for me to participate fully and make a tangible impact.

Here’s a breakdown of the estimated costs:

• Flight: ~£550

• Accommodation: £360

• Living Costs: £664 (for food, local transportation, and daily essentials, based on Philadelphia cost of living statistics)

Total Estimated Cost: £1,574

Every contribution, no matter the amount, will bring me closer to this goal and help support the fight for a more just and inclusive future. Your generosity will not only fund this trip but also empower me in my mission to become a future representative for British politics.

Thank you for your belief in this cause and in my journey!