PITTSFIELD — Pittsfield Community Activist Shirley Edgerton today announced her endorsement of Ed Markey for re-election to the United States Senate.

Edgerton’s support comes as several other officials in the region also announced their support, including: Williamstown Former Democratic Town Committee Chair Lee Harrison and Former State Representative Sherwood Guernsey; and North Adams City Council President Jason Laforest and City Councilor Lisa Hall Blackmer.

“One of my greatest concerns is the inequities in the Criminal Justice System and its impact on the Black community. Michelle Alexander calls the staggering number of incarcerated black men the ‘New Jim Crow.’ Sen. Markey believes and is invested in systematic change of our criminal justice system that has oppressed and denied African Americans and other marginalized groups equal rights and access,” Shirley said. “He believes the laws that perpetuate these atrocities should be re-evaluated, laws such as mandatory minimums, zero-tolerance policies that enable the school to prison pipeline, the criminalization of poverty, homelessness, and mental illness. My commitment is to continue to advocate and fight for changes and to support and vote for Senator Ed Markey.”

Shirley Edgerton is the founder of the Women of Color Giving Circle of the Berkshires and founder and director of the Youth Alive step dance program. She is also the co-chair of Lift Ev’ry Voice.

“Pittsfield has always been a revolutionary place. The people are at the forefront of progressive fights and Shirley Edgerton is no exception,” said Senator Markey. “She is an important voice in the battle against racism and for criminal justice reform, and I am honored to have her as a partner in this race.”

Since March 2017, Senator Markey has worked with Massachusetts congressional colleagues to restore Massachusetts television programming to the Berkshires. In March 2020, he helped broker an agreement between 22News WWLP and Charter Communications to restore programming to their cable customers in Berkshire County.

Senator Markey has served in the United States Senate since winning the special election in 2013 and has amassed a deep record on environmental, climate, gun safety, and consumer protection issues. He co-authored the Green New Deal, and his leadership has led to legislation to address the humanitarian crisis on the southern border, protect LGBTQ+ rights, and ensure that Donald Trump cannot launch a nuclear first strike without Congressional approval. Raised in Malden, Ed Markey has always stood up for the priorities of Massachusetts.

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