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Eugene,

This month, our Color of Change leaders are hosting back-to-school drives across the country because Black students deserve to walk into school armed with the supplies they need for success.

Our squad members have been working hard in cities like Orlando, Detroit, Flint, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Tampa and more to help buy the materials that teachers who work in predominantly Black schools are so often forced to pay for out-of-pocket with their own salaries¹. Yesterday, our Orlando squad hosted our third back to school giveaway of the season. But we still have two giveaways left! Will you donate $10 to help fund 1 backpack full of school supplies for a Black student in Flint?

Studies show that when students have the school supplies they need, “their grades and classroom behavior improve and they become more excited about school and learning.”² However, in a new report from EdBuild, it was found that “school districts where the majority of students enrolled are students of color receive $23 billion less in education funding than predominantly white school districts, despite serving the same number of students.”³

Black students and teachers are fighting a widening racial disparity gap in education funding. Let’s show them that their community is willing to show up for them.

This means one thing: Black students suffer disproportionately when it comes to having the basic things they need to receive a quality education. Our squad leaders have been fighting for the structural changes we need within the education system to ensure it supports our communities the way we know it can and should. But they also recognize that we have a responsibility today to show Black students and teachers that they don’t have to do it all alone. By organizing these backpack and supply giveaways, we have the chance to prove to Black kids that their communities support and care about their dignity in education.

With your donation we will be able to give away:

• Backpacks
• Pens, pencils, and pencil pouches
• Notebooks, highlighters, and binders

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene.

In just the last decade, predatory private equity firms have destroyed more than 1 million jobs in retail and related industries, and are threatening to eliminate a million more. They buy up large retailers— like Toys ‘R’ US, Kmart, Payless, and Sears—load them with debt, and force them into bankruptcy while making millions in profit for executives. These predatory Wall Street executives slash worker pay, hours, and benefits, and then walk away with millions of dollars in bonuses. They drive companies to bankruptcy and leave workers with no job, no benefits and no severance.

Given that Black people, specifically Black women, disproportionately make up the retail market work force, our communities are hit the hardest by Wall Street plundering.¹ Black families should not have to pay the price so Wall Street executives can earn more multi-million dollar bonuses. The financial stability of Black families and communities should not be balanced on the whims of the super rich and their shady business practices. With the Stop Wall Street Looting Act, introduced by Sen. Warren, we can fight to protect more than a million at-risk jobs. 

Sign The Petition: Tell Congress to support the Stop Wall Street Looting Act.

Private equity firms have rigged the system so they benefit from the upside of high-risk investments by buying companies with pooled money from pension funds, wealthy investors and financial firms. These firms then buy companies in debt in an attempt to “turn them around,” to only sell off its assets, cut workers pay (or lay them off), then turn a profit from their destructive capitalism.² 

Democratic members of the House and Senate have introduced The Stop Wall Street Looting Act, and it finally plans to hold private equity firms accountable for the destruction they cause. The Stop Wall Street Looting Act will prevent private equity firms from destroying jobs for profit, protect worker retirement funds, and provide compensation for working people when their stores close in bankruptcy. 

We must stop corporate greed and protect our communities from losing jobs by pressuring congress to pass this legislation that will change tax and bankruptcy rules, and most importantly protect workers who are laid off.³ 

Demand Congress hold private equity billionaires accountable.

Ten of the 14 largest retail bankruptcies since 2012 have been at private-equity owned companies, which has meant layoffs, bankruptcies, and benefit cuts for Black workers.⁴ The corporate greed of private equity firms disrupts the financial stability of Black families and guts communities of jobs.

Private equity firms are not only taking jobs out of communities, but also attacking nursing homes and major hospital systems. Accountability, legislation against tax loopholes, and protection for workers when employers go bankrupt must happen or we will be left with jobless communities with little or no access to proper healthcare. This could be any one of us or our family members. Now is the time to take a stand.

Demand Congress stop allowing Billionaires to harm Black people and our communities.

Until justice is real,

--Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Saréya, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “Private equity’s role in retail has killed 1.3 million jobs, study says,” Washington Post, July 24, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/155224?t=17&akid=34826%2E4804695%2Ec57L28
2. “I’m a Private Equity Investor. Here’s Why We Need to Rein in Private Equity,” Fortune, July 22, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/155225?t=19&akid=34826%2E4804695%2Ec57L28
3. “Democrats Introduce Bill to ‘Stop Wall Street Looting,” The Globe Post, July 18, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/155226?t=21&akid=34826%2E4804695%2Ec57L28
4. “Private equity’s role in retail has killed 1.3 million jobs, study says,” Washington Post, July 24, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/155224?t=23&akid=34826%2E4804695%2Ec57L28

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

5 years ago, Mike Brown's body was left for 4 hours in the middle of the road after being murdered by a rogue police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

The palpable outrage felt across the nation turned into one of the most powerful uprisings against Black oppression in recent times. Black people across the nation joined a powerful movement to stand up against police brutality, systemic oppression, political corruption, and white supremacy.

The weeks-long Ferguson Protests inspired an entire generation of people and put on display Black peoples’ resiliency and willingness to put our bodies on the line for justice. Regular folks became freedom fighters that day. Ferguson is a historic moment that follows in the legacy of civil rights fights like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Bloody Sunday in Selma, and the Chicago Freedom Movement. These pivotal points in civil rights history were times when Black people rallied against institutionalized violence caused by centuries of segregation, inequality, and state-sanctioned violence. The fire that the nation felt from Black people during the Ferguson Protests is still burning and the movement continues.

Chip in $3 to continue the fight for justice.

We fought to turn Ferguson from a moment to a movement. We fought to unseat Bob McCulloch, the prosecutor who failed to press charges against the officer who murdered Mike Brown in St. Louis. Wesley Bell, a Black reform-minded prosecutor now sits in that position and a new wave of district attorneys running on reform platforms across the country have been elected to office. We’ve successfully been fighting to hold all of them accountable to the promises they made to Black people during their campaigns.

While we have accomplished so much, we still have so much further to go. Our vision at Color Of Change is guided by the resiliency and efforts of activists, organizers, and communities in Ferguson. We’re centering Black women in all the work we do by fighting for the rights of pregnant women, Black trans women, and incarcerated Black women. We’re working to hold elected leaders and politicians accountable to Black people so they know there are consequences for letting us down. We’re fighting for incarcerated children just as hard as adults. And we’re exposing injustices in the criminal legal system at every level so our members have the tools they need to fight injustices in their own communities. 

Your support $3 of will power our collective movement of holding police, elected leaders, and corporations accountable to Black people. Will you join us?

In the words of civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph, “Freedom is never given; it is won.” We owe it to the Black people we’ve lost during this movement to continue fighting and pushing beyond what we think is possible in the name of Black freedom and justice. We are up against powerful people who want to stop our movement, so your support is needed to keep the movement going.  

Join and support the movement. 

Until justice is real,

--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Clarise, Marybeth, Marena, Leonard, Madison, Tamar, and the rest of the Color of Change team

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

“I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.”

5 years ago Eric Garner pleaded for his life¹ and for NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo to release him from a deadly and illegal chokehold. Officer Pantaleo never let go and eventually murdered Eric Garner all because he was standing on a street corner as he did daily minding his business.

Although Garner’s death was ruled a homicide, officer Pantaleo, and other officers who restrained him, walk free and are still employed by the NYPD,² collecting their paychecks and carrying the same badge that gave them permission to murder a Black man in the street. In the 5 years since, Mayor de Blasio has done nothing to hold his department’s officers accountable, not even an investigation. Meanwhile, he is running to become president on promises of police reform and championing for justice when he can’t even hold his city’s officers accountable for the death of Eric Garner. 

At the second Democratic presidential debate, protestors rightfully shouted³ for Mayor de Blasio to hold Eric Garner’s murderer accountable by immediately firing officer Pantaleo. It’s been far too long and de Blasio has had too many opportunities to take action. Enough is enough. Just last week, an administrative judge recommended to the NYPD police commissioner that Officer Pantaleo should be fired from the force.⁴ This is a huge step in the right direction and the first time anyone with authority in the case has officially recommended his firing. Mayor de Blasio needs to use his power as the head of the NYPD and fire officer Pantaleo for killing Eric Garner. If we can get Mayor Bill de Blasio to fire officer Pantaleo, we can get justice for the Eric Garner family once and for all. 

Sign the petition: Demand Mayor Bill de Blasio immediately fire NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo for killing Eric Garner. 

In July 2014, Eric Garner was slammed to the ground, threatened and placed in an illegal chokehold by NYPD officer Pantaleo because he was selling cigarettes on the street corner. Just this past May, the Department of Justice⁵ who investigated the incident declared that officer Pantaleo did nothing wrong. To be clear, it took a federal agency 5 years to bring forth no justice to the Garner family. In that same 5 year span, Mayor de Blasio did absolutely nothing to hold his officers accountable. Despite the video evidence, witnesses on the street, and the autopsy report declaring the death a homicide, de Blasio still has done absolutely nothing. Recently, de Blasio has stated that he waited on the DOJ to finish their investigation. But the reality is he could fire them today.

The Internal Affairs Bureau even recommended disciplinary charges be brought against Pantaleo for the illegal chokehold, and still, no actions were taken. This is negligence on de Blasio’s part. He is claiming Black lives matter on the national debate stage but signing a paycheck to a racist cop who murdered a Black man. For a city that is made up of 25% Black people and a political leader in the national landscape, we cannot allow our elected officials to act with such indifference to Black people and enable a system that protects killer cops.

Five years and no justice for Eric Garner. Mayor Bill de Blasio needs to finally take action now to fire officer Pantaleo.

Sadly, Garner’s death is not the first or last of its kind under de Blasio’s watch where a Black person was killed by an officer with no consequences. In July 2016, Delrawn Small⁶ was shot three times in front of his family by NYPD Officer Wayne Isaacs who was driving erratically and putting Delrawn’s family and other drivers in danger. Instead of calling an ambulance for Delrawn, he gave a false story to 911 and left Delrawn to bleed out in the street. Officer Isaacs was acquitted of all criminal charges and will face no disciplinary actions. And like Pantaleo, he is also still employed by the NYPD.

Tell Mayor de Blasio that he must immediately fire officer Pantaleo for killing Eric Garner.

De Blasio knows we’re watching and waiting on him to take action. He heard the chants of protestors loud and clear at the second presidential debate and he’s seen Eric Garner’s family in tears for the last 5 years calling for action. Since Garner’s death, Color Of Change members, activists, and protestors across the country have been calling for our leaders to stop enabling cops who abuse Black people. We’ve been calling for accountability on the part of leaders at every level, from police chiefs to district attorneys. De Blasio can no longer run from the tragedy that happened under his tenure because Garner’s family and Black people in New York can’t wait another day for justice to be served. Now is the time for us to continue elevating our voices as loud as possible to let him know it’s not okay to let Black people down.

Until justice is real,

Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Leonard, Marena, Marybeth, Tamar, Madison, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. "‘I can’t breathe’: Five years after Eric Garner died in struggle with New York police, resolution still elusive". The Washington Post, 13 June 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/156833?t=9&akid=34753%2E4804695%2EmPP83l

2. "“They have let us down”: Eric Garner’s family criticizes decision not to indict NYPD officer". Vox, 16 July 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/156834?t=11&akid=34753%2E4804695%2EmPP83l

3. "Five years after Eric Garner’s death, he was a major topic at the Democratic debate". The Washington Post, 1 August 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/156920?t=13&akid=34753%2E4804695%2EmPP83l

4. "An NYPD judge recommends that the officer accused of fatally choking Eric Garner should be fired, officials say". CNN, 2 August 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/159232?t=15&akid=34753%2E4804695%2EmPP83l

5. "'Today we can't breathe.' DOJ will not bring civil rights charge against NYPD officer in death of Eric Garner". USA Today, 16 July 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/156921?t=17&akid=34753%2E4804695%2EmPP83l

6. "Police Officer Found Not Guilty in Off-Duty Shooting of Unarmed Man". The New York Times, 6 November 2017 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/156922?t=19&akid=34753%2E4804695%2EmPP83l

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Thank you so much for joining Color Of Change, and the fight to create a more human, less hostile world for Black people.

As your first action in the movement, can you invite 5 family members or friends to join us? You can click here to get email, Facebook and Twitter drafts that are pre-written for you to share.

I appreciate you so much, and can't wait to work together.

Until justice is real,

Arisha and the Color Of Change team

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

This weekend, people around the nation were devastated by double mass shootings, one of which was explicitly inspired by white nationalist ideology. The shooter in El Paso posted a racist “manifesto” to an anonymous online chat board, 8chan¹, minutes before embarking on one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history.² White supremacist violence has become more and more common around the country, because there is a system that allows hate to thrive. Violent demonstrations, propaganda, and attacks like El Paso demonstrate the bigotry that is, in large part, enabled by easy access to financial resources.³

Four of the most high-profile charities in our country — Schwab Charitable, Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, and Donors Trust — allow millions of dollars to flow to hate groups through their Donor-Advised Funds (“DAFs”). A report released earlier this year shows that between 2014 and 2017 alone, nearly $11 million was contributed to 34 hate organizations through DAFs.⁴ Many of the white supremacist and anti-immigrant hate groups receiving these funds push the same dehumanizing message the El Paso shooter included in his manifesto. The contributions received by hate groups enable their violence both online and offline. THIS FUNDING OF BIGOTRY MUST END. Tell corporate charities to stop facilitating donations to hate groups.

While these four charities have failed to act, other Donor-Advised Funds, like Amalgamated Foundation, are joining with Color Of Change to fight the flow of money to white nationalist hate groups. Amalgamated Foundation adopted key anti-hate policies from our “Change the Terms, Reducing Hate Online” initiative. The foundation has organized more than 70 donor networks, foundations, and DAF providers that collectively represent over $1 billion in assets⁵ to exercise their legal discretion over grants recommended by their donors and adopt proactive policies to ensure that funds do not flow to organizations that promote hatred.⁶

Schwab Charitable, Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, and Donors Trust should join Amalgamated Foundation in adopting and executing the policies needed to cut off hate.

Corporate charities must take a stand. SIGN THE PETITION to stop hate groups from receiving money through corporate charities’ Donor-Advised Funds.

Companies and charities have the power and the responsibility to stop the spread of hate. Organizations that tout the importance of diversity & inclusion have a bare minimum responsibility to prohibit sending money to hate groups or accepting money from potential donors who intend to support or engage in hateful activities online or offline.

We cannot wait for the next white nationalist terror attack to hold these charities accountable.

Tell Schwab Charitable, Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, and Donors Trust to stop the flow of donations to hate groups.

Until justice is real,
Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color of Change team

References:

1.“'Uniquely Lawless': Security Firm Drops 8chan Website Following El Paso Shooting”, NPR, 5 August 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/162835?t=13&akid=34801%2E4804695%2EVX9x3G

2. “4 of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern US history have taken place in Texas”, CNN, 3 August 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/162836?t=15&akid=34801%2E4804695%2EVX9x3G

3. “Charlottesville murderer Fields pleads guilty to hate crimes,” BBC, 27 March 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/157535?t=17&akid=34801%2E4804695%2EVX9x3G

4. “America’s Biggest Charities Are Funneling Millions to Hate Groups From Anonymous Donors,” Sludge, 19 February 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/157533?t=19&akid=34801%2E4804695%2EVX9x3G

5. “Following Sludge Report, Coalition Launches Campaign to End Hate Group Funding,” Sludge, 20 March 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/157534?t=21&akid=34801%2E4804695%2EVX9x3G

6. “Amalgamated Foundation Launches Hate Is Not Charitable Campaign”, Amalgamated Bank, 19 March 2019
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/162837?t=23&akid=34801%2E4804695%2EVX9x3G

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

Trump’s Attorney General William Barr just attacked our work at a conference of the Fraternal Order of Police, calling progressive district attorneys like the ones we’ve fought to elect “dangerous to public safety”.¹

Attacks from powerful voices like this can distract from and harm our movement if we don’t have enough support. As we ramp up our work to elect even more transformative district attorneys in 2019 and beyond, we need to be able to defend ourselves from increasing attacks on our work. Will you chip in $5 now to help make sure we can protect ourselves and our movement can keep winning?

These words are not surprising coming from Barr, whose racist, “tough on crime” approach goes back decades. As attorney general under George H.W. Bush, he endorsed a Justice Department report titled “The Case for More Incarceration”.² During that time, he vocally supported many policies pushing the war on drugs such as mandatory minimums, which incarcerated hundreds of thousands of Black and brown people from our communities.³

Now Barr is using his power to incite the Fraternal Order of Police, the most powerful police union in the country, against our movement. We’re going to need all our people with us to win in the face of this kind of opposition. If you’ve got our back, chip in to help us protect ourselves from increasing attacks and stay focused on electing the leaders we need in 2019 and 2020.

Eugene, this attack is infuriating, but here’s the truth: Trump’s administration is attacking us because they are scared of us winning. They are scared that under District Attorney Kim Foxx in Chicago, incarceration rates have dropped nearly 20%, and violent crime rates have dropped too.⁴ They are scared that Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell in St. Louis County fired the prosecutor that failed to charge Michael Brown’s killer, and is now re-opening cases of wrongful conviction and police abuse.⁵

They are scared because the more we prove that more cages and more police do not make our communities safer, the more we threaten their comfortable careers in mass incarceration. Our candidates are holding corrupt police, prosecutors and judges accountable for the harm they’ve done to Black communities. And to people like William Barr, that’s terrifying.

We want to keep doing the work that keeps William Barr up at night. But we also need to be ready for his attacks in response. Please, chip in $5 now to have our backs.

Until justice is real,

Arisha, Jenni, Charles, Reagan, Daniel, Tammi, Scott and the Color Of Change PAC team

Sources

1. "Attorney General William P. Barr delivers remarks at the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police's 64th National Biennial Conference", US Department of Justice, 12 August 2019,  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167171?t=5&akid=35156%2E4804695%2EStl6zd
2. "William Barr is out of step on criminal justice reform", Brennan Center for Justice, 7 December 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167172?t=7&akid=35156%2E4804695%2EStl6zd
3. "William Barr is Jeff Sessions without the baggage", Slate, 7 December 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167173?t=9&akid=35156%2E4804695%2EStl6zd
4. "Report: Incarceration rates drop nearly 20% under Kim Foxx", WTTW, 30 July 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167174?t=11&akid=35156%2E4804695%2EStl6zd
5. "The progressive prosecutors blazing a new path for the US justice system", The Guardian, 23 July 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167175?t=13&akid=35156%2E4804695%2EStl6zd

Dear Eugene,

Black children across America are being humiliated because of racist policies that discriminate against natural hairstyles. Last year, 6 year-old Clinton Stanley Jr. was sent home from A Book’s Christian Academy for having dreadlocks,¹ and 11 year old Faith Finnedy was sent home from her school, Christ the King for wearing box braids.² These policies shape the way Black kids see themselves and give permission to racist institutions and educators to discriminate against them without repercussion.

Black kids deserve dignity! Join us as we push for legislation that ends hair discrimination across the nation.

We at Color Of Change know that the only way to truly end these unjust and racist practices is for a nationwide precedent to be set. That’s why Color Of Change has partnered with the CROWN Coalition to fight hair discrimination against Black folks across the country! We won in California and New York, now we are fighting for federal protections to end hair discrimination nationwide.

Black people are still expected to conform to white standards of beauty and expression. This shapes how we see ourselves and fuels the narrative that our hair and our skin are embodiments of our oppression, when they are actually embodiments of our pride. We deserve to wear our hair in ways that feel celebratory of our personal power who we are as a people.

Right now, it is completely legal to discriminate against Black people for wearing natural hair in 2019 in all but two states in America. Join us in creating real change in our lifetime. These policies shape the way Black kids see themselves and gives permission to institutions and bigoted educators to discriminate against them without repercussion. Let’s build a world where they can be who they are without facing hostility or backlash. We at Color Of Change know that the only way to truly end these unjust and racist practices is for a nationwide precedent to be set.

Until justice is real, 

--Janaya, Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Jade, Evan, Johnny, Corina, Chad, Marcus, FolaSade, Eesha, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. '6 year old boy with dreadlocks banned from private school in Orange County',Orlando Sentinel, August 14 2018 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163219?t=10&akid=35168%2E4804695%2Etp5SJ6
2. 'Louisiana girl sent home from school over braided hair extensions' NBC News, August 22 2018 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163220?t=12&akid=35168%2E4804695%2Etp5SJ6
3. 'Black teen denied job at Six Flags over locs sheds light on hair discrimination' Rolling Out, July 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163221?t=14&akid=35168%2E4804695%2Etp5SJ6
4. ' Ending hair discrimination with the Crown Coalition' Dove, 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/164614?t=16&akid=35168%2E4804695%2Etp5SJ6

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene.

Twitter has turned a blind eye to white nationalism and now is a megaphone for hate speech. Twitter has yet to take action to change its terms of use to prevent the spread of white nationalist hate speech following the two-year anniversary of the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the recent white nationalist violence in El Paso, Texas. Twitter has failed Black and Brown people and continues to put us in danger. It’s long overdue for Twitter to adopt stricter policies to prevent the spread of hate speech online.

Sign the petition: Demand Twitter regulate the spread of hate speech.

For years, Trump has used Twitter to incite hate, mobilize white nationalism, and invoke fear and prejudice in Americans. Twitter, a platform designed to connect and share ideas, is now home to white nationalists and other hateful ideological groups that wish to push harmful ideas to the masses and organize around those ideas. Since the 2017 Unite the Right rally, the most deadly white nationalist march in years, Twitter’s failure to address hateful ideologies and enforce more comprehensive policies against hate speech has allowed white nationalist to organize, fundraise for, and normalize attacks on our communities.

Demand Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey adopt stricter policies to regulate hate speech.

Last month, Trump used Twitter to direct a wave of hate at Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, four Black and Brown American congresswomen, by demanding they "go back to their countries.” He followed that with more vicious and racist Twitter attacks against Rep. Elijah Cummings and Al Sharpton. Twitter announced last month it would label posts from world leaders when they violate company policies, but it has repeatedly failed to label Trump's racist tweets. Twitter has failed to combat racism and hate speech even according to the low bar it set for itself.

White nationalist violence continues to manifest across the country, fueled by unregulated social media platforms. As a result, real lives are at stake. Color Of Change, along Free Press and Media Justice, and other human, civil, and digital rights groups, have come together in a joint effort to form the Change the Terms coalition. Collectively we are demanding that Twitter adopt recommended corporate policies and terms of service to ensure that social media platforms, payment service providers, and other internet-based services are not places where hate speech and extremism can grow. It’s time we demand safe digital spaces for Black and Brown people to share, connect, inspire, and be free from hate speech and physical harm. 

Sign the petition: Demand Twitter regulate the spread of hate speech.

Until justice is real,

Brandi Collins-Dexter, Color Of Change

Jessica J. González, Free Press

Steven Renderos, Media Justice

References:

1. “Two Years Ago, They Marched in Charlottesville. Where Are They Now?” ADL, August 8, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165078?t=12&akid=35176%2E4804695%2EYtoXXN

2. “Twitter Under Fire Again for Failing to Ban White Supremacists as Charlottesville Anniversary Nears,” Gizmodo, August 2, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165079?t=14&akid=35176%2E4804695%2EYtoXXN

3. “Twitter Says Trump’s Tweet Didn’t Violate Its Rules Against Racism but Won’t Say Why,” The Washington Post, July 15, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165080?t=16&akid=35176%2E4804695%2EYtoXXN
4. “Twitter Says Trump’s Tweet Didn’t Violate Its Rules Against Racism but Won’t Say Why,” The Washington Post, July 15, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165080?t=18&akid=35176%2E4804695%2EYtoXXN
5. “Twitter Under Fire Again for Failing to Ban White Supremacists as Charlottesville Anniversary Nears,” Gizmodo, August 2, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165079?t=20&akid=35176%2E4804695%2EYtoXXN

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene.

This weekend, days before the second anniversary of the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, a white supremacist carried out yet another mass shooting. This time in El Paso, Texas. We are horrified that yet another act of mass white supremacist violence has been carried out. We must continue to hold those who enable this violence accountable. 

It comes as no surprise that the shooter’s white supremacist manifesto is built around talking points that can be heard nightly from Fox News’ Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson. Ingraham and Carlson routinely engage in grossly dehumanizing generalizations about migrants, uplift statements from white supremacists such as Richard Spencer, and even defend neo-Nazis on air. Free speech has been abused to allow room for hateful ideology to take a mainstage. White supremacist ideology inspired by Trump, and echoed by these Fox News media personalities, has once again taken form by the way of violence, highlighting the need for advertisers to demand these peddlers of white supremacist propaganda be removed from the air. It is time advertisers stop enabling Fox News hosts who serve as representatives for white supremacist ideologies.

Demand advertisers drop "Tucker Carlson Tonight" and “The Ingraham Angle."

Over the past year Fox News has railed against immigration and sensationalized migration as an invasion of America — hateful actions that inspired this weekend’s act of mass violence and the contents of the El Paso shooter’s manifesto. Just minutes before the violence, channeling Trump's anti-Black, anti-immigrant, and anti-Jewish rhetoric, the manifesto was posted on 8chan, a message board that serves as a breeding ground for white supremacy and that has been reported to celebrate public, and harmful displays of hate. 

Online, 8chan gives hateful ideologies a place for analysis and indoctrination, and networks such as Fox News amplify these ideas and share them with millions — and the cycle of hate, violence, and indoctrination continues. Trump, Tucker Carlson, and Laura Ingraham have blood on their hands. The concept of free speech has been skewed and scapegoated to allow hate to fester. 

White supremacist violence continues to manifest across the country, fueled by Fox News hosts pumping white supremacist ideologies across the airwaves. As a consequence, real lives are at stake. Already, we’ve seen historically Black churches and civil rights training centers burned down, and lives across the country have been taken by white supremacists during the Charleston, South Carolina, church massacre; the murders and shootings at synagogues in Pittsburgh and Poway, California; and the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

We must stand in solidarity with the families of the victims of these horrible crimes and demand advertisers drop "Tucker Carlson Tonight" and “The Ingraham Angle."

Act now. 

Until justice is real,

--Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “At least 31 killed in US weekend mass shootings,” CNN, August 5, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/162763?t=6&akid=34799%2E4804695%2EZdMYLZ
2. “How Fox News pushed propaganda about the El Paso mass shooting,” Media Matters, August 4, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/162764?t=8&akid=34799%2E4804695%2EZdMYLZ
3. “Who said it: The El Paso shooter or Fox News?” Splinter, August 4, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/162765?t=10&akid=34799%2E4804695%2EZdMYLZ
4. “Minutes before El Paso killing, hate-filled manifesto appears online,” New York Times, August 3, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/162766?t=12&akid=34799%2E4804695%2EZdMYLZ
5. “El Paso shooting suspect’s manifesto echoes Trump’s language,” New York Times, August 4, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/162767?t=14&akid=34799%2E4804695%2EZdMYLZ
6. “Man accused of burning Black Louisiana churches charged with federal hate crimes,” Vox, June 13, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/162768?t=16&akid=34799%2E4804695%2EZdMYLZ

With Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham on air, hate speech has two nightly platforms on Fox News.

Tucker Carlson, host of Tucker Carlson Tonight, recently launched into a racist hate fueled monologue against Rep. IIhan Omar calling her “a living fire alarm” for being a Black, immigrant, and Muslim Congresswoman fighting for our country to live up to its ideals. Tucker also made grossly dehumanizing generalizations about immigrants that would get most users banned from social media platforms. Smears like this are ripped directly from white nationalist talking points to otherize, paint us as threats, and engender violence towards Omar and Black migrants.

Advertisers should not be underwriting this hate speech. We've stopped advertisers from funding hate on Fox before, and we're going to do it again. Demand advertisers drop "Tucker Carlson Tonight" and “The Ingraham Angle."

Fox News Laura Ingraham recently defended white supremacist Paul Nehlen and dismissed the ongoing debate surrounding reparations for descendants of slaves with inflammatory coded remarks copied straight from white supremacist Richard Spencer. According to Laura Ingraham’s justification for the 250 years of brutal exploitation of Black people, white people “won,” and Black people “lost.” 

Ingraham explicitly told the world that America is a white nation, white settlers have triumphed, and Black people must deal with the resulting exploitation. Mythologizing the brutality and impact of slavery, and promoting mysgynistic anti-immigration racism should not be a depiction of American news. 

Fox News is an incubator of right-wing political propaganda. Demand advertisers drop “The Ingraham Angle" and "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

Ingraham and Carlson have made careers providing on-ramps for hateful ideologies. These two are much more than a foil characters in political theater. They are consistent political voices who scapegoat class theory to push hateful, racist remarks. Carlson and Ingraham’s comments are a chilling reminder of the power of media and the speed at which it can disrupt positive change and silence productive and progressive discourse. Allowing Tucker Carlson or Laura Ingraham to continue to broadcast hate speech on a national platform is not enabling freedom of speech, but promoting a dangerous ideology that has taken the lives of many within US borders. 

It is time advertisers stop enabling political pundits who serve as representatives for white supremacist ideologies.  

Stand with Rep. Omar and demand advertisers to drop these shows.

Until justice is real,

--Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “Tucker Carlson’s Racism Is Not “Political,” GQ, December 19th, 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/151123?t=23&akid=34799%2E4804695%2EZdMYLZ
2. “Laura Ingraham on Reparations: "It's Called Conquest … We Won, You Lost, That's That,” Media Matters, June 20, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/149866?t=25&akid=34799%2E4804695%2EZdMYLZ
3. “Laura Ingraham Ranting about Reparations Sounds a Lot Like White Supremacist Richard Spencer,” Media Matters, June 21, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/149867?t=27&akid=34799%2E4804695%2EZdMYLZ

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

Black women are already being punished under abortion bans. We're ramping up our fight against criminalization and we need your support.

Just a few weeks ago in Alabama, Marshae Jones, a 27-year-old Black mother, was shot five times in the stomach killing her unborn fetus. She was the one who was violently attacked yet an Alabama grand jury indicted her with manslaughter charges--under the flawed logic that because she engaged in the argument, she is responsible. It makes absolutely no sense and shows just how far the anti-abortion punishment will go.

Right now, the Tennessee state legislature is considering a bill that will completely ban abortion.¹ And if passed, Tenessee will become yet another state where vital access to reproductive care for pregnant people is restricted, and where any pregnancy outcome can be criminalized. We can't afford to see more women like Marshae jones incarcerated. That's why we're building out a movement demanding prosecutors to use their discretion and refuse to criminalize pregnancy.

After news about Marshae Jones' arrest made national deadlines, we got to work pressuring local District Attorney Lynneice Washington to ensure Marshae was not prosecuted. Within 24 hours local organizers posted Marshae's bail and DA Washington made the decision to dismiss the ridiculous charges -- allowing Marshae to narrowly escape this nightmare.

DAs have the power to remove the fear that an abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth could result in a prison sentence. Will you support our work to hold them accountable across the country?

Pregnant people are at risk. Chip in $3 to support the movement keeping DAs out of healthcare decisions.

There are at least 10 states that have considered or are currently considering laws that would restrict access to abortion and other forms of vital reproductive care.² We can’t afford for prosecutors to remain silent. That is why we are organizing local campaigns urging them to make real commitments that would make sure no one is prosecuted for abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth or any other pregnancy outcome. And there's already momentum -- at least 50 elected prosecutors have said they won't prosecute abortion--including district attorneys in Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio, but there are still at least 38 states where plans to target pregnant people are either on the books or moving through state legislatures. These are the places where Black women especially are at heightened risk.

We have so much more work to do and every ounce of support makes a huge difference. Every dollar contributed would help us:

• Hold rallies & petition deliveries at dozens of prosecutors across the country
• Hire an organizer to help us take this project to scale locally
• Run campaigns in defense of women and doctors who are jailed for pregnancy outcomes

Marshae's story shows us why we must center Black cis and trans women, trans men, and gender non-conforming folks in the fight for reproductive freedom. The fear of imprisonment has and will continue to force pregnant people to avoid healthcare at the time they most need it, whether they want to end a pregnancy or are simply having complications with one. With the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the country, Black communities are already in a maternal health crisis. Simply put, anti-abortion law enforcement is dangerous, and we can't afford to sit on the sidelines. 

Will you chip in $3 for Black reproductive freedom?

Until justice is real,

--Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Marybeth, Marena, Leonard, Madison, Tamar and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Reference:

1. "Tennessee Republicans Aren’t Done Trying to End Most Legal Abortion." Rewire News. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/157258?t=10&akid=35268%2E4804695%2EQ6ZpwP

2. "Early Abortion Bans: Which States Have Passed Them?" NPR. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/151122?t=12&akid=35268%2E4804695%2EQ6ZpwP

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene, 

California’s legislators want to end the toxic debt trap for Black families, communities of color, and low-income families, and have proposed bill AB 539: the Fair Access to Credit Act, which aims to limit the damage to consumers caused by high-cost loans. This legislation could prevent California’s most financially vulnerable communities from being trapped in lifelong debt by placing an interest rate cap on loans and encouraging lenders to loan to consumers who are able to repay. 

AB 539 could end predatory lending practices in California. But to make this change, California senators must vote in favor of the bill during their floor vote in early September. 

We have only two weeks to convince senators to adopt legislation that will end immoral lending practices that disproportionately impact California’s Black families, communities of color, and low-income families. Tell California senators to adopt AB 539, the Fair Access to Credit Act!

Please see our previous email below for more details about this campaign.

Predatory lenders are hurting California’s most financially vulnerable communities. Help us put a stop to predatory lenders’ harmful practices.

Predatory lenders are pushing financially vulnerable people into high-cost loans disguised as short-term relief, trapping communities of color and low-income families in a cycle of toxic debt. Between their high interest rates and easy access, predatory loans have the potential to financially destroy families through unmanageable terms, continual refinancing, and high default rates. Some consumers face annual interest rates as high as 244 percent, trapping them in debt that is impossible to repay and leaving consumers worse off than before they took out the loan.¹

But California legislators want to change this. Legislators have proposed AB 539: The Fair Access to Credit Act, which aims to limit the damage to consumers caused by high-cost loans. By placing a 36 percent interest rate cap on loans that amount to $2500 or more, and by incentivizing lenders to loan to those consumers who are able to repay, California can ensure its most financially vulnerable families are protected from harmful, predatory loans.² Low-income California's deserve protections from these predatory loan sharks.

Tell California legislators to adopt AB: 539: The Fair Access to Credit Act!

Predatory lenders take advantage of our families’ most vulnerable moments to provide high-cost loans that can destroy consumers’ credit and that drains more than $1 billion in interest and fees for our communities each year. With nearly half of all Americans unable to come up with $400 if needed for an emergency, millions of families are an unexpected medical bill, car accident, or job loss away from being trapped by the toxic debt of payday loans.³

For Black communities, this threat is even more pronounced, where .predatory payday lenders disproportionately set up brick-and-mortar shops in Black neighborhoods. In truth, these lenders trap Black people in large amounts of debt, and “systematically strip wealth from low-income communities.”⁴

We must put a stop to these immoral practices. Join us in calling on California State Senators to institute AB 539: The Fair Access to Credit Act!

Until justice is real,
—Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Evan, Future, Saréya, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “AB 539: Fair Access to Credit Act of 2019,” February 02, 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/145791?t=10&akid=35284%2E4804695%2E6siZDf.
2. “Assembly bill 539,” March 26 2019, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/145792?t=12&akid=35284%2E4804695%2E6siZDf
3. “Why half of Americans can’t come up with $400 in an emergency,” USA Today, 06 October 2017, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/37760?t=14&akid=35284%2E4804695%2E6siZDf.
4. “Lawmakers should not let predatory lenders do even more damage to poor Floridians,” Miami Herald, 06 February 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/145801?t=16&akid=35284%2E4804695%2E6siZDf.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene, 

Just a few weeks ago, we saw two deadly mass shooting happen within 24 hours of each other.¹ 

A shooting in Dayton, OH killed nine people and injured 27.² The shooting at Walmart in El Paso, TX killed 22 and injured at least 24.³ Every single time a mass shooting happens, politicians strain their voices to say we need gun reform--and nothing happens. But we know all too well that mass shootings are not the only kind of gun violence plaguing America. Black communities have been dealing with gun violence happening in our communities every single day. In fact, gun violence is the leading cause of death for Black Americans under age 44.⁴

The fact of the matter is, people are dying every single day from guns. But companies like Walmart would rather stop selling shooting video games than stop selling the things that are actually killing people.⁵

That’s why we’re joining forces with Guns Down, to call on Walmart, the nation’s largest gun retailer, to stop selling guns, and stop making political contributions to lawmakers who take money from the National Rifle Association (NRA). We know that if Walmart stops selling guns, it will mean fewer guns on the street and fewer opportunities for tragedies to occur in our communities. We must come together and hold corporations like Walmart accountable for their role in making guns more available both to mass shooters, but also in Black communities. And if we succeed, it will send a message to decision-makers that the time for passive apathy and letting people die has come to an end.

Sign the petition: Call on Walmart CEO Doug McMillan to act now. 

Black and Brown communities are targeted by both white supremacist terrorists and inter-community violence--the harm is two-fold. Six out of the nine people who died in Dayton, OH were Black.⁶ In the Charleston church Massacre of 2015, Dylann Roof waited until Black church members bowed their heads in prayer, before he fired over 70 shots, killing 9 Black churchgoers.⁷ In El Paso, Texas Patrick Crisius drove more than 10 hours to target Mexican people.⁸ His social media history even left a trail of blatantly racist posts directed at the increasing population of Latinx people in the U.S., especially at the Texas southern border.⁹

With almost 12,000 gun murders per year in the US, most of those young Black and Latino males, it’s crucial for us to implement real change.⁷ Black kids are 10 times more likely to be killed in a gun homicide than white children.⁸ And while Black men only make up 7% of the total population, we make up 53% of the people killed by guns.⁹ Simply put, this is not an issue we can afford to ignore. Getting companies like Walmart to end its gun sales and contributions to lawmakers who take money from the NRA is just one solution amongst many, including community cease-fire programs, that we need to stop gun violence. But it's a crucial step forward to get the attention of decision-makers and stop lining the pockets of the NRA. 

The NRA is a racist institution that has corrupted political leaders at the highest levels, and it’s what continues to give the gun lobby a foothold in our communities. It’s no coincidence that the top 10 recipients of NRA cash also receive donations from Walmart.¹⁰ The NRA has a history of pushing xenophobic narratives that the only way “law-abiding” Americans can protect themselves from a potential invasion of foreigners from Mexico is by stocking up on guns and weaponry.¹¹ The only time we’ve seen the NRA promote gun regulation was in 1968 which was aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of Black people.¹² The NRA poses the biggest threat to the safety of our communities -- they must be stopped! 

Our lives are on the line. CEO Doug McMillan must do his part and stop enabling these racist attacks on Black and Brown people. 

Over the years, Walmart has been forced to restrict firearms, and we can win if we pressure them now. In 1993, they stopped selling handguns, in 2015 they phased out assault weapons, and in 2018 they raised the purchasing age¹³ -- we have a real opportunity to push them even further on this issue. Walmart doesn't care about gun violence. But they care about their bottom line. We have to call on CEO Doug McMillan to listen to his customers and move toward holding decision-makers accountable. 

Eugene, there have been at least 255 mass shootings this year, that means there have been more mass shootings this year than days in the year.¹⁴ This issue will only continue to get worse if we don’t demand action! 

Tell Walmart: Stop selling guns and donating to NRA-backed politicians.

Until justice is real, 

--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Clarise, Marybeth, Marena, Leonard, Madison, Tamar, Malachi and the rest of the Color of Change team

 References:

1. "Gunman Kills 9 in Dayton Entertainment District." NY Times.com https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171909?t=9&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
2. Ibid
3. Ibid.
4. Gun Violence Statistics. Giffords Law Center. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171936?t=11&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
5. "Walmart removes 1,000 third-party items from its website after mass shootings." CNN. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171948?t=13&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
6. "Everything We Know About the Dayton Mass Shooting." Intelligencer. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/167561?t=15&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
7. "Dylann Roof Is Sentenced to Death in Charleston Church Massacre." NY Times.com https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167562?t=17&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
8. "El Paso shooting suspect said he targeted Mexicans, police say." The Los Angeles Times https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170872?t=19&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
9. Ibid.
10. Gun Violence. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170873?t=21&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
11. Gun Violence Statistics. Giffords Law Center. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171936?t=23&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
12. Ibid.
13. "Walmart's political group has given millions to GOP lawmakers who oppose gun control." Yahoo.com  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170874?t=25&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
14. "The NRA Has Long Urged Americans To Arm Themselves Against An Immigrant Invasion." HuffPost. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170875?t=27&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
15. History.com https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170876?t=29&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
16. "Walmart, site of recent shootings, has a complicated history with guns." Washington Post. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167563?t=31&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-
17. "There have been more mass shootings than days this year." CBS NEWS.  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171910?t=33&akid=35282%2E4804695%2EE6EgB-

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

5 years ago, Mike Brown's body was left for 4 hours in the middle of the road after being murdered by a rogue police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Despite national outrage and eyewitness testimonies, St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch failed to press charges against the officer who murdered Brown.

Last year, we did something many people thought was impossible: we turned our justified outrage into game-changing political action by helping Wesley Bell defeat Bob McCulloch to become the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney. 

This was a monumental win for Black communities in Ferguson and the rest of St. Louis County. Unseating Bob McCulloch is a testament to the revolutionary Black political power we possess. To be completely honest, the odds were stacked against us. McCulloch had been in office for nearly 3 decades denying justice to Black and brown people and supporting an unjust money bail system that disproportionately harms our communities.¹ 

We fought to turn Ferguson from a moment to a movement. And now, we’re turning our Wesley Bell victory into a nationwide movement to elect progressive prosecutors who will bring down harmful and racist practices. Chip in $5 to help bring about a movement to help us elect more candidates like Wesley Bell throughout 2019 and 2020.

At Color Of Change PAC, we only ask you to support strategies that actually produce an impact in Black people’s lives. Since Wesley Bell took over, he has:

• Fired the prosecutor who failed to get justice for Michael Brown²
• Implemented policies not to prosecute marijuana possession or failure to pay child support³
• Started a unit to investigate wrongful convictions and police violence⁴

Helping Wesley Bell claim victory was not an easy feat. With the help of local partners at Organization for Black Struggle, Missouri Faith Voices, St Louis Action Council and Working Families Party, and the support of 8,000 local Color Of Change PAC members, we opened an office in St. Louis County, hosted two block parties, delivered direct mail straight to households, had thousands of in-person conversations, sent over 95,000 peer-to-peer texts, put up a billboard on a major interstate, and ran digital videos and ads to mobilize over 200,000 voters.

These tactics are the blueprint to our victories. And the only way we can continue to implement game-changing campaign strategies is if we receive support from folks like you. Already this year, we’ve had our first big win. We unseated a 24-year district attorney in Mississippi and claimed a primary election victory for Shameca Collins, a Black woman with a transformational vision for ending mass incarceration in her district. 

In order to help candidates like Shameca win in November, we need your support. Why? You might not have known this, but Color Of Change PAC does not accept money from large corporations. Our movements are backed by people power from folks just like you. Without your help, our electoral work is not sustainable. Will you chip in to help us bring monumental change to Black communities?

Reforming America’s criminal justice system is as crucial as it has ever been. We've proven that we know how to win, and we'll keep winning with you. The future of criminal justice reform is at our grasp. Eugene, do you want to see more racist and harmful Prosecuting Attorneys unseated from office in 2019 in 2020? 

Yes, I want to see more victories for Black people!

Until justice is real,

Arisha, Jenni, Charles, Tammi, Scott, Daniel and the Color Of Change PAC team

References: 

1. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/78109?t=10&akid=35347%2E4804695%2EHG0mzJ

2. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/111823?t=12&akid=35347%2E4804695%2EHG0mzJ

3. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/172606?t=14&akid=35347%2E4804695%2EHG0mzJ

4. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/172607?t=16&akid=35347%2E4804695%2EHG0mzJ

Eugene, 

In 1619, a Black woman was the first enslaved African documented in America. They called her Angela. She survived war and capture in West Africa, a hundred mile forced march to the shore, the Middle Passage, and a pirate battle at sea, only to arrive in the colony of Virginia and have her name stolen too.¹ Angela, first recorded as ‘Angelo a Negar,’ was taken from Angola and we don’t know much else about her.² But we do know that from the moment she took her first step on this stolen land, the dream of Black freedom was born.

It’s been 400 years and Black women are still leading the fight for freedom. America has yet to contend with the legacy of slavery or offer reparations—but Black women aren’t waiting on America. And neither is Color Of Change. We’ve been building Black political power in a way that centers Black women in everything we do. Every campaign we win, event we hold, or narrative we shift is the result of Black women refusing to wait.

From bailing Black mamas out of jail and ending the money bail industry, to organizing Black women into political office and hosting Black Women’s Brunches—none of Color Of Change’s brilliant work, led by Black women for Black freedom, would be possible without the contributions of Color Of Change members. We are in a crucial moment to leverage our resources as a community and invest in the longevity of independent Black organizations. Can you help?

Yes, I’ll make a $4 contribution to support Black independent political power and the leadership of Black women in the fight for freedom.

Much has changed since 1619 but for the past 400 years, Black people have been resisting the exploitation of their bodies for wealth—through labor and economic exploitation, appropriation and misrepresentation of our culture in media, and mass incarceration.

Institutions like the Cotton Exchange in New York City drove the American economy during slavery and it is still financial institutions and major industries like Wall St, Hollywood, the prison industrial complex, bail insurance companies, and private equity firms that profit the most from the exploitation of Black bodies. Relying on these same institutions to sustain our movements won’t get us free. That’s why Color Of Change doesn’t take any financial contributions from corporations. The donations of our members fuel our collective work to dismantle white supremacy.

Black women have never held our breath waiting for America to address the legacy of slavery. We’ve held down our families and entire communities. Color Of Change has supported Black women protesting in the streets, holding District Attorney's accountable, fighting for the right to wear our hair naturally, and across so many more issues that are important to US. Despite centuries of violent oppression Black people have got each other, always have, and always will. Let’s claim this anniversary to celebrate the resilience of our people and 400 years of daring to dream of freedom in the face of unprecedented oppression.

Until justice is real, 

--Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. "A symbol of slavery--and survival." The Washington Post. 29 April 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171457?t=8&akid=35355%2E4804695%2EYqontD
2. "Meet Angela, One of the first slaves to arrive in America." The Root. 5 December 2017. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171458?t=10&akid=35355%2E4804695%2EYqontD

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

California Senate Bill 464, The Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act, is on its way to being passed. In June, the bill passed out of Committee with bipartisan support, and the bill is almost to the finish line. But, the bill has hit a major hurdle; The Department of Finance tagged the bill as too costly. But we know that the lives of Black women matter, and $348,000 should not be the reason why this crucial bill does not pass. 

We need your help to get the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act over the finish line. In order to get the bill passed, we need each one of our California members to write a letter TODAY to Assembly Member Gonzalez to let her know you support SB 464: The Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act. We must show her how important it is that Black moms receive the health care and the respect they deserve. 

We don’t have much time. Letters must be submitted to Assembly Member Gonzalez by the end of today. Write a letter to Assembly Member Gonzalez and show your support of The Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act.  

Until justice is real,
—Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Samantha, Saréya, Eesha, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Please see our previous email below for more details about this campaign.

In October of last year, Black mother Kira Johnson, tragically passed away after the staff at Cedars-Sinai disregarded her pain and delayed medical intervention for more than ten hours when she hemorrhaged after her C-Section.¹ Implicit biases in health care are costing Black moms — and their babies — their lives. But we have a chance to fight this health crisis in the state of California. 

California bill SB 464, the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act, will change the kind of health care Black moms receive in California. One of the first legislations of its kind, the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act aims to reduce preventable, pregnancy-related deaths and severe illnesses associated with disparities in health care. By requiring medical institutions to train staff to unlearn biases and misinformation, and by tracking deaths in which the woman was pregnant within 42-365 days of death, this bill will more comprehensively prepare health care providers to care for and gather data related to mothers and the challenges they face.²  

Join us and bill sponsors Black Women for Wellness, ACT for Women and Girls, NARAL Pro-Choice California, and Western Center on Law and Poverty in telling CA legislators to pass the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act.

Far too often, Black moms are not treated with the respect and dignity they deserve, particularly during childbirth. In California, Black moms are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth than white women.³ Because of pervasive and discriminatory myths about Black women and our bodies, medical staff hesitate to treat Black patients, even during life-threatening situations.⁴ We cannot allow Black moms to continue to suffer from racist medical treatment.

Black moms deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Tell California legislators to pass bill SB 464, the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act!

Black mothers face disparate outcomes regardless of wealth or class differences. Even superstars like Serena Williams and Beyoncé have faced life-threatening complications during the delivery of their children. When they told medical staff about their pain, the staff didn’t listen.⁵ This kind of behavior is not unusual. Medical staff have historically discriminated against Black people. In fact, supposed progress in the field has often come at the expense of Black women who were forced to endure inhumane medical treatments. For example, the so-called Father of Gynecology, James Marion Sims, conducted research on enslaved Black women without anesthesia.⁶ Today’s medical treatments are built on this racism, and harmful implicit biases remain pervasive in medical institutions. 

Implicit biases in health care are causing our people unnecessary suffering, and we must take action to hold medical institutions accountable. We cannot allow Black moms to continue to suffer. Take action to support Black moms, and tell California legislators to pass the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

There is nothing entertaining about a white nationalist Trump enabler dancing with celebrities. As Trump’s official spokesperson, former Press Secretary Sean Spicer repeatedly lied to the public — defending Trump’s harmful policies and even lying about the impact of Hitler.¹ Sean Spicer should be ostracized for the heinous acts he committed while in office, not given an opportunity to make six figures dancing on national television.

Demand that ABC drop Sean Spicer from “Dancing with the Stars”!

By including Sean Spicer on the family friendly show “Dancing with the Stars,” ABC is attempting to make viewers feel light-hearted about a disgraced white nationalist and about essentially endorsing the racism and violence of the Trump administration. In recent mass shootings, white nationalist terrorists quoted hate speech used by Trump and defended by Spicer.² 

Having Sean Spicer on the weekly show would be an endorsement of the white nationalism and dangerous violence that has increased as a result of Trump’s presidency.

THIS IS NOT NORMAL. Such action is expected from a far-right network such as Fox News. But ABC, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, claims to be a socially responsible corporation. We will not let them normalize white nationalism.

A typical cast of “Dancing with the Stars” consists of music icons, former pro-athletes, and reality TV stars — actual celebrities. It shouldn’t include a nefarious former government official who failed the country. Even the show’s host was against including Spicer, but ABC chose to “go in a different direction.”³

Whether ABC intends to attract and engage white nationalist viewers or to rebrand white nationalists leaders as members of society with differing views, the result of ABC’s actions is an endorsement of white nationalist ideology and culture and an integration of those viewpoints into mainstream society. We will not let them normalize white nationalism.

Demand that ABC drop Sean Spicer today!

Until justice is real,
Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color of Change team

References:

1. “Sean Spicer Raises Outcry With Talk of Hitler, Assad and Poison Gas”, New York Times, April 11, 2017,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/174363?t=10&akid=35412%2E4804695%2Ecw6DKW

2. “Trump rhetoric freshly condemned after mass shootings”, Politico, August 4, 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/174364?t=12&akid=35412%2E4804695%2Ecw6DKW

3. “Sean Spicer on 'Dancing with the Stars?' ABC staffers say 'it's a slap in the face'”, CNN Business, August 22, 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/174365?t=14&akid=35412%2E4804695%2Ecw6DKW

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

GoFundMe is continuing to allow police officers that murder Black people to use its platform to profit!

I’m upset. Shortly after hearing the news that Daniel Pantaleo, the man who killed Eric Garner, would finally be fired from his job as a New York City police officer, I came across a GoFundMe fundraiser stating it was raising money for Pantaleo and his family. This isn’t the first time GoFundMe has allowed killer cops to profit from Black death. Back in 2014, the site hosted numerous fundraisers for Darren Willson, the police officer who shot and killed Mike Brown, an unarmed Black teenager. Back then Color of Change members helped us gain over 400,000 petition signatures and we got GoFundMe to donate all of the profits they made off of the racially motivated fundraiser, to the Ferguson-Florissant School District. This time we need them to do better for Eric Garner and his family, by shutting down the fundraiser immediately and returning all the funds back to donors ASAP.

GoFundMe: Shut down the Pantaleo Fundraiser, and stop letting killer cops profit!

Pantaleo’s fundraiser currently has over 2,500 donors and has raised over $150,000, and I’m sure that both of those numbers will have increased by the time you read this email. The description of the fundraiser reads like a cruel joke, stating “Let's help an officer in need who was only doing his job!”  But no matter what kind of spin Pantaleo and his supporters want to put on it, the facts are clear. Eric Garner’s death was ruled a homicide, and the NYPD’s own investigation determined he lied and both things led to him being rightfully fired from his job. 

Daniel Pantaleo is now attempting to use GoFundMe to profit and skirt responsibility for his own actions, instead of taking this time to do some deep reflecting on his own actions and how they landed him in a position of being unemployed with a newborn. I’m sure the irony isn’t lost on you, that a man who choked another man to death as he exclaimed “ I can’t breathe,” 11 times is asking for the compassion and kindness of strangers, something he never afforded Eric Garner. This is a slap in the face of the Garner family, organizers, and Color of Change members, who have fought to get justice for Eric Garner over the last five years.  

For GoFundMe to allow this fundraiser to continue is not only morally indefensible, but it is also in clear violation of the platform's own policy which clearly states that they prohibit, “items that promote hate, violence, racial intolerance, or the financial exploitation of a crime.”⁴ That’s why we need your help in telling GoFundMe to immediately suspend the fundraiser and to stop letting killer cops profit! 

Tell GoFundMe to enforce its own policy, and shut this disgusting fundraiser down!

We know that a fundraiser like this only exists to further demoralize Black people in our pain and in our death. It’s a final grasp of power, that says not only can the police kill Black folks and get away with it, but that they can also profit from that death. But we know the only way to stop the war against Black people, is to organize, take action, and fight back! We won in 2014, and with your help, we can win again.

GoFundMe has the power to stop Daniel Pantaleo from profiting from his crimes. I’m urging you to fight with me and demand GoFundMe act as a leader in the digital crowdsourcing space, by telling GoFundMe to take a stand against state-sanctioned violence against Black people and to suspend Pantaleo’s disgusting fundraiser. If GoFundMe does not act, it will send a dangerous message to Black people, our allies and those who seek to harm us. So join in this fight for justice, because I refuse to let Eric Garner down. 

Sign the petition now and make sure your voice is heard.

Until justice is real, 

--Malachi, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Clarise, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. “GoFundMe for Officer Who Killed Eric Garner Reaches Nearly $100,000 in 2 Days” The Root August 21,2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177748?t=9&akid=35415%2E4804695%2EMtNPSO

2. “People Are Urging GoFundMe To Shut Down A $200,000 Campaign Supporting The Officer Who Killed Michael Brown” Business Insider August 22, 2014, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177749?t=11&akid=35415%2E4804695%2EMtNPSO

3. “Daniel Pantaleo, Officer Who Held Eric Garner in Chokehold, Is Fired” New York Times August 19,2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/173131?t=13&akid=35415%2E4804695%2EMtNPSO

4. “GoFundMe Terms & Condition” https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177752?t=15&akid=35415%2E4804695%2EMtNPSO

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

Imagine paying $10 a day to be monitored by the police.

Hundreds of people in St. Louis are forced to do this. For these innocent people awaiting trial, electronic monitoring bracelets cost them $300 up front, $10 per day, plus a $50 installation fee. People often have to start second jobs, sell TVs and laptops, or take kids out of childcare just to pay these fees.¹

And all of this money goes to a private company Eastern Missouri Alternative Sentencing Services (EMASS). This company is profiting off of innocent, low-income Black people under the facade of offering “alternatives” to money bail.

The St. Louis court system's business partnership with EMASS is undermining our work to transform criminal justice, and we won’t stand for it. We’re training community members in St. Louis as Court Watchers so we can collect proof of the electronic monitoring crisis and force lawmakers to confront it. Our program is scheduled to run through November, but we already know it will take more time to win. Will you donate $5 so we can continue our Court Watch program to expose this blatant exploitation of innocent Black people?

Electronic monitoring puts people in an electronic cage. If you’re wearing an EMASS electronic ankle bracelet, you have to charge it for an hour and a half every day while it’s still on your leg, making it difficult to work full-time jobs or travel for extended amounts of time. In a 2011 survey, 22% of people reported being fired from a job because of their ankle bracelets.² And that’s if they’ll even hire you in the first place with a bulky bracelet in plain view. Over 200 people in St. Louis were forced to wear these bracelets last year.¹

To push back, we need the data to prove how this is impacting Black people in St. Louis. Since this information isn’t easily available to the public, we’re gathering it ourselves. So far, we’ve trained over 30 St. Louis community members in our Court Watch program: they attend hearings and take notes on every decisions judges make, including when people are put on electronic monitors.

In November, we’ll be releasing a public report of our findings, which will:

• Ensure activists and lawmakers in St. Louis have statistics about the courts to help them back up their campaigns to end electronic monitoring and other racist practices
  
  
• Give us the data we need to push Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to call on judges to reject electronic cages, holding him to his campaign promise of transforming criminal justice in St. Louis County
  
  
• Show judges in St. Louis County that the public is watching them, and that we will hold them accountable if they continue to target low-income Black communities

It's rapidly nearing time to launch the next phase of our campaign to end electronic monitoring in St. Louis. Will you chip in $5 to help us keep our Court Watch program going after our report releases?

Our work has already uncovered some alarming patterns. Different judges are inconsistent, some assigning electronic monitors all the time while others rarely do. Some waive the monitor fees, others don’t. Some issue arrest warrants if people don’t pay their debt to EMASS, others turn their head.¹ These choices are all in the hands of individual judges who can only be held accountable if people know what they’re doing.

Our Court Watch program is the most powerful tool we have to expose electronic cages for the racist, profiteering scam they are. Your support will help us implement the findings from our November report, train more people in St. Louis to be Court Watchers, and hire more staff to run the program.

Please-- help us tear down these electronic cages. Donate $5 to keep our St. Louis Court Watch program going now.

Until justice is real,

Arisha, Jenni, Charles, Daniel, Tammi, Scott and the Color Of Change team

Sources

1. "Digital jail: How electronic monitoring drives defendants into debt", Pro Publica, 3 July 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/178305?t=7&akid=35439%2E4804695%2E65MorC
2. "Electronic Monitoring", National Institute of Justice, September 2011, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/178306?t=9&akid=35439%2E4804695%2E65MorC

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hey Eugene, I'm writing to see if you saw my message about our campaign to end electronic monitoring of innocent Black people in St. Louis.

Last week, I had the opportunity to go to St. Louis as our amazing organizers Dominique and Melanie trained a new cohort of court watchers. They learned how to observe courts and record information about how many people are assigned electronic monitors before their trials. This is crucial data that's not easily available, and as long as it's hidden, this system will continue targeting low-income Black people without oversight. 

Unfortunately, after looking at the numbers, it looks like a lot of people I sent this email to missed it over the Labor Day weekend. We raised less than we hoped to keep this program going, but after meeting our hardworking members in person, I felt inspired to ask again: will you support them as they hold these courts accountable and train Black people to stand up for our own communities?

Read below to learn more about how we're fighting electronic monitoring of innocent people through community skill-building in St. Louis, and please donate here if you can.

Until justice is real,

Arisha

P.S. Check out some photos of our members being trained that I took while I was there!

 ---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Arisha Michelle Hatch, Color Of Change
Date: August 30, 2019
Subject: Over 200 people in St. Louis are in electronic cages.

Dear Eugene,

Imagine paying $10 a day to be monitored by the police.

Hundreds of people in St. Louis are forced to do this. For these innocent people awaiting trial, electronic monitoring bracelets cost them $300 up front, $10 per day, plus a $50 installation fee. People often have to start second jobs, sell TVs and laptops, or take kids out of childcare just to pay these fees.¹

And all of this money goes to a private company Eastern Missouri Alternative Sentencing Services (EMASS). This company is profiting off of innocent, low-income Black people under the facade of offering “alternatives” to money bail.

The St. Louis court system's business partnership with EMASS is undermining our work to transform criminal justice, and we won’t stand for it. We’re training community members in St. Louis as Court Watchers so we can collect proof of the electronic monitoring crisis and force lawmakers to confront it. Our program is scheduled to run through November, but we already know it will take more time to win. Will you donate $5 so we can continue our Court Watch program to expose this blatant exploitation of innocent Black people?

Electronic monitoring puts people in an electronic cage. If you’re wearing an EMASS electronic ankle bracelet, you have to charge it for an hour and a half every day while it’s still on your leg, making it difficult to work full-time jobs or travel for extended amounts of time. In a 2011 survey, 22% of people reported being fired from a job because of their ankle bracelets.² And that’s if they’ll even hire you in the first place with a bulky bracelet in plain view. Over 200 people in St. Louis were forced to wear these bracelets last year.¹

To push back, we need the data to prove how this is impacting Black people in St. Louis. Since this information isn’t easily available to the public, we’re gathering it ourselves. So far, we’ve trained over 30 St. Louis community members in our Court Watch program: they attend hearings and take notes on every decisions judges make, including when people are put on electronic monitors.

In November, we’ll be releasing a public report of our findings, which will:

• Ensure activists and lawmakers in St. Louis have statistics about the courts to help them back up their campaigns to end electronic monitoring and other racist practices
  
  
• Give us the data we need to push Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to call on judges to reject electronic cages, holding him to his campaign promise of transforming criminal justice in St. Louis County
  
  
• Show judges in St. Louis County that the public is watching them, and that we will hold them accountable if they continue to target low-income Black communities

It's rapidly nearing time to launch the next phase of our campaign to end electronic monitoring in St. Louis. Will you chip in $5 to help us keep our Court Watch program going after our report releases?

Our work has already uncovered some alarming patterns. Different judges are inconsistent, some assigning electronic monitors all the time while others rarely do. Some waive the monitor fees, others don’t. Some issue arrest warrants if people don’t pay their debt to EMASS, others turn their head.¹ These choices are all in the hands of individual judges who can only be held accountable if people know what they’re doing.

Our Court Watch program is the most powerful tool we have to expose electronic cages for the racist, profiteering scam they are. Your support will help us implement the findings from our November report, train more people in St. Louis to be Court Watchers, and hire more staff to run the program.

Please-- help us tear down these electronic cages. Donate $5 to keep our St. Louis Court Watch program going now.

Until justice is real,

Arisha, Jenni, Charles, Daniel, Tammi, Scott and the Color Of Change team

Sources

1. "Digital jail: How electronic monitoring drives defendants into debt", Pro Publica, 3 July 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/178305?t=8&akid=35475%2E4804695%2Em79Ptw
2. "Electronic Monitoring", National Institute of Justice, September 2011, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/178306?t=10&akid=35475%2E4804695%2Em79Ptw

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

Walmart, the country’s largest retailer, recently announced that its stores will discontinue the sale of ammunition for assault rifles and handguns -- but this does not go far enough. While the new policy will make ammunition less accessible to white nationalists who want to kill Black and Brown people, Walmart will continue selling long barrel deer rifles and shotguns.¹

To make matters worse, Walmart has not addressed its complicit relationship with the NRA. The NRA is a racist institution that has corrupted political leaders at the highest levels, and it’s what continues to give the gun lobby a foothold in our communities. It’s no coincidence that the top 10 recipients of NRA cash also receive donations from Walmart.

That is why, in less than one week, we are going straight to Walmart's headquarters to deliver our petition demanding CEO Doug McMillon stop selling guns and donating to NRA-backed politicians. Over 25,000 Color of Change members have already joined the call -- but Eugene, your name is missing. Will you join our movement to hold major corporations like Walmart accountable for gun violence in our communities? 

Tell Walmart: Stop selling ALL firearms and donating to NRA-backed politicians.

Until justice is real, 

-- Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Clarise, Marybeth, Marena, Leonard, Madison, Tamar, Malachi and the rest of the Color of Change team

P.S. Read our previous email for more information below.

Dear Eugene, 

Just a few weeks ago, we saw two deadly mass shooting happen within 24 hours of each other.¹ 

A shooting in Dayton, OH killed nine people and injured 27.² The shooting at Walmart in El Paso, TX killed 22 and injured at least 24.³ Every single time a mass shooting happens, politicians strain their voices to say we need gun reform--and nothing happens. But we know all too well that mass shootings are not the only kind of gun violence plaguing America. Black communities have been dealing with gun violence happening in our communities every single day. In fact, gun violence is the leading cause of death for Black Americans under age 44.⁴

The fact of the matter is, people are dying every single day from guns. But companies like Walmart would rather stop selling shooting video games than stop selling the things that are actually killing people.⁵

That’s why we’re joining forces with Guns Down, to call on Walmart, the nation’s largest gun retailer, to stop selling guns, and stop making political contributions to lawmakers who take money from the National Rifle Association (NRA). We know that if Walmart stops selling guns, it will mean fewer guns on the street and fewer opportunities for tragedies to occur in our communities. We must come together and hold corporations like Walmart accountable for their role in making guns more available both to mass shooters, but also in Black communities. And if we succeed, it will send a message to decision-makers that the time for passive apathy and letting people die has come to an end.

Sign the petition: Call on Walmart CEO Doug McMillan to act now. 

Black and Brown communities are targeted by both white supremacist terrorists and inter-community violence--the harm is two-fold. Six out of the nine people who died in Dayton, OH were Black.⁶ In the Charleston church Massacre of 2015, Dylann Roof waited until Black church members bowed their heads in prayer, before he fired over 70 shots, killing 9 Black churchgoers.⁷ In El Paso, Texas Patrick Crisius drove more than 10 hours to target Mexican people.⁸ His social media history even left a trail of blatantly racist posts directed at the increasing population of Latinx people in the U.S., especially at the Texas southern border.⁹

With almost 12,000 gun murders per year in the US, most of those young Black and Latino males, it’s crucial for us to implement real change.⁷ Black kids are 10 times more likely to be killed in a gun homicide than white children.⁸ And while Black men only make up 7% of the total population, we make up 53% of the people killed by guns.⁹ Simply put, this is not an issue we can afford to ignore. Getting companies like Walmart to end its gun sales and contributions to lawmakers who take money from the NRA is just one solution amongst many, including community cease-fire programs, that we need to stop gun violence. But it's a crucial step forward to get the attention of decision-makers and stop lining the pockets of the NRA. 

The NRA is a racist institution that has corrupted political leaders at the highest levels, and it’s what continues to give the gun lobby a foothold in our communities. It’s no coincidence that the top 10 recipients of NRA cash also receive donations from Walmart.¹⁰ The NRA has a history of pushing xenophobic narratives that the only way “law-abiding” Americans can protect themselves from a potential invasion of foreigners from Mexico is by stocking up on guns and weaponry.¹¹ The only time we’ve seen the NRA promote gun regulation was in 1968 which was aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of Black people.¹² The NRA poses the biggest threat to the safety of our communities -- they must be stopped! 

Our lives are on the line. CEO Doug McMillan must do his part and stop enabling these racist attacks on Black and Brown people. 

Over the years, Walmart has been forced to restrict firearms, and we can win if we pressure them now. In 1993, they stopped selling handguns, in 2015 they phased out assault weapons, and in 2018 they raised the purchasing age¹³ -- we have a real opportunity to push them even further on this issue. Walmart doesn't care about gun violence. But they care about their bottom line. We have to call on CEO Doug McMillan to listen to his customers and move toward holding decision-makers accountable. 

Eugene, there have been at least 255 mass shootings this year, that means there have been more mass shootings this year than days in the year.¹⁴ This issue will only continue to get worse if we don’t demand action! 

Tell Walmart: Stop selling guns and donating to NRA-backed politicians.

Until justice is real, 

--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Clarise, Marybeth, Marena, Leonard, Madison, Tamar, Malachi and the rest of the Color of Change team

 References:

1. "Walmart ends all handgun ammunition sales and asks customers not to carry guns into stores." CNN.com. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/182027?t=10&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
2. "Gunman Kills 9 in Dayton Entertainment District." NY Times.com https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171909?t=12&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
3. Ibid
4. Ibid.
5. Gun Violence Statistics. Giffords Law Center. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171936?t=14&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
6. "Walmart removes 1,000 third-party items from its website after mass shootings." CNN. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171948?t=16&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
7. "Everything We Know About the Dayton Mass Shooting." Intelligencer. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/167561?t=18&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
8. "Dylann Roof Is Sentenced to Death in Charleston Church Massacre." NY Times.com https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167562?t=20&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
9. "El Paso shooting suspect said he targeted Mexicans, police say." The Los Angeles Times https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170872?t=22&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
10. Ibid.
11. Gun Violence. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170873?t=24&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
12. Gun Violence Statistics. Giffords Law Center. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171936?t=26&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
13. Ibid.
14. "Walmart's political group has given millions to GOP lawmakers who oppose gun control." Yahoo.com  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170874?t=28&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
15. "The NRA Has Long Urged Americans To Arm Themselves Against An Immigrant Invasion." HuffPost. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170875?t=30&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
16. History.com https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170876?t=32&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
17. "Walmart, site of recent shootings, has a complicated history with guns." Washington Post. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167563?t=34&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE
18. "There have been more mass shootings than days this year." CBS NEWS.  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171910?t=36&akid=35526%2E4804695%2Epo9kqE

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Theo Chayegan just started a petition to Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi to: Lower the price of insulin now! Sign now

Dear Eugene, I just started a petition titled "Affordable Insulin Now!" Antavia-Lee Worsham should still be here. Instead, two years ago at the age of just 22 years old, she passed away because she could no longer afford her insulin, a medication that costs companies less than the price of a sandwich to produce. Before Antavia’s death, she was covered under her mother’s high deductible health plan, but aged off of Children with Medical Handicaps (CMH), a Government funded program secondary insurance that covered all of the medication and equipment that she needed to manage her Type I diabetes. This could at times be as costly as $1000 a month. She began borrowing insulin from her grandfather, and then her sister, before they could no longer afford to share their medication with her. It was after she started rationing her own insulin that one day she died in her home as a consequence of diabetic ketoacidosis also known as DKA. We must protect our families. Sign now to tell Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi that we won't allow them to profit from the deaths of our loved ones. Each and every day, millions of people across the country depend on insulin to survive. While insulin has been around for decades, pharmaceutical companies are getting away with charging astronomical prices that place insulin out of reach for millions of Americans. Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi, three of the nation’s largest insulin manufacturers -- are responsible for some of the worst price gouging the industry has seen in recent times, raising their prices by 150 percent in just the last five years. In fact, they are facing a class action lawsuit right now from over 60 plaintiffs who hope the case will expose these companies’ deceptive pricing practices and corporate greed. Will you sign the petition and forward this email to make sure your voice is heard? Add your name here. If you've ever talked to someone who's said they have “the sugars,” then you know which community is impacted by diabetes at the most disproportionate rates. According to the U.S. Department of Health, Black American adults are 80% more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician; 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for lower limb amputations; and twice as likely to die from diabetes. While Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi continue to make millions of dollars in profits from arbitrary insulin prices that keep going up, it’s our aunties, uncles, grandparents, cousins,brothers and sisters who are forced to make the dangerous decision to ration life-saving medication, or to go without it in the first place. Rising insulin costs are a matter of life and death for our community. Take action to demand these companies lower the price of insulin now. Enough is enough. It is completely within these companies’ power to reduce their prices dramatically while still maintaining healthy profits. Yet at every turn, they have denied the fact that they are unnecessarily hiking their own prices, and have refused to comply with the public’s demand for transparency about the costs of production. That’s not business -- it’s an abuse of power that needs curbing immediately. The fight for fair, transparent pricing in the insulin industry is the fight for the dignity, health, and safety of the Black community and of our loved ones. Take action to demand that Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi be transparent about their costs of production and lower their prices now! Thank you, Theo Chayegan     Sign now

Join us and start your own petition on OrganizeFor today!

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

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Dear Eugene.

Facial recognition technology uses algorithms to replicate the racial bias in policing that has had life-threatening consequences for Black people and our communities. This invasive technology is racist and inaccurate, misidentifies women and people of color, and reinforces a system of oppression that surveils and targets Black people on baseless grounds, while also demonizing our physical appearance.¹ Widespread use of this technology by law enforcement will lead to even more police encounters, wrongful arrests, harassment, and deportation. With error rates as high as 98%, facial recognition is one of the most dangerous forms of surveillance for our communities, and we must tell lawmakers to ban this technology.²

Tell your members of Congress to ban facial recognition. 

Facial recognition technology, at its core, is a flawed form of surveillance that comes at the expense of basic civil rights, security, and privacy. It has been scientifically proven that this form of surveillance is inaccurate and miscategorizes the faces of women and Black people.³ In a test recently conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union, the facial recognition technology Rekognition, used by Amazon on the general public, incorrectly matched the photos of 28 members of Congress with mug shots of individuals with previous arrests. Alarmingly, these false matches also disproportionately identified six members of the Congressional Black Caucus.⁴ With police violence against Black people at an all-time high, allowing lawmakers to implement facial recognition programs will result in increased and potentially violent interactions with the police. 

Protect our civil rights and tell your lawmakers to ban facial recognition. 

Currently, there are no legal safeguards for this technology.^5,6 It is being abused in the New York City police department, with the images of children and teenagers uploaded into a database despite evidence that facial recognition technology has a higher risk of being inaccurate on children. The technology even lacks the ability to account for changes in facial structure.⁷ In the face of a lack of legislative oversight for this technology the city of Detroit, a predominantly Black city, is also battling with the harms of facial recognition technology and refuses to share how many arrests have been made due to the technology. With no oversight of facial recognition technology, Black people run the risk of having their images saved and ran through these databases, or they could even be arrested and prosecuted due to the inaccuracy of this technology. 

Color Of Change has fought for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to adopt the Stop Secret Surveillance Ordinance, banning San Francisco agencies from acquiring or using facial recognition technologies. We are expanding our efforts to hold elected officials accountable for racially biased technologies by partnering with over 30 organizations to ensure this evasive technology does not further oppress and harm our communities. 

Take action and tell your lawmakers to ban facial recognition technology. 

From COINTELPRO to the FBI's use of the baseless “Black identity extremist” term, Black people are continuously being targeted through laws and legislation. Facial recognition technology is unjust and dangerous, and circumvents the law. We must take a stand to protect our civil rights and prevent unnecessary interactions with the police that can be traumatic or have deadly consequences. Tell your lawmakers to ban facial recognition technology.

Until justice is real,

--Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade, Jamila and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “Facial Recognition Software Prompts Privacy, Racism Concerns in Cities and States,” Pew Charitable Trusts, August 9, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/182660?t=10&akid=36279%2E4804695%2EQRyZCr
2. “Facial-Recognition Software Inaccurate in 98% of Cases, Report Finds,” CNET, May 13, 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/182661?t=12&akid=36279%2E4804695%2EQRyZCr
3. “Facial Recognition Is Accurate, if You’re a White Guy,” New York Times, February 9, 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/182662?t=14&akid=36279%2E4804695%2EQRyZCr
4. “Amazon’s Face Recognition Falsely Matched 28 Members of Congress With Mugshots,” ACLU, July 26, 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/102218?t=16&akid=36279%2E4804695%2EQRyZCr
5. “Facial Recognition Surveillance Faces New Calls for Legal Limits,” Axion, March 13, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/182663?t=18&akid=36279%2E4804695%2EQRyZCr
6. “Facial Recognition Technology, Face ID and the Constitution,” Law Shelf Educational Media, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/182664?t=20&akid=36279%2E4804695%2EQRyZCr
7. “She Was Arrested at 14. Then Her Photo Went to a Facial Recognition Database,” New York Times, August 1, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/182667?t=22&akid=36279%2E4804695%2EQRyZCr

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

Back-to-school season is in full effect! Students are breaking in new clothes, gathering their school supplies, and getting back into the swing of their school-day routines. But some students aren’t able to have a carefree return to school because they are confronted with their lunch debt from the previous year. This is unacceptable; no child should have to return to school with lunch debt. Chip in $5.19 to help eliminate lunch debt for students as they return for the 2019-2020 school year. 

Too often, students whose families have low incomes are shamed by school administrators because they can’t afford to pay for lunch. Sometimes, students are even prevented from having a hot meal at lunchtime, or they’re forced to throw out their lunch entrées. At Minnesota’s St. Paul Public School, for instance, students’ unpaid school lunch debt can result in extreme consequences. Seniors were prevented from graduating at the end of the year. That’s not okay, and we at Color Of Change want to help shift the unjust status quo. Chip in $5.19 to make sure that students are able to go back to school this year without lunch debt. 

Students and their parents don’t deserve to be shamed because they can’t afford the cost of lunch, and they definitely don’t deserve to have lunch debt from previous school years haunting them. This is unfair, and it disproportionately impacts the Black and Latinx students whose families have low incomes due to systemic economic barriers. This inequity is why we want to clear students’ lunch debt altogether. 

When Color Of Change members band together, we’re able to fight back against systems that hurt our people. And schools inflicting lunch debt on low-income students and their parents year after year, adding to the pressures our communities already experience, hurts our people. Chip in $5.19 so that students and their families do not have lunch debt following them into a new school year.

Until justice is real, 
—Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, Jamila, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “Warwick School Committee approves policy ending ‘lunch shaming,’” WPRI.com, May 15, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/135889?t=10&akid=35516%2E4804695%2EsL_rXz.
2. “Officials, advocates push for Minnesota law to keep students from being denied diplomas over school lunch debts,” Star Tribune, May 10, 2019, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/135890?t=12&akid=35516%2E4804695%2EsL_rXz.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

After years of fighting against the NCAA’s exploitation of Black student-athletes, the California Assembly approved the Fair Pay to Play Act this week! If signed into law, this historic bill would allow student-athletes to earn profit from their own names, images, and likenesses for the first time.

But the NCAA is doing everything in its power to keep the bill from being signed by the governor. This is a manipulative attempt to scare legislators into not passing the bill so that the NCAA can continue to make billions of dollars off of the backs of Black student-athletes. Enacting this bill in California would pave the way for similar legislation throughout the country, advancing ethical treatment of our student-athletes.

Send a letter directly to Governor Newsom demanding he sign this bill into law!

Because of thousands of Color Of Change members like you, who took action, we sent hundreds of letters to the California Assembly and over 20,000 petition signatures supporting the Fair Pay to Play Act.

Now, we need the voices of all Color Of Change members to demand that the Governor signs the bill to make it the law. 

Color Of Change members have been fighting against the NCAA’s exploitation of Black student-athletes for years. This is our moment to secure victory for our Black student-athletes.

Demand that Governor Newsom sign the Fair Pay to Play Act today!

Until justice is real,

Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color of Change team

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

We're about to end the exploitation of California's student-athletes. Last week, the California Assembly approved the Fair Pay to Play Act. In the final step, Governor Newsom must sign the bill into law. This historic bill would, for the first time, allow student-athletes to earn profits from their own names, images, and likenesses.

But the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is doing everything in its power to keep the bill from being signed by the governor. This is a manipulative attempt to scare legislators into not passing the bill so that the NCAA can continue to make billions of dollars off of the backs of Black student-athletes. Enacting this bill in California would pave the way for similar legislation throughout the country, advancing ethical treatment of our student-athletes. We have to make our voices louder than the NCAA.

We are asking that you make one phone call to Governor Newsom's office. After you click the link to begin the call, a script of what to say will appear on your computer or phone screen. The call will take only two minutes, but the impact could be life-changing for Black student-athletes. 

Call Governor Newsom's office to tell him to sign this bill into law!

Because of thousands of Color Of Change members like you who took action, we sent hundreds of letters to the California Assembly and over 20,000 petition signatures supporting the Fair Pay to Play Act.

Now, we need the voices of all Color Of Change members to ensure that the governor signs the bill to make it the law. 

After years of fighting against the NCAA’s exploitation, this is our moment to secure victory for our Black student-athletes. 

Demand that Governor Newsom sign the Fair Pay to Play Act today!

Until justice is real,

Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade, Jamila and the rest of the Color of Change team

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

Almost 60 years ago, 4 Black students at North Carolina A&T State University sat down at a whites-only Woolworth’s counter near their campus in Greensboro, NC and refused to move.

These students sparked a mass movement of sit-ins in over 70 cities across the South, and broke open the potential of youth to be leaders in the Civil Rights movement.

Just this week, NC A&T students were at it again. They’re fighting voter suppression on their campus by demanding an early voting site for their over 12,000 students. The 2020 primary elections are scheduled during NC A&T’s spring break, meaning many students will need to vote early in order to be counted. But the early voting site that was on campus in past elections was eliminated in 2018, meaning students have to walk over a mile to the nearest site.¹

Click here to chip in $1 to support Black student organizers like sophomore Cole Riley, who started the petition (that's him testifying to the Greensboro board of elections below!).

North Carolina has a history of Black voter suppression. District maps drawn in 2011 were tossed after being proven to disadvantage Black voters. But when Republicans redrew the maps in 2016, they split NC A&T’s campus in two, meaning students who live on north campus have to register and vote in a completely different place than those living on south campus. This move diluted the voices of A&T students, dividing them between two districts represented by white Republican state representatives.²

But like the bold student organizers before them, A&T students are refusing to stay silent in the face of injustice. We’re so proud of their fight, and in 2020 we’ll be educating and organizing supporting students like them nationwide to make sure they show up for elections and demand elected leaders who care about them.

Support Black students with us by donating $1 today.

Last year, we reached hundreds of Black students at Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman University, and NC A&T through our HBCU brunches. We registered students to vote, gave them information about candidates in their states, and decked them out in “Young, Black, and Voting” t-shirts.

But most importantly, we got them thinking about the power they have as young people to change their communities. When Black youth get organized, from sit-ins to voter suppression, they’re sending a message that they expect to have a seat at the table, regardless of their age. This is their world to shape, and they’re not going to sit back and wait for the previous generation to hand it over.

To make the urgent change we need for Black people to thrive, we need young people to be at the forefront. If you agree that young Black leaders are essential to changing our world, click below to support them with $1 today.

Support Black Students

Until justice is real,

Arisha, Jenni, Drew, Charles, Tammi, Daniel, Scott and the Color Of Change PAC team

Sources

1. "North Carolina's extreme gerrymandering could save the House Republican majority", Vox, 8 May 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185813?t=5&akid=36366%2E4804695%2ErrNOsR
2. "Guilford elections board OKs 2 fewer sites for early voting in November election", Greensboro News & Record, 10 July 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185814?t=7&akid=36366%2E4804695%2ErrNOsR

LeeAnn Bienaime was feeling nervous and excited to become a new mom. But late last month, when LeeAnn went to the hospital with ‘intense’ contractions, she was sent home by the medical staff at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. Just a few hours later, she gave birth to her baby in her bathtub.¹ Luckily, her baby is healthy, but this situation could have been dangerous. Too often, Black women are forced to make do with health care professionals who don’t respond to our needs and don’t believe our pain. This is the result of implicit biases in health care, which cost Black moms — and their babies — their lives. But, through implicit bias training, hospitals can reduce the number of Black women who are having negative experiences while in their care. 

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth must institute implicit bias training and ensure no other Black moms have to face what LeeAnn experienced.  

Black moms are not being treated with the respect and dignity they deserve, particularly during childbirth. But, implicit bias training has the potential to change this for Black moms across the country. In California, for instance, Color Of Change recently helped to pass a maternal health care bill that will reduce preventable, pregnancy-related deaths by requiring medical institutions to train staff to unlearn biases and misinformation.² This kind of training is crucial, and can be the difference between life and death for Black moms. 

Tell Naval Medical Center Portsmouth to institute implicit bias training for its staff!  

Black mothers face disparate outcomes regardless of their wealth or class. Even superstars like Serena Williams and Beyoncé have faced life-threatening complications during the delivery of their children. When they told medical staff about their pain, the staff didn’t listen.³ This kind of behavior is not unusual. Medical staff have historically discriminated against Black people. In fact, supposed progress in the field has often come at the expense of Black women who were forced to endure inhumane medical treatments. For example, the so-called Father of Gynecology, James Marion Sims, conducted research on enslaved Black women without anesthesia.⁴ Today’s medical treatments are built on this racism, and harmful implicit biases remain pervasive in medical institutions. 

Implicit biases in health care are causing our people unnecessary suffering, and we must take action to hold medical institutions accountable. Join us in calling on Naval Medical Center Portsmouth to provide implicit bias training for its staff.

Until justice is real, 
—Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team 

References: 

1. “Black mother gives birth to baby in a bathtub after being turned away from hospital,” The Root, September 19, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/186181?t=8&akid=36367%2E4804695%2EJLw6Rn
2. Office of Senator Holly Mitchell, SB 464, 12 March 2019, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/130339?t=10&akid=36367%2E4804695%2EJLw6Rn
3. “Beyoncé, Serena Williams open up about potentially fatal childbirths, a problem especially for black mothers,” Washington Post, 07 August 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/130340?t=12&akid=36367%2E4804695%2EJLw6Rn
4. “The ‘Father of Gynecology’ performed shocking experiments on slaves,” History.com, 29 August 2017, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/130341?t=14&akid=36367%2E4804695%2EJLw6Rn

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hey Eugene,

Today is National Voter Registration Day!

So far this year, Color Of Change PAC organizers, partners and members have worked tirelessly in races from Mississippi to Michigan to connect with Black voters and turn out the vote. We’ve hosted Black Joy Brunches, mixers, back-to-school drives and other events where people came out to eat, dance, and learn about the crucial issues affecting their communities. We’ve launched volunteer teams who mobilized Black voters to show up to the polls.

We’ve made it through some big primary races this year, and now we need people like you to turn out and keep winning in 2019’s General Elections.

Today is National Voter Registration Day. Make sure you’re registered to vote today.

In order to win this November and elect officials who care about Black people and our allies, we’re going to need to mobilize as many voters as possible. If you've moved, gotten married or changed your name you may need to register again, and you can click the link below to use our easy online voter registration tool.

Register to vote or update your voter registration here.

Every vote makes a difference, and your ballot could be the one that helps tip the scales in a critical race. If you’ve already voted or you’ve confirmed that your registration is up to date, please share this link with your family and friends to make sure they have a chance to vote too!

Let’s keep winning in 2019 and beyond,

-- Jenni, Arisha, Kwesi, Shannon, Drew, Sabrina, Charles, Scott, Daniel and the Color Of Change PAC team

Dear Eugene, 

It’s time to free the thousands of Black women and girls who are behind bars. In partnership with the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, we are calling on governors around the country to grant clemency to women and girls who need it most.

The impact of mass incarceration on Black women and girls cannot be overstated -- locking up Black women and girls for decades at a time devastate families and by extension destabilize entire communities while costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. And the women and girls who are most impacted are often survivors of violence themselves. This includes the stories of women like Tondalao Hall, Liyah Birru, and Natalie Pollard.

Tondalao is a Black mother who suffered at the hands of her abusive boyfriend for years. After her abuser pleaded guilty to physically harming her children, Tondalao was prosecuted and later sentenced to 30 years in prison for "failing to protect" her children.¹ Tondalao's abuser, Robert Braxton, walked free after two years in prison. Liyah is a Black woman who immigrated from Ethiopia. She was incarcerated for defending herself against her abusive husband and now faces deportation.² And Natalie is a Black mother who was sentenced for manslaughter for defending herself against a boyfriend who viciously attacked her while pregnant.³ All of these stories demonstrate a painful reality -- Black women are often forced to decide between living under the threat of physical violence or spending the rest of their lives in prison. But with your help, we can urge governors to use their clemency power to begin to right these terrible wrongs and set free the thousands of Black women and girls who are still behind bars.  

Eugene, if you join us in demanding governors exercise their clemency power then we will be one step closer to freeing the thousands of Black women and girls who are in cages.

Sign the petition: Join us in demanding that your governor use their power for good.

Clemency is an effective tool for reducing mass incarceration that so few governors actually use. Both Democratic and Republican governors alike have fallen short of utilizing their clemency powers to benefit our communities. In New York, Gov. Cuomo pardoned 22 immigrants who faced deportation because of previous state convictions, but with almost 200,000 New Yorkers within the criminal justice system, this isn't enough.⁴ In California, Former Gov. Jerry Brown commuted 283 by the end of his term, which was significant compared to the usual 1-2 people commuted per term by past governors.⁵ It was only through the work of groups like the California Coalition for Women Prisoners and Survived and Punished CA that we have seen this shift.⁶ The current Gov. Gavin Newsom could restore dignity to the roughly 10 percent of the prison population that is dying or elderly simply by initiating this clemency process.⁷ To date, he has only pardoned seven people.⁸ 

And the truth is: the impact of incarcerating a Black woman is oftentimes two-fold. Most women in prison are mothers or the primary caregivers of their children -- deepening poverty and wreaking havoc on the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of both mother and child.⁹ In places like NY, 75% of imprisoned women are mothers, and most lived with a minor child before prison.¹⁰ As a result of incarceration, children are literally taken away from their mothers. We owe it to these women to call on governors to do their part. 

Eugene, you can urge your governor to end this criminalization by freeing our women and girls.

A prison will never be a place for rehabilitation. Hundreds of thousands of women and girls are currently incarcerated as a result of criminalization for what should be addressed as public health issues stemming from violence, poverty, mental health problems, and drug addiction. And Black women are even more vulnerable. Black women are the fastest-growing segment of the prison population in the United States -- making up 29 percent of the incarcerated population but only around 7 percent of the total population.¹¹ 

That's why there is a growing number of supporters who are organizing statewide coalitions demanding their governor to free Black women and girls from cages. We are urging governors to exercise their power to grant clemency and seriously consider commuting the sentences of women and girls who are survivors of violence, often imprisoned for defending themselves, their children, or their loved ones, those who are enduring sentences of more than 10 years, elderly women who can barely walk, and lastly those living with long-term or life-threatening illnesses. The truth is, these women deserve to go free. Join us in making sure the stories and lives of these women are heard.

Eugene, will you call on your governor to exercise their clemency power?

Until justice is real, 

--Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Leonard, Madison, Tamar and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. "OKC Woman In Prison For Child Abuse Is Closer To Receiving Reduced Sentence." News 9 Oklahoma. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/178020?t=9&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL
2. #FreeLiyah. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177702?t=11&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL
3. "Sentence is ‘bitter pill’ for mom claiming self-defense in fatal stabbing of boyfriend, attorney says." Twin Cities. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177704?t=13&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL
4. "Why Aren’t Democratic Governors Pardoning More Prisoners?" The New Republic. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177812?t=15&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL
5. Ibid.
6. "Commutations Campaign." Survived and Punished. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/178164?t=17&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL
7. "Why Aren’t Democratic Governors Pardoning More Prisoners?" The New Republic. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177812?t=19&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL
8. "In a rebuke to President Trump, Gov. Newsom pardons refugees facing deportation."https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177813?t=21&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL
9. ACLU. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177837?t=23&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL
10. "The Gender Divide: Tracking Women's State Prison Growth." Prison Policy Initiative. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177705?t=25&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL
11. ACLU. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177837?t=27&akid=35489%2E4804695%2Ez-2ASL

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Women and girls impacted by the criminal legal system (and those who love and support us in many ways) will gather in Montgomery, AL, October 3-6, at the Free Her conference held by the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. We're offering full scholarships to Black Mamas who were freed during this year’s Black Mama’s Day Bail Out to attend the conference. Can you chip in to help cover the cost?

Eugene, when was the last time you felt fully supported, understood, completely seen by people you’ve only just met? Have you ever been in a room full of people validating your lived experiences because they’ve been through it too and they just get it? Do you remember the absolute relief in being able to put away any masks for survival you might wear daily and just keep it all the way real? Have you ever found your people in these kinds of rooms? I have. And I know first hand the transformative power and creative brilliance of found community. That’s why I’m so excited to be reaching out to you today with the opportunity to pay that feeling of community forward: October 3-6 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and girls will be ‘Reimagining Communities’ by co-creating one together in Montgomery, AL.

The gathering will be a sacred space to really love one another, share learnings, and strategize about how to get more of us free. And here’s the best part: Black Mama’s who YOU have helped to get free as part of this year’s Black Mama’s Day Bail Out will be in attendance. Since getting bailed out, these 16 Black Mamas have been participating in a fellowship centered on their healing, art, resistance and building a community of practice. At Free Her, the fellows will have a booth where they will talk about their experiences, share reflections, and make connections with other formerly incarcerated Black women. If we raise enough funds together, we’ll be able to support their airfare, hotel, transportation, and all participation related costs.

Make a contribution to fund a Black Mama’s scholarship to attend Free Her 2019 and build power.

The amount of women under carceral control is a crisis this country cannot afford to ignore any longer. Between 1980 and 2017, the number of incarcerated women has increased by more than 750 percent.¹ Women’s incarceration has grown at twice the rate of men’s incarceration in recent decades and there is a disproportionate representation of women in local jails.² Half of all incarcerated women are caged in local jails and 60 percent are not yet convicted and awaiting trial.³ Interlocking oppressions mean that women are even less likely than men to be able to afford high bail bonds that often amount to an entire year’s salary.⁴ 

Since 2015, the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls has held space for those closest to the pain of mass incarceration to build power and community together and to win justice. This vital work has had a huge impact in the movement to end incarceration and return women and girls home to us. 

Eugene, will you pitch in $4 to help a Black mama attend FreeHer2019?

Until justice is real, 

--Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. "Incarcerated Women and Girls." The Sentencing Project, 6 June 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195706?t=8&akid=36764%2E4804695%2EN_4Gt-
2. "The Gender Divide: Tracking Women's State Prison Growth." Prison Policy Initiative, 9 January 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/177705?t=10&akid=36764%2E4804695%2EN_4Gt-
3. "Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018." Prison Policy Initiative, 13 November 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/135862?t=12&akid=36764%2E4804695%2EN_4Gt-
4. "Detaining the Poor: How money bail perpetuates an endless cycle of poverty and jail time." Prison Policy Initiative, 10 may 2016. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195707?t=14&akid=36764%2E4804695%2EN_4Gt-

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene.

Comcast and the Trump administration are working to strike down key provisions of one of the oldest and most important civil rights laws in the country: the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

For more than 150 years, this law has been a bedrock protection from racial discrimination in employment, housing, banking, and consumer and business transactions. Now, Comcast is petitioning the Supreme Court to allow racial discrimination in business transactions as long as racism is not the only reason for denying someone a service.^1,2 If the Supreme Court sides with Comcast and the Trump administration, it will strike down one of the most important tools we have for protecting our communities from discrimination. Such a decision has the potential to fundamentally change how racial discrimination claims are decided for decades to come.

We cannot allow Comcast’s board and executive leadership to quietly dismantle civil rights laws so that it can pad its bottom line by discriminating against Black people. We still have time to force Comcast to withdraw its petition from the Supreme Court. But we need to act fast to turn up the pressure on its board of directors before it’s too late! 

Demand Comcast withdraw its Supreme Court petition challenging the Civil Rights Act of 1866, our oldest civil rights statute. 

Color Of Change has reached out to Comcast executives and board members directly to request its Supreme Court petition to be dropped. However, Comcast and its executives refuse to accept its legal defense will roll back civil rights protections. For a company that prides itself on being dedicated to diversity and inclusion in all facets of its business, it is clear these efforts may be contradicted at any time to protect the Comcast’s bottom-line. 

Black people already face extensive barriers in accessing justice and economic equality in this country, and this petition would serve only to allow corporations off the hook for their discriminatory practices.

For Tatiana Denson, a 40-year-old Black woman who had the police called on her for trying to open a business checking account at a PNC Bank, or Judi Brown, a Black transgender woman who was subjected to transphobic and racist slurs and harassment by her manager and coworkers at a Circle K, this law is their only pathway to justice.^3,4 Comcast’s petition would make it so that Black people like Tatiana and Judi would have to prove that racism was the only driver of a decision or denial. Instead of affirming that racism has no place in the negotiation of a commercial contract, Comcast is partnering with a Department of Justice that is openly hostile to the civil rights of Black people. Together, they condone the inclusion of racism as a legitimate basis for refusing to enter into a contract with Black people — as long as racism is not the "only reason."⁵

We must ensure there are proper protections for our people now and for years to come. Demand Comcast drop its Supreme Court petition for a Civil Rights Act of 1866 hearing. 

Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 places Black people on equal footing with white Americans by outlawing conduct that would prevent our communities from developing the means to work, build wealth, or have access to the justice system to vindicate our rights. Comcast is using an important piece of legislation to win a legal battle in an effort to disregard the large-scale effects of an adverse Supreme Court decision.⁶ What is at stake is more important than television programming.

Comcast's persistent pursuit of a ruling undermining civil rights laws, despite our efforts to engage the corporation directly, places it at the forefront of coordinated efforts by this administration to strike down centuries of civil rights progress. Comcast must be held accountable for attempting to reverse legislation enacted to ensure the economic and civil protections of Black People. Demand Comcast drop its Civil Rights Act of 1866 Supreme Court petition. 

By leveraging a relationship with an administration that pursues white nationalist ideals to block Black economic and media power, Comcast is standing on the wrong side of history, and this cannot go without consequence. It is critical that Comcast reconsider its petition to the Supreme Court, given the extensive harms that a ruling in its favor could extend to Black people, Black businesses, and Black economic equality.   

Stop Comcast from setting an oppressive precedent that would make proving racial discrimination practically impossible.

Until justice is real,

--Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “The Civil Rights Act of 1866: History and Impact,” Thought Co., February 3, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195186?t=10&akid=36831%2E4804695%2EUL2K3o
2. “Civil Rights Act of 1866,” African American Civil Rights Movement, 2017, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/195187?t=12&akid=36831%2E4804695%2EUL2K3o
3. “Black Woman Uses 153-Year-Old Civil Rights Law to Sue PNC Bank for Racial Profiling,” The Grio, September 9, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195188?t=14&akid=36831%2E4804695%2EUL2K3o
4. “Transgender Woman Sues Circle K, Citing Slurs, Harassment, Firing After Pride Parade: ‘I Was in Absolute Shock,” Chicago Sun Times, August 21, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195189?t=16&akid=36831%2E4804695%2EUL2K3o
5. “Exclusive: Comcast & Trump Dismantling Civil Rights Over $20 Billion Entertainment Studios Lawsuit,” Forbes, August 23, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195190?t=18&akid=36831%2E4804695%2EUL2K3o
6. “Comcast Defends Civil Rights Record as Discrimination Lawsuit Heads to Supreme Court,” Fierce Video, August 23, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195191?t=20&akid=36831%2E4804695%2EUL2K3o

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene, 

Governor Larry Hogan has denied the four HBCUs in his state the resources they are owed for decades of unequal funding. Instead, he has offered Bowie State, Coppin State, Morgan State and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore less than half of the funding they need to settle a lawsuit that has been ongoing for 13 years. HBCUs, the vast majority of which began when white institutions had the legal right to deny Black people an education, have traditionally been starved of resources. This lack of investment persists despite the fact that Black students at HBCUs are up to 16 percent more likely to graduate within 6 years than at PWIs.¹ Not only are private philanthropists much less likely to donate to schools that traditionally serve Black students, but the state of Maryland has historically invested a disproportionate amount of its public funds into the infrastructure and programming of its PWIs.² From rising student debt to weakening infrastructure, this all means one thing: 65 years after the Brown v. Education ruling, the educational opportunities available to Maryland’s Black community are still separate and unequal.

Demand Governor Hogan stop denying HBCUs the funding that they are owed for decades of inequity.

HBCUs have laid the educational and cultural foundation for so many of our people. With a legacy of training community members, teachers, and Black scholars, they represent how much is possible when we come together and invest what we have into each other. These HBCUs are not asking for a handout; they’re fighting for the same support that PWIs receive. Now, despite a federal judge’s ruling that Maryland is in fact responsible for creating inequities in higher education that it must address, Governor Larry Hogan has made the insulting offer of $200 million to settle the lawsuit. That is less than half of the $577 million the four schools are requesting, and it is far less than the $500 million dollar settlement that three HBCU’s in Mississippi won in 2017 after an almost identical ruling.³

From Ida B. Wells to Martin Luther King, Jr., HBCUs have cultivated leaders who have gone on to transform the landscape of American life and history. They are institutions that serve a higher proportion of first-generation college students than any other schools in the country, and that are committed to protecting the cultural legacy of Black Americans in a society that has tried to violently stamp it out. This is why it is absolutely shameful that despite a Democratically-controlled legislature in a state where up to 97% of Black voters have voted for the Democratic party, Governor Hogan is still choosing to deny these four HBCUs the resources they are owed. This comes just weeks after reports that he is also seeking to raise more than $2 million dollars in unregulated funds for his campaign from external organizations with their own political agendas.⁴ Tell Governor Hogan that he answers to the people of Maryland, not to private donors. If he cares about equity in education as much as he claims, he will stop holding up the resolution of this lawsuit. Tell Governor Hogan to pay Maryland’s HBCU’s what they are owed now!

Until justice is real, 

-- Jade, Johnny, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Amanda, Future, Imani, Eesha, Marcus, Folasade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. "How Are Black Colleges Doing? Better Than You Think, Study Finds,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 13, 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195290?t=9&akid=36834%2E4804695%2EWuI_qn
2. “Hogan HBCU offer inadequate, insulting,” The Baltimore Sun, September 30, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163219?t=11&akid=36834%2E4804695%2EWuI_qn
3. “Mississippi’s Landmark HBCU Lawsuit Shows the Reach of Inequity Beyond Borders and Across Generations,” HBCU Digest, September 19, 2017, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163220?t=13&akid=36834%2E4804695%2EWuI_qn
4. “Hogan raising ‘dark’ money to boost his agenda, stop costly education plan,” Washington Post, September 19, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163220?t=15&akid=36834%2E4804695%2EWuI_qn

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

WE DID IT! Last Monday, after more than 20,000 petition signatures, 3 billboards, and 10,000 combined letters and phone calls made by Color Of Change members, California’s governor signed the Fair Pay to Play Act into law. Finally, after decades of being exploited, student-athletes in California have the opportunity to make money from endorsements, hire agents, and earn profits from their own names, images, and likenesses. This historic law is a major step forward in our fight against the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) “amateurism” policy, which disproportionately exploits Black players.

But while the Fair Pay to Play Act has opened the doors for economic opportunity in California, student-athletes in the other 49 states and Washington, D.C. will continue being exploited, unless this legislation becomes federal law. Several states, including New York and South Carolina, are already looking to pass similar laws.¹ But the NCAA is still aggressively fighting to maintain full control of the student-athletes they call amateur players. They are using scare tactics and threatening to ban schools from competitions to prevent states from enacting similar laws. So we need to pressure Congress to make fair pay the standard for college athletes in every state.

Demand that the U.S. Congress guarantee fair pay for college athletes in every state.

Passing the Fair Pay to Play Act in California is the beginning of a national movement for fairness in collegiate sports, and will hopefully mark the end of the NCAA’s stranglehold on the wealth created by student-athletes. This movement transcends geographic and partisan lines - even Republicans like North Carolina Representative Warner think the NCAA has gone too far in their exploitation. He recently introduced a bill in Congress, the Student-Athlete Equity Act (HR 1804), which would strip the NCAA of their tax-exempt status unless they begin allowing athletes to profit off their likenesses.² Building on the momentum from California, we now have the opportunity to force open the doors of economic opportunity for Black student-athletes across the country.

By passing a federal law, we can force an end to the NCAA’s long exploitation of Black student-athletes and usher in a new golden era of collegiate sports. By opening the door to fair pay, we can empower Black student-athletes to better navigate the balancing act of college sports, honoring the demands of their team while staying on top of schoolwork. It’s time to change the rules of the game and allow student-athletes to cash in on their hard work. It’s time to #PayThePlayers.

Demand that your Congressmembers guarantee fair pay for student-athletes!

Until justice is real,
Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Evan, Future, Amanda, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color of Change team

References:

1. “What's Next After California Signs Game Changer Fair Pay to Play Act into Law?,” Sports Illustrated, September 30, 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/196862?t=9&akid=37089%2E4804695%2EV2PDTT

2. “Student-Athlete Equity Act Would End NCAA’s Tax-exempt Status Unless They Allow Athletes to Profit,” Medium, June 5, 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/196863?t=11&akid=37089%2E4804695%2EV2PDTT

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Net neutrality is vital to our struggle for civil rights in the digital age. It allows for a free and open internet for all people, with internet speeds that are not impacted by how much someone can pay. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been blocking net neutrality legislation, which means that large telecom companies, like Comcast and Verizon, can throttle online services, blocking and slowing traffic or interfering with our choices online. This has the potential to harm millions of Black, Brown, and low-income communities, who benefit from a free and open internet. 

Without net neutrality, people like us will lose the ability to access websites and blogs, run our businesses, and tell our stories, which, too often, are ignored by mainstream media. But the 2020 presidential candidates have the power to commit to restoring net neutrality. By pledging to restore net neutrality, presidential candidates commit to leading the fight to ensure that the internet works best for our needs, not the needs of corporations. 

Tell the 2020 presidential candidates to pledge to restore net neutrality. 

Because of net neutrality, we are able to uplift Black and Brown voices into mainstream media without needing the approval of gatekeepers. For instance, many Black journalists and cultural commentators are able to be heard as a result social media platforms, blogs, and other platforms they’re able to access without paying extra fees. Without net neutrality, Black and Brown expression will be stifled. We cannot let this happen. 

Every presidential candidate should support net neutrality. Tell the 2020 presidential candidates to protect net neutrality.  

For years, Color Of Change members like you have helped fight to ensure the internet remains free and open. You got the most comprehensive net neutrality bill signed into law in California, and you helped pass the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in the Republican-controlled Senate. But, we need to ensure that every presidential candidate is committed to maintaining a free and open internet. 

Join us in telling the 2020 candidates to protect net neutrality.

Until justice is real, 
—Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References: 

1. "Racial Justice Leaders Applaud Signing of Nation's Strongest Net Neutrality Bill," Center for Media Justice, October 01 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/108720?t=7&akid=36798%2E4804695%2EGoKRyk.  
2. Senators Just Passed a Resolution to Restore Net Neutrality," Motherboard, May 16 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/108721?t=9&akid=36798%2E4804695%2EGoKRyk. 

Photo: Rolling Stone. 

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Wow! We’ve been able to deliver over 30,000 electronic signatures to GoFundMe’s CEO, demanding they stop allowing Daniel Pantaleo to profit from killing Eric Garner. This is huge! And yet, GoFundMe still hasn’t taken down Pantaleo’s fundraiser. We need your help to send a clear message to the executives at GoFundMe: It’s time to shut this fundraiser down!

If you and everyone else who took action by signing this petition donated $1, we’d be able to put a billboard like this up in front of all three GoFundMe offices. Will you help us deliver this message straight to GoFundMe’s front door by chipping in $25?

GoFundMe has the power to stop Daniel Pantaleo from profiting off his crimes, and we have the power of our voices to make our demands be heard. Donate now. Help us get justice for Eric Garner.

Chip in $25 now to help send GoFundMe a crystal clear message they can't avoid.

Until justice is real,

--Malachi, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Clarise, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

P.S. If you haven't already, head over to this page, and sign the petition.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

When over 2.2 million incarcerated people are separated from the ones they love, something as simple as a phone call can mean so much. Hearing the voice of someone we care about, sharing a story about their day, wishing them a good night, or telling them “I love you,” are invaluable moments but in some facilities, a 15-minute phone call can cost up to $21.80¹ That means that calling someone as infrequently as every other day could cost a family over $300 a month. Prison telecom companies like Securus, have sought to place a price on human connection--- and have been cashing out in the process.

The presence of prison telecom companies is not new but they have managed to operate under obscurity and by staying away from the public eye, they’ve remained on the periphery of national conversations about criminal justice reform. That’s why Color of Change is dragging these companies into the light by developing new online tools and campaigns that will target these corporate profiteers--  but we need to raise $25,000 to do it. 

We’re waging a massive fight against the predatory prison telecom industry. Will you chip in $5 to help us win? 

For over 4 years, Color Of Change has been in this fight against the prison telecom industry- and we’ve been winning: 

• In 2015, we worked with partners to stop the egregious price gouging that telecom companies were engaging in, where in some states calls could cost up to $14 per minute! By pressuring the Federal Communications Commission we helped set rate caps on these prison phone calls.
• Last year, we achieved a major victory by making jail phone calls free in New York, a city that had been extracting $8 million annually in jail phone calls alone. 

Now, we’re taking this work even further with new projects and campaigns targeting the prison telecom industry. This includes, Carceral Co., a website we’re developing that will expose the private companies that invest in, provide services for, and profit off mass incarceration. Users will be able to dive into different types of industries, such as telecom, and interact with features like monthly fee calculators, or simulations of what a Securus call sounds and feels like, in order to understand the financial and emotional impact of incarceration and learn what they can do to help mobilize against it. But we need your help to make this groundbreaking tool a reality.

Securus may be a major player in the prison telecom industry, but it exists as just one of many companies that contract with correctional facilities to provide everything from prison meals to overpriced commissary products. Given that major companies are so deeply tied to the carceral system, Color Of Change refuses to accept money from corporations. That makes contributions from everyday people like yourself all the more crucial. 

We’ve shown that when we stand together, we can fight against prison telecom companies and create real change for our community. Will you chip in and help us continue this work? 

We already know that the criminal justice system is not “broken,” it’s operating exactly the way that it was intended to: stripping Black people of our freedoms, separating families, and exploiting the most vulnerable to turn a profit. Our next step is understanding every aspect of that profit incentive in order to expose who has the biggest stake in upholding the system as it currently stands. When we wield that knowledge and our collective power, we can realize a world where mass incarceration is not big business and where the liberation of our people takes precedence over protecting corporate bottom lines. 

Until Justice is Real,

--Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References: 

        1. "State of Phone Justice." Prison Policy Initiative. February 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/193707?t=6&akid=36387%2E4804695%2EwDk1rd

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hi Eugene,

My name is Ariana Hawk, and the city of Flint poisoned my children. My then 2-year-old son named Sincere became the face of the water crisis when he was on the cover of Time Magazine in 2016. Ever since then, our lives haven’t been the same.

It’s been five years and Sincere still deals with the rashes. He lives with the fear of being poisoned every single day, and it makes me furious. My daughter’s dad died of bacterial pneumonia in August 2015, before the state of Michigan confirmed it was Legionnaires’ bacteria disease. I do not trust the water here, and why should I? From cooking to boiling water for baths to brushing our teeth -- we have no choice but to use bottled water to protect ourselves from diseases. 

Life is a battleground for me and my family. And it’s a battle for thousands of other “Flint-stones” just like me. That’s why every single day, I’m fighting for change as an organizer with Color Of Change PAC. Flint is the only home I’ve known. I couldn’t just sit back and wait for the government to fix things when they’re the ones responsible for poisoning my family and community. 

I truly believe the best way to make Flint a better place is through getting a new mayor elected. We need a leader that we can hold accountable, and the only person I trust to get the job done is Sheldon Neeley. Donate $5 to help me reach as many voters in Flint as possible, and win the mayor’s election. 

Since the crisis began, I’ve been in the streets organizing to get my community the basic resources they need to survive. When the state stopped funding water for Flint, I waited for hours in the cold to get hundreds of bottles of clean water from donations. When our hospitals said they’d stop saying the word “poisoned” when it comes to sick children, I reminded doctors that their words matter and that they cannot lie about our experiences.

People are tired of asking for help and having none of their needs met. It’s been five years. And it feels like asking for clean water is a full-time job when it shouldn’t be. Our local officials don’t care about what happens to us, and it shows. Karen Weaver has had 4 years to fix this problem, and she hasn’t. The city of Flint has received upwards of $600 million to clean up the water, and it’s still poisoned under Weaver’s mismanagement.¹ She’s not doing her job properly. Why would we re-elect a mayor that sits back as hundreds of our community members suffer? 

We’re all the way fed up.

The lack of concern from the government makes my skin crawl. I couldn’t just wait for them to fix things when they’re the ones responsible for poisoning my family and community. The state wants to say that the water is fine, but we know that this is a bold lie. Even today, hundreds of residents are forced to choose between paying a water shutoff fee or buying clean water, because the tap water at home is too toxic to use.² That’s why every single day, I’m fighting for change as the lead organizer in Flint to elect Sheldon Neeley for mayor. 

This will not be an easy fight. Right now, current Mayor Karen Weaver is trying to win votes by making plenty of promises to fix things-- but she's already had 4 years in office to fix them. I only have 30 days to reach as many voters as possible to vote for Neeley. I urgently need your help. Rush a $5 donation right now to support a new future for me and my family. 

Sheldon Neeley grew up in Flint just like me, and I’ve seen him fight for us for years-- from serving on Flint’s City Council to his current fight as our state representative to ensuring the people responsible for the water crisis are held accountable. He’s a stand-up guy that I trust. To get out the vote for Neeley, I have a plan, but I can only see it through with your support. 

To make sure Sheldon Neeley wins, over the next 30 days I will be: 

• Knocking on thousands of doors with volunteers to make sure people know about this election and how to get registered to vote
  
• Texting and calling tens of thousands of people in Flint to get out the vote for Neeley 
• Hosting voter engagement events with my team to build community among one another and tell folks how they can get involved in improving Flint for Black people-- through the election and beyond
  
• And building relationships with hundreds of my neighbors in Flint so that we stay connected after the election and continue to work together for change no matter who’s in office

Flint is a predominantly Black community that has been forgotten about. I know, as you know, that if we were a predominantly white city, this crisis would’ve been solved much faster. Period. Every year, we are reminded that our health is not a top priority to the government. 

There’s only so much fighting we can do without a government that has our backs. I know that Sheldon Neeley does. It’s been 5 years too long, and as my children grow older I fear for the longterm effects that this crisis will bring to them. The children of Flint, Michigan deserve a shot at normal life with good schools, clean water, and safety. We need this win badly. Rush a $5 donation so that my community and I can finally make justice an everyday reality. We deserve it.

Until justice is real, 

-- Ariana, Sincere, and the Color Of Change PAC team

Sources

1. "'Were Flint water crisis funds mismanaged?", NBC 25 News, 11 February 2019,https://act.colorofchange.org/go/198187?t=8&akid=36879%2E4804695%2EFMKdZ-

2. "City of Flint to resume water shutoffs for non-payment.", NBC 25 News, 12 March 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/198188?t=10&akid=36879%2E4804695%2EFMKdZ-

Hi Eugene,

It’s me, Ariana again. I emailed you last week about why I’m fighting for my community to help Sheldon Neeley become the Mayor of Flint. 

Last Saturday, we knocked on 278 doors on our first big day of door-to-door voter outreach. And this wouldn’t have been possible without the hundreds of donations from Color Of Change PAC members like you.

I’ve walked these same blocks many times, and on Saturday I learned that there’s still some major work to do. According to my neighbors, current mayor Karen Weaver is trying to cover up the damage she’s done and the problems she’s ignored while in office. We can’t let that happen. Donate $5 right now to help us scale up our voter outreach this week and expose the truth!

Starting today, we’re going to be knocking on doors day in and day out. Here’s a list of things we’ll have to pay out of pocket for: 

• Water bottles to stay hydrated while we knock on hundreds of doors
• Flyers to make sure my community knows where to go and how to make their voices heard
• Rental space to host community trainings activating folks to learn more about the election and become leaders on their block

The list goes on and on. Costs are adding up and we are just getting started! Help us reach 3,000 Flint voters by November 5th with a $5 donation.

I love my community, and it’s been hard to listen to the stories of what we’ve gone through in the last five years. We’re tired of broken promises, and a lot of my neighbors have lost faith in the city government -- and rightfully so. 

Sheldon Neeley is committed to helping my people in real, tangible ways. The problem is, a lot of folks don’t know about all that he’s done. The only way for folks to know is if we have the resources to educate them and spread the word. We’re using our stories to remind each other of what’s at stake.  

We’ve already knocked on hundreds of doors. Help us knock on thousands of doors now for Sheldon Neeley by donating $5. Folks deserve to know the truth about someone who’s fought for real change in Flint for years.

Until justice is real, 

-- Ariana

P.S. -- Check out the email I sent last week about why we're fighting to get Sheldon Neeley elected mayor of Flint below.

 Hi Eugene,

My name is Ariana Hawk, and the city of Flint poisoned my children. My then 2-year-old son named Sincere became the face of the water crisis when he was on the cover of Time Magazine in 2016. Ever since then, our lives haven’t been the same.

It’s been five years and Sincere still deals with the rashes. He lives with the fear of being poisoned every single day, and it makes me furious. My daughter’s dad died of bacterial pneumonia in August 2015, before the state of Michigan confirmed it was Legionnaires’ bacteria disease. I do not trust the water here, and why should I? From cooking to boiling water for baths to brushing our teeth -- we have no choice but to use bottled water to protect ourselves from diseases. 

Life is a battleground for me and my family. And it’s a battle for thousands of other “Flint-stones” just like me. That’s why every single day, I’m fighting for change as an organizer with Color Of Change PAC. Flint is the only home I’ve known. I couldn’t just sit back and wait for the government to fix things when they’re the ones responsible for poisoning my family and community. 

I truly believe the best way to make Flint a better place is through getting a new mayor elected. We need a leader that we can hold accountable, and the only person I trust to get the job done is Sheldon Neeley. Donate $5 to help me reach as many voters in Flint as possible, and win the mayor’s election. 

Since the crisis began, I’ve been in the streets organizing to get my community the basic resources they need to survive. When the state stopped funding water for Flint, I waited for hours in the cold to get hundreds of bottles of clean water from donations. When our hospitals said they’d stop saying the word “poisoned” when it comes to sick children, I reminded doctors that their words matter and that they cannot lie about our experiences.

People are tired of asking for help and having none of their needs met. It’s been five years. And it feels like asking for clean water is a full-time job when it shouldn’t be. Our local officials don’t care about what happens to us, and it shows. Karen Weaver has had 4 years to fix this problem, and she hasn’t. The city of Flint has received upwards of $600 million to clean up the water, and it’s still poisoned under Weaver’s mismanagement.¹ She’s not doing her job properly. Why would we re-elect a mayor that sits back as hundreds of our community members suffer? 

We’re all the way fed up.

The lack of concern from the government makes my skin crawl. I couldn’t just wait for them to fix things when they’re the ones responsible for poisoning my family and community. The state wants to say that the water is fine, but we know that this is a bold lie. Even today, hundreds of residents are forced to choose between paying a water shutoff fee or buying clean water, because the tap water at home is too toxic to use.² That’s why every single day, I’m fighting for change as the lead organizer in Flint to elect Sheldon Neeley for mayor. 

This will not be an easy fight. Right now, current Mayor Karen Weaver is trying to win votes by making plenty of promises to fix things-- but she's already had 4 years in office to fix them. I only have 30 days to reach as many voters as possible to vote for Neeley. I urgently need your help. Rush a $5 donation right now to support a new future for me and my family.

Sheldon Neeley grew up in Flint just like me, and I’ve seen him fight for us for years-- from serving on Flint’s City Council to his current fight as our state representative to ensuring the people responsible for the water crisis are held accountable. He’s a stand-up guy that I trust. To get out the vote for Neeley, I have a plan, but I can only see it through with your support. 

To make sure Sheldon Neeley wins, over the next 30 days I will be: 

• Knocking on thousands of doors with volunteers to make sure people know about this election and how to get registered to vote
  
• Texting and calling tens of thousands of people in Flint to get out the vote for Neeley 
• Hosting voter engagement events with my team to build community among one another and tell folks how they can get involved in improving Flint for Black people-- through the election and beyond
  
• And building relationships with hundreds of my neighbors in Flint so that we stay connected after the election and continue to work together for change no matter who’s in office

Flint is a predominantly Black community that has been forgotten about. I know, as you know, that if we were a predominantly white city, this crisis would’ve been solved much faster. Period. Every year, we are reminded that our health is not a top priority to the government. 

There’s only so much fighting we can do without a government that has our backs. I know that Sheldon Neeley does. It’s been 5 years too long, and as my children grow older I fear for the longterm effects that this crisis will bring to them. The children of Flint, Michigan deserve a shot at a normal life with good schools, clean water, and safety. We need this win badly. Rush a $5 donation so that my community and I can finally make justice an everyday reality. We deserve it.

Until justice is real, 

-- Ariana, Sincere, and the Color Of Change PAC team

Sources

1. "'Were Flint water crisis funds mismanaged?", NBC 25 News, 11 February 2019,https://act.colorofchange.org/go/198187?t=9&akid=37564%2E4804695%2EpIhcUc

2. "City of Flint to resume water shutoffs for non-payment.", NBC 25 News, 12 March 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/198188?t=11&akid=37564%2E4804695%2EpIhcUc

Dear Eugene.

Protect our history and our future.

Eugene, we need you to protect the Civil Rights Act of 1866 — one of the oldest civil rights statutes to date and one of the most important tools we have for protecting our communities from discrimination.¹ 

We have over 25,000 petition signatures to demand Comcast drop its Supreme Court petition, but more must be done. The Supreme Court will hear this case on November 13, and we need to act fast to pressure Comcast's board of directors and executives before it's too late! 

Will you donate $1 so we can pressure Comcast’s leadership to drop their Supreme Court petition, using billboards near Comcast’s corporate headquarters? 

Comcast’s board and executive leadership are steadfast at defending their bottom line, with the support of the Trump administration.² The Civil Rights Act of 1866 is a pathway to justice for all discriminatory cases involving employment, housing, banking, and consumer and business transactions.³ Comcast’s case may be heard by the Supreme Court, and we know that the conservative justices are itching to make it easier for businesses to get away with racial discrimination. We cannot allow Comcast, a company that claims to pride itself on being dedicated to diversity and inclusion in all facets of its business, to set such a harmful precedent.⁴

Comcast must be held accountable. A $1 donation will help us expose the executives who support setting our rights back 150 years.

Color Of Change has reached out to Comcast executives and its board directly. However, Comcast refuses to accept the greater implications of challenging a hallmark piece of legislation — the oldest form of law created to acknowledge our humanity — that protects Black economic equality, including Black artists and independent contractors.

Challenging the Civil Rights Act of 1866 has grave consequences for Black people in the arts who are creating content to reshape the narratives of Blackness and Black culture. Without this hallmark statute, it would be difficult for Black creators to protect themselves against discrimination in already majority-owned and -led creative spaces. A Supreme Court decision eliminating this protection has the potential to fundamentally change how racial discrimination claims are decided for decades to come in multiple areas affecting us.⁵  

Comcast’s petition would put the burden on Black people to prove that racism was the only driver of a decision or denial in cases seeking to expose racial discrimination. We cannot allow Comcast and the Trump administration to strike down key provisions of one of the oldest and most important civil rights laws in the country.

Donate $1 so we can place billboards at Comcast’s corporate headquarters and show how much this important piece of legislation means to Black people.

Ignoring our efforts to engage it directly, Comcast believes a legal defense is more important than protecting civil rights. Justice and economic equality have been part of a constant fight for us, and we cannot let a corporation reverse protections that ensure our communities have the means to work, build wealth, and access the justice system to vindicate our rights.

Honor the ancestors that sacrificed for our freedoms and for Black economic liberation by donating $1 to stop Comcast from reversing one of the most critical civil rights protections that we have.

Until justice is real,

--Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “The Civil Rights Act of 1866: History and Impact,” Thought Co., February 3, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195186?t=10&akid=37377%2E4804695%2Ew9yXqg
2. “Exclusive: Comcast & Trump Dismantling Civil Rights Over $20 Billion Entertainment Studios Lawsuit,” Forbes, August 23, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195190?t=12&akid=37377%2E4804695%2Ew9yXqg
3. “Civil Rights Groups Slam Comcast for Trying to Weaken a Key Protection Against Racial Discrimination,” The Washington Post, October 2, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/199878?t=14&akid=37377%2E4804695%2Ew9yXqg
4. “Civil Rights Act of 1866,” African American Civil Rights Movement, 2017, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/195187?t=16&akid=37377%2E4804695%2Ew9yXqg
5. “Berkeley Law Dean Believes That Comcast and Charter Communications Are Putting Black People’s Civil Rights in Jeopardy,” The Grio, October 1, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/199879?t=18&akid=37377%2E4804695%2Ew9yXqg

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

Color Of Change invites you to our first #BlackFamilyCookout in Los Angeles on October 19, 2019! Next year we have the opportunity to shift the course for our communities, and it’s time for us to level up to get ready. Join us as we celebrate our community with delicious food, fun, and conversations.   

Will you join us for our first cookout on Saturday, October 19th at 4:30pm?

As we gear up to win in 2020 and beyond, we’re prioritizing community action rooted in joy. We have a continued commitment to putting our people and our values over politics as usual. This is the time to reclaim our communities, uplift local leaders and take action around the issues that deeply impact our families. 

Can we count you in for the first #BlackFamilyCookout?

We’re hosting this cookout in Los Angeles to build a stronger, more connected community that’s dedicated to supporting and centering Black people!  It’s time to start dreaming of the ways we can make the world a less hostile place for Black people.  Feel free to invite your family, friends, allies and networks to make this cookout a memorable one!

Join us on October 19th to experience the fun.

 --Shannon, Corina, Arisha, Kwesi, Chad, Dominique, Calyssa, Quiana, Ariana, Sonya and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

James Rucker just started a petition to the University of Alabama  Stop empowering racists and silencing Black people who tell the truth Sign now

Dear Eugene, I just started a petition titled "Stop empowering racists and silencing Black people who tell the truth " The University of Alabama has seemingly pushed for the resignation of its dean of students and assistant vice president — a Black man who had been in the job just seven months — for past tweets that made honest, straightforward statements about racism in America. It’s outrageous. Dr. Jamie Riley was apparently forced to resign after the “alt-right” website Breitbart — a favorite of white nationalists, known for its racism, antisemitism, and dishonest smear campaigns — published an article with Dr. Riley’s old tweets. Instead of standing up against this racist hit job against a prominent Black leader at the university, the University of Alabama threw him under the bus. It looks like an effective firing, with the university refusing to give details, only saying that there was “mutual agreement” around his resignation. Dr. Riley has been targeted for speaking plainly about racism! While Riley’s tweets might make some people uncomfortable, they’re based in fact and well within the mainstream conversation about racism. Here are two of them: • "The [American flag emoji] flag represents a systemic history of racism for my people. Police are a part of that system. Is it that hard to see the correlation?" • "I'm baffled about how the 1st thing white people say is, 'That's not racist!' when they can't even experience racism? You have 0 opinion!" Sign now and make your voice heard! When the dean of students can lose his job for a couple of old tweets about racism that many people would agree with, the message sent to Black students and faculty couldn’t be clearer: if you want to keep your job and stay at the university, you better keep your mouth shut. It’s chilling, and it conveys a lack of interest in protecting the academic freedom of Black people at the university and an unwillingness to protect Black members of its community when racists come after them with baseless accusations. Demand the University of Alabama stand behind Black faculty and staff! Rehire Dr. James Riley now! Thank you, James Rucker   Sign now

Join us and start your own petition on OrganizeFor today!

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

If you're absolutely sure you don't want to hear from Color Of Change again, click here to unsubscribe.

Eugene,

We are excited to invite you to Black Family Cookout in Los Angeles on October 19 from 5:00 to 7:00! 

RSVP today, and share with your friends and family too! 

WHERE: Jim Gilliam Rec Center and Park

WHEN: Saturday, October 19, 5pm - 7:00

Join us for the #BlackFamilyCookout.  Come through to learn more about who Color Of Change is and how we plan to reclaim our communities while eating BBQ, playing basketball and laughing with our family and friends. 

Here's the schedule:

5:00pm-5:45pm: Cookout will start, you’ll learn more about what we’re doing locally, and we'll get to know each other over food and refreshments. Please wear comfortable shoes and clothes and bring the whole family out to eat and play.  

5:45-7:00pm: We'll head to the game area to play, laugh and dance as a family.   We'll have a good playlist, food, great activities and family fun - all free of charge. 

We can't wait to see you there!

Until justice is real,

--Shannon and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Below is the last email we sent.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Color Of Change invites you to our first #BlackFamilyCookout in Los Angeles on October 19, 2019! Next year we have the opportunity to shift the course for our communities, and it’s time for us to level up to get ready. Join us as we celebrate our community with delicious food, fun, and conversations.   

Will you join us for our first cookout on Saturday, October 19th at 4:30pm?

As we gear up to win in 2020 and beyond, we’re prioritizing community action rooted in joy. We have a continued commitment to putting our people and our values over politics as usual. This is the time to reclaim our communities, uplift local leaders and take action around the issues that deeply impact our families. 

Can we count you in for the first #BlackFamilyCookout?

We’re hosting this cookout in Los Angeles to build a stronger, more connected community that’s dedicated to supporting and centering Black people!  It’s time to start dreaming of the ways we can make the world a less hostile place for Black people. Feel free to invite your family, friends, allies and networks to make this cookout a memorable one!

Join us on October 19th to experience the fun.

 --Shannon, Corina, Arisha, Kwesi, Chad, Dominique, Calyssa, Quiana, Ariana, Sonya and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hey Eugene,

I'm proud to announce that we just released a new podcast interviewing the 2020 presidential candidates called The Voting While Black Podcast.

The Voting While Black Podcast goes beyond the rhetoric to reveal what the presidential candidates really think about race. There have been tons of debates and forums on climate change, LGBTQ issues, and common-sense gun safety, and now it’s our time. This podcast is produced by and for us and hosted by Color Of Change PAC's spokesperson Rashad Robinson.

Check Out the Podcast

We’ve decided to interview the candidates because we need real, detailed answers about what they think about the issues that impact Black people— issues that are often ignored or glossed over on the national debate stage. We need the next president to take issues plaguing our community seriously like mass incarceration, police violence, reparations, voter suppression, health care, immigration, and reproductive rights.

We know Black voters want to make an informed decision when they go to the ballot box. But to do that, we need less political pandering and more clarity from these candidates. We see this podcast as a way to make sure we have the information we need to decide which candidates really are committed to investing in Black people and communities.

Our first episode features an interview with Senator Bernie Sanders— we’d love to have you be one of the first to listen. Click here to dive in.

Until justice is real,

Arisha, Rashad, Jenni, Drew, Whitney, Charles, Tammi, Daniel, Scott, Devorne, Vanessa and the Color Of Change PAC team

P.S. If you like the episode, please rate and review us on iTunes! This will help us get bumped into Apple's "Top Podcasts" list.

P.P.S. Send us your reactions and comments to the podcast on social media using #votingwhileblack! You can Tweet at us @votingwhileblk, post on Instagram @votingwhileblack, or tag us on Facebook @colorofchangepac. You can also email us by responding to this email!

Facebook just reopened the Pandora's box of voter suppression and misinformation, giving Trump the green light to spread lies, hate, and election misinformation on its platform. Under Facebook's extraordinarily reckless new "Trump Exemption" policy, politicians' posts and advertisements are exempt from the platform’s rules.¹

This change is already being exploited by the Trump campaign, which is running more than $1 million of Facebook ads a week, pushing conspiracy theories to deflect from Trump’s impeachment inquiry, and demonizing migrant communities.

With the 2020 election cycle already in full swing, there is no room for politicians’ misinformation and voter suppression efforts on the world’s largest social media platform. The 2016 election already showed how Facebook can be exploited to target Black voters for suppression and promote white nationalist propaganda.^2,3 This exemption does nothing more than give free license to Trump and the politicians with the most to gain from silencing our voices to spread misinformation.

Demand Facebook end the Trump exemption and restore bans on misinformation and hate from politicians!

When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in Congress last year, he admitted he was at fault for not protecting Facebook users against fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech. And just last month, Color Of Change led dozens of advocates in the civil rights and Black tech communities in a town hall convening with Facebook senior leadership to address curbing misinformation and voter suppression on the platform ahead of the 2020 elections.⁴ Yet Facebook still made the decision to enact this dangerous policy, which contradicts the commitments the company has made to Congress and Color Of Change. Including recent commitments Facebook made to Color Of Change and other civil rights leaders at Civil Rights x Tech townhall late last month. 

Facebook continues to pretend it is neutral in all this, but in the moral arc of history, it will be considered critically responsible for the normalization of politics that are harmful to Black people. As Trump expands his misinformation machine, Facebook executives like Vice President Nick Clegg continue to allow the company's powerful right-wing staff to make the company's policies increasingly friendly toward Trump. While Zuckerberg himself was just revealed to be secretly hosting far-right peddlers of white nationalist propaganda and misinformation like Tucker Carlson and Ben Shapiro in private, off-the-record dinners in his homes.⁵ This is no coincidence.

Facebook’s commitment to protecting Black voters and protecting our elections is called into serious question when some of its most important decision makers on election policy include former senior official in the George W. Bush White House and Brett Kavanaugh supporter Joel Kaplan, as well as former Rudy Giuliani staffer and Republican election consultant Katie Harbath. Facebook’s lax attitude toward blatant misinformation and its willingness to appease Trump are threats to our democracy and election security.

Demand Facebook end the Trump exemption and restore bans on misinformation and hate from politicians!

Under the Trump exemption, Facebook will allow Trump and any other politician to run ads misinforming Black voters about how and when they can vote, promote blatant white nationalist propaganda, and use fearmongering to push Black and migrant communities not to participate in the critically important 2020 Census. By enacting this policy, Facebook is not only denying that voter suppression is a problem on the platform but also openly welcoming it.

The stakes are too high for the Trump exemption to stand. Politicians cannot lie and misinform the public with impunity. If Facebook wants to show the civil rights community that it is committed to fighting voter suppression and election interference, it must immediately drop the Trump exemption and ensure that all politicians follow the same rules as every other user regarding content and advertisements.

Demand that Facebook immediately restore the bans on hate and misinformation from politicians!

Until justice is real,

Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Amanda, Evan, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1.  “Facebook Says Trump Can Lie in His Facebook Ads,” Popular Information, October 3, 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/202799?t=10&akid=38100%2E4804695%2ElIdjoM

2. “Did Fake News on Facebook Help Elect Trump? Here’s What We Know,” NPR, April 11, 2018,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/202800?t=12&akid=38100%2E4804695%2ElIdjoM

3. “Russian Trolls Tried to Convince African Americans Not to Vote in 2016, US Senate Says,” CNBC, October 9, 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/200865?t=14&akid=38100%2E4804695%2ElIdjoM

4. “Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg Hears Concerns of Civil Rights Leaders but Offers No Promises,” Gizmodo, September 26, 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/202801?t=16&akid=38100%2E4804695%2ElIdjoM

5. “Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Private Meetings with Conservative Pundits,”, Politico, October 14, 2010,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/202802?t=18&akid=38100%2E4804695%2ElIdjoM

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hey Eugene, it's me, Ariana from Flint, with an update!

I sat down last night for the first time in what feels like weeks, kicking back at one of Flint’s favorite restaurants, Rube’s. We were there hosting a debate watch party to see Sheldon Neeley, our candidate for Flint mayor, face off against current mayor Karen Weaver.

One of my favorite moments of the debate was when Sheldon Neeley said: "We have to be able to build together, work together, strive together and recover together."

That quote, along with spending time with my community last night, reminded me why I do this work: it’s to improve the lives of my people.

This isn’t just some political battle. It’s people’s water, people’s paychecks, people’s kids. I wouldn't ask you if these weren't the lives of my people on the line: will you chip in $1 to support our needs in our final 20 days to elect the new mayor we need in Flint?

Me and some of my Squad members at the Debate Watch Party last night at Rube's

I’ve knocked on a lot of doors in the last few weeks, and one thing I’ve realized is that a lot of people in Flint don’t even know that this election is happening. And a lot of other people are exhausted with politicians promising solutions that they don’t deliver. 

I get it. In a town like ours, where even our basic need for clean water has been ignored for years now, it’s easy for folks to just give up on voting and politicians’ promises.

I’m not out here for the political promises either. I’m out here to make some demands.

I’m out here to demand that me and my beautiful Black children have all the opportunities we need to thrive, and that we have them right here in Flint. Strong schools. Clean water. Safe neighborhoods.

Mayor Karen Weaver hasn’t met my demands. So I’m moving on to a candidate I believe will-- Sheldon Neeley.

If we get enough support here in Flint, we CAN win this election, and we CAN win our demands for a city where we can thrive. But that support depends on people like you, Eugene. Donate $1 now if you’re with us in our final 20 days.

I believe in Sheldon Neeley because I’ve seen what he’s already done for Flint:

• He helped establish the Flint Promise, which provides free college or greatly reduced tuition to students graduating from Flint high schools¹
  
  
• He helped open the Flint Development Center Literacy Lab to teach kids and adults literacy skills, in a city where 3rd grade reading proficiency was about 10% in 2017^2,3
  
  
• He fought for accountability for those who caused the water crisis, even as their charges were being dropped left and right⁴

And I have to say, I’m feeling hopeful. The fact that so many people came out on a Thursday night to watch this debate is a testimony to the work we’re doing in Flint to get people excited about this race. 

You know how we got people to show up to the debate watch party? The same way we’re getting people to show up to vote: through real conversations, one door at a time.

And it’s not easy: last Saturday we were knocking doors for hours in 45 degree cold with clouds blocking the sun. But I was inspired to see how my people bundled up and stood out there with me, because they knew if they didn’t talk to their neighbors, maybe no one would.

Here’s what keeps me going out there in the freezing air: every person I talk to who votes for Sheldon Neeley could be the deciding vote-- the difference between a chance at getting what me and my kids need, and getting 3 more years of a mayor who hasn’t delivered.

I’m putting my money on someone new that I believe in. I hope you do too.

Help us win in flint

Until justice is real,

Ariana, Arisha, Jenni, Drew, Charles, Daniel, Tammi, Scott and the Color Of Change PAC team

Sources

1. "Flint Promise Zone creates 'economic bridge' for students to attend college", MLive, 19 January 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/205321?t=5&akid=38132%2E4804695%2EZG44JN
2. "Community organizations work to boost literacy levels in Flint", NBC25, 19 March 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/205322?t=7&akid=38132%2E4804695%2EZG44JN
3. "Sheldon Neeley", Michigan House Democrats, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/205323?t=9&akid=38132%2E4804695%2EZG44JN
4. "Bills aim to deliver justice in Flint water crisis before clock runs out", Detroit Metro Times, 3 September 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/194323?t=11&akid=38132%2E4804695%2EZG44JN

Dear Eugene,

Only days ago, 8 year old Marian Scott was told she could not participate in her school picture day because of her hair,  humiliating her in front of her classmates.¹ Across America, kids are being shamed for having hair that is too Black, telling them again and again they aren't good enough; that Black isn't good enough. Black children everywhere deserve to be proud of who they are and our job is to pave the way for them. That’s why Color Of Change partnered with the CROWN Coalition to fight hair discrimination against Black people across the country. We won in California and in New York.² Now, we need your help to take this fight to the next level. Will you join us in taking this fight all the way to Washington?

Black children across America are being humiliated because of racist policies that discriminate against our hair. Last year, 6 year old Clinton Stanley Jr.³ was sent home from A Book’s Christian Academy for having locks and 11 year old Faith Finnedy⁴ was sent home from Christ the King for wearing box braids to school. These policies shape the way Black kids see themselves and give permission to institutions and bigoted educators to discriminate against them without repercussion. We cannot allow these practices to continue.

Help us bring the fight to the federal level and give our kids a chance for a future free from hair discrimination.

Your support will help bring this fight to the national level, where it needs to be. Right now, your support will:

• Take our fight to Capitol Hill to set a federal precedent needed to protect our folks against this hideous brand of racism.
• Support the state by state effort to get urgently needed protections on the local level and gain federal momentum
• Develop educational and awareness building materials that lead up to, and live beyond, the legislation.

Together, let's end hair discrimination in our lifetime

-- Future, Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Jade, Evan, Johnny, Eesha, Sam, Marcus, Folasade and the rest of the Color Of Change team and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. 'Eight year old girl denied school picture because of hair.' Wilx, October 7 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/204073?t=9&akid=38139%2E4804695%2EB6W1i7
2. More states are trying to protect black employees who want to wear natural hair to work.' The Washington Post, September 19, 2019 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/204074?t=11&akid=38139%2E4804695%2EB6W1i7
3. '6 year old with dreadlocks banned from private school in Orange county.' Orlando Sentinel, August 14 2018   https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163219?t=13&akid=38139%2E4804695%2EB6W1i7
4. 'Louisiana girl sent home from school over braided hair extensions.' Nbc News, August 22, 2018 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163220?t=15&akid=38139%2E4804695%2EB6W1i7

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hey Eugene,

Our 2nd episode of the Voting While Black Podcast released today featuring an interview with Julián Castro!

Our spokesperson Rashad Robinson talked with him about his real thoughts on race and what he plans to do to support Black communities.

You can listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or stream it online!

Listen on spotify

Listen on Apple podcasts

Stream online

Check out our email from last week below to read more about the podcast and check out our first episode with Senator Bernie Sanders!

Until justice is real,

Arisha, Rashad, Jenni, Drew, Whitney, Charles, Tammi, Daniel, Scott, Devorne, Vanessa and the Color Of Change PAC team

Hey Eugene,

I'm proud to announce that we just released a new podcast interviewing the 2020 presidential candidates called The Voting While Black Podcast.

The Voting While Black Podcast goes beyond the rhetoric to reveal what the presidential candidates really think about race. There have been tons of debates and forums on climate change, LGBTQ issues, and common-sense gun safety, and now it’s our time. This podcast is produced by and for us and hosted by Color Of Change PAC's spokesperson Rashad Robinson.

Check Out the Podcast

We’ve decided to interview the candidates because we need real, detailed answers about what they think about the issues that impact Black people— issues that are often ignored or glossed over on the national debate stage. We need the next president to take issues plaguing our community seriously like mass incarceration, police violence, reparations, voter suppression, health care, immigration, and reproductive rights.

We know Black voters want to make an informed decision when they go to the ballot box. But to do that, we need less political pandering and more clarity from these candidates. We see this podcast as a way to make sure we have the information we need to decide which candidates really are committed to investing in Black people and communities.

Our first episode features an interview with Senator Bernie Sanders— we’d love to have you be one of the first to listen. Click here to dive in.

Until justice is real,

Arisha, Rashad, Jenni, Drew, Whitney, Charles, Tammi, Daniel, Scott, Devorne, Vanessa and the Color Of Change PAC team

P.S. If you like the episode, please rate and review us on iTunes! This will help us get bumped into Apple's "Top Podcasts" list.

P.P.S. Send us your reactions and comments to the podcast on social media using #votingwhileblack! You can Tweet at us @votingwhileblk, post on Instagram @votingwhileblack, or tag us on Facebook @colorofchangepac. You can also email us by responding to this email!

This year, we have the chance to bring some Halloween-themed Black joy to 224 economically disadvantaged Black children in New Orleans, who are dreaming of dressing up as their favorite heroes, movie characters, and spooky creatures. But they do not have access to costumes. With the help of Color Of Change members like you, we can ensure these kids have a Halloween to remember.

Yes, I’ll chip in $3 
Yes, I’ll chip in $5 
Yes, I’ll chip in $10 
Other amount

Black children do not get to live freely and experience joy in the ways that other children do. This was true when four young, Black and Latinx girls in Binghamton, New York, were strip searched for “being giddy” during lunch. It was true when a young Black girl was thrown down and pinned to the ground by a police officer in McKinney, Texas. It was true when Cyntoia Brown was arrested at the age of 16 for defending herself against a sexual predator. And it was true just yesterday when a school resource officer in New Mexico attacked an 11-year-old girl for “disrupting class” and “taking an extra milk.”⁴ But, we know Black kids are just that: kids. They do not deserve to be treated so cruelly.

Black children should be able to experience the joy and excitement of Halloween, just like any other kids. That’s why we’re partnering with ‘Ween Dream, an organization based in New Orleans that collects and distributes Halloween costumes to families who can’t afford them. We’re almost at our goal of donating 224 costumes, but we need 25 more members to chip in!  

Yes, I’ll chip in $3
Yes, I’ll chip in $5 
Yes, I’ll chip in $10 
Other amount

In 2005, Color Of Change was founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, where Black families in New Orleans were left on their rooftops to die. Katrina continues to impact the area to this day; some of those same people who were abandoned when they were most in need are parents now, and they have children who are in need of some Black joy. Members like you have the unique opportunity to provide these kids with Black joy so they can have the best, most joyful Halloween possible.

Until justice is real, 
—Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Future, Amanda, Evan, Imani, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. “Demand the Binghamton City School District End the Criminalization of Black & Latinx Girls,” Color Of Change, https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Binghamton/?t=12&akid=38219%2E4804695%2ELjqJZd 
2. “McKinney, Texas, Girl Who Was Slammed to the Ground by Police at a Pool Party in 2015 Wins Settlement,” The Root, June 20, 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/206011?t=14&akid=38219%2E4804695%2ELjqJZd
3. “Color Of Change and Allies Launch Campaign Demanding Tennessee Governor Haslam Grant Clemency to Cyntoia Brown,” Color Of Change, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/206012?t=16&akid=38219%2E4804695%2ELjqJZd
4. “Watch: School Resource Officer Resigns After Brutal Attack on 11-Year-Old Girl,” The Root, October 23, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/208280?t=18&akid=38219%2E4804695%2ELjqJZd

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hey Eugene, 

My name’s Jennifer Edwards, and I’m the Senior Digital Director of Color Of Change PAC. As someone who has worked many years in the fight for Black political power, I can tell you this: the way we engage with voters is changing at an extreme pace, and outdated tactics just aren’t cutting it anymore. 

We’re living in the digital era, and we urgently need to prioritize meeting Black people where they are: online. That’s why in our final 9 days before the mayoral election in Flint, we’ve got to ramp up our digital ads to get out the vote for Sheldon Neeley. 

Victory in Flint is possible if we keep using innovative digital strategies to reach voters. But innovation isn’t possible without your support. Donate $9 right now to help us reach Black voters in Flint!

You might be wondering why digital ads are so important in our final push to elect Neeley. Let me explain. Our work in Flint is unlike any other political race. According to our field team and volunteers who live in Flint, awareness of the mayoral race was pretty low because Black folks in the community weren’t being properly reached, and folks are tired of being let down by broken promises.

That’s why since the primary election this summer, we’ve been running ads supporting Neeley to increase awareness of the race… and they’ve been working! In total, the ads have reached people over 1,000,000 times. In fact, Ariana Hawk, our lead organizer in Flint, just told me that a community member came up to her and said that after seeing our video ad online, they’ve decided to vote! That’s why my team is dedicated to making information about voting more accessible than ever before. It can make a difference in Black people’s lives every single day.

Before election day on November 5th, we’re committed to making this election more accessible to Black folks by:

• Creating interactive voter engagement materials on our Facebook Messenger bot including register to vote reminders, a polling place locator, and answering frequently asked questions
• Distributing ads about Sheldon Neeley to educate the community of Flint about his commitments to expunge low-level marijuana convictions and invest even more in Flint’s schools, teachers, and free and reduced-fee college opportunities
• Sending SMS updates to Flint residents with breaking updates about the election and information on election times and requirements
• Creating RSVP systems in our chatbot so Flint residents can attend text-a-thons and debate watch parties, and so much more!

Social media might not seem important for social change. But on a grand scale, it helps us reach Black voters in ways we never could’ve imagined ten, or even five years ago. We’ve gotten over 600 comments on our ads in the last month, and over 450 people have shared our graphics and videos. This means our ads are getting people talking about this election, and sharing it with their friends and family so they know too.

The proof is in the numbers, Eugene. We’ve got to continue innovative voter outreach in order to make victory a possibility for Black folks in Flint. If we aren’t funded properly, we will not be able to run public education and awareness ads urging hundreds of thousands of folks to get out the vote for Sheldon Neeley. 

Knowledge is power, and Flint deserves this win now more than ever before. If our digital program for Flint is funded from now until November 5th, victory could become an even closer reality. Rush a $9 donation right now before it’s too late. 

Until justice is real, 

Jenni

Teachers in Chicago are fighting for children’s lives and they are not backing down! Today marks the ninth day of cancelled classes for over 360,000 Chicago students. Teachers and support staff have taken to the streets, marching and protesting until they can secure bold, transformative investment in the Chicago public education system. These educators are fighting not just for themselves, but for children’s futures — the vast majority of whom are Black and Latinx.

Throughout the weeks, the teacher’s union has been in negotiations with first-time Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who pledged during her campaign to boost investment in neighborhood schools.¹ The teachers are demanding that she put this commitment in writing in their contracts, but their top demands have yet to be met.

Demand that Mayor Lightfoot meet the Chicago Teachers Union deal and end the strike!

Here are the top five issues the teachers are fighting for:

• Adequate staffing, including at least one school nurse per school, one full-time social worker for every 250 general education students and every 50 special education students, one full-time psychologist for every 500 students²
• An end to overcrowded classrooms
• A living wage, with annual raises
• Health care benefits that address the rising costs of health premiums
• Teacher prep time built into the workday

None of these demands are outrageous, but the consequences of not meeting them are. Teachers are the backbone of our nation — they prepare children to become adults and members of society. Their work goes well beyond the classroom. They often act as counselors, mentors, and the most trusted adult in kids’ lives besides a parent. Many teachers find themselves spending their own time and money outside of work to create lessons, grade papers, and tailor instructions to the various needs of their students. Yet these professionals are subject to inadequate working conditions while serving the most vulnerable citizens — our children.

Chicago’s students and teachers have suffered for too long and it is time to ensure their needs are met.

The majority of Chicagoans support the teacher’s strike, including some parents who had to find backup childcare or stay home from work.³ And several 2020 presidential candidates have come out to support the teachers as well. The wave of teacher strikes across the country — in Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Los Angeles — have proven successful, inspiring Chicago’s teachers.⁴ And they are not going back to work until Mayor Lightfoot meets their needs for better working conditions, smaller classes, and more nurses and counselors. Our children deserve better.

Stand in solidarity with Chicago’s teachers and students. Demand Mayor Lightfoot meet the teachers’ working requirements now!

Until justice is real,

Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Amanda, Evan, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “A Tale of Two Strikes: Can Chicago Learn Anything from Its Past Teacher Walkouts?” Chalkbeat, September 24, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/208368?t=9&akid=38256%2E4804695%2EcYvjHM

2. “CPS Teachers Are on Strike. Here's a Look at the Big Issues at Stake,” Chicago Tribune, October 21, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/208370?t=11&akid=38256%2E4804695%2EcYvjHM

3.“Poll: Chicagoans More in Step with Teachers Than City over Walkout,” Chicago Sun Times, October 14, 2019,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/208372?t=13&akid=38256%2E4804695%2EcYvjHM

4.“Teacher Strikes Are Changing. The Chicago Walkout Proves It,” Vox Media, October 17, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/208371?t=15&akid=38256%2E4804695%2EcYvjHM

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

Halloween is a special holiday where kids get to play dress up, experience unabashed joy, and, most importantly, munch on their favorite sweet treats! But some students won’t get to participate in these joyful activities. In fact, many students, particularly those in the state of Minnesota, can’t afford the cost of their lunch and are publicly shamed because of it. This Halloween, we want to make sure that children do not have to deal with the stress of the cost of their lunch. Chip in $5 to eliminate lunch debt for students in Minnesota.   

Too often, students whose families have low incomes are shamed by school administrators because they can’t afford to pay for lunch. Sometimes, students are even prevented from having a hot meal at lunchtime, or they’re forced to throw out their lunch entrées. At Minnesota’s St. Paul Public School, for instance, students’ unpaid school lunch debt can result in extreme consequences. Seniors were prevented from graduating at the end of the year. That’s not okay, and we at Color Of Change want to help change this. Chip in $5 this Halloween to help alleviate these students’ lunch debt.  

Students and their parents don’t deserve to be shamed because they can’t afford the cost of lunch. This is unfair, and it disproportionately impacts the Black and Latinx students whose families have low incomes due to systemic economic barriers. When schools shame families because of their lunch debt, it adds to the pressures our communities already experience. 

We want to end school lunch debt for students, once and for all. And we need the help of members like you to do it. Chip in $5 and help us ensure that Minnesota students are able to celebrate Halloween without the stress of school lunch debt.

References:

1. “Warwick School Committee approves policy ending ‘lunch shaming,’” WPRI.com, May 15, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/135889?t=10&akid=38829%2E4804695%2E0l9fqj.
2. “Officials, advocates push for Minnesota law to keep students from being denied diplomas over school lunch debts,” Star Tribune, May 10, 2019, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/135890?t=12&akid=38829%2E4804695%2E0l9fqj.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Across the country, low-income students are being shamed by school administrators in front of their peers because they cannot afford to pay for their lunch. Some students are forced to throw out their lunch entrees; other students go hungry. Some students have even been prevented from graduating high school as the result of accumulated, unpaid lunch fees.1 2 But we at Color Of Change believe that every student deserves to have a nutritious meal at lunch time, regardless of their race or income level. Tell Congress to end school lunch debt shaming.  

School lunch debt shaming is an unfair practice. It disproportionately impacts Black and Latinx students — students whose families are often low-income due to systemic and economic barriers. But, this past June, Representative Ilhan Omar and Senator Tina Smith introduced the No Shame at School Act, legislation that will protect students and families who can’t afford the cost of lunch. If adopted, this legislation will stop school districts from having collection agencies seek students’ unpaid lunch fees, and would end humiliating practices, like wristbands and hand stamps, that schools often use to indicate a student owes fees for lunch. Tell Congress to protect families who can’t afford the cost of lunch.   

At Color Of Change, we make powerful changes all over the United States. With your help, we’ve fought for better health care for Black moms, changed pay restrictions for college athletes in California, and elected legislators who care about Black people. We now have the opportunity to use our collective power to end school lunch debt shaming for good, and push for policies that protect our people. Join us in demanding that Congress the No Shame at School Act, and end lunch shaming across our country.

Until justice is real, 
—Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Future, Amanda, Evan, Imani, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. “Warwick School Committee approves policy ending ‘lunch shaming,’” WPRI.com, May 15, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/135889?t=7&akid=38870%2E4804695%2ETjr43K. 
2. “Officials, advocates push for Minnesota law to keep students from being denied diplomas over school lunch debts,” Star Tribune, May 10, 2019, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/135890?t=9&akid=38870%2E4804695%2ETjr43K.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene.

Comcast and its executives are seeking to roll back landmark civil rights protections for Black people, while also seeking to profit from our pain and the history of our struggle.  

Just two weeks before its Supreme Court challenge to our oldest civil rights law, Comcast, the parent company of film production company Focus Features, is releasing the autobiographical film Harriet, based on the formerly enslaved and abolitionist hero Harriet Tubman. Tubman risked her life countless times to free hundreds of enslaved people and lived to see the nation’s first civil rights law come to pass: the Civil Rights Act of 1866 — the same civil rights act that Comcast is currently petitioning the Supreme Court to strike down. 

We cannot allow a corporation to set a dangerous precedent with our rights, while also profiting from the painful past that led to the passing of the very civil rights act it is challenging.

Donate $5 to fund our campaign demanding Comcast drop its Supreme Court petition of our oldest civil rights law.

Until justice is real,

--Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hey Eugene,

It’s me, Ariana from Flint. I’ve been emailing you for weeks, and now here we are: 2 days left until we could elect a mayor who can change Flint.

It's been in the 40s and raining here in Flint, but I'm still heading out to door-knock for the fourth time this week, so I'll be brief:

To be honest with you, Eugene, these last 2 days before Election Day could be more important than the entire last 5 weeks.

These are the days where we make sure that everyone knows where they need to vote, has a ride, and doesn’t forget their photo ID. These are the days where we make sure that anyone who’s still on the fence hears from us one last time, and has Sheldon Neeley’s name in their mind when they cast their ballot.

This is when we need your help the most. Will you make an urgent donation to Flint now? It will help us:

• Train and feed dozens of volunteers at our textathon the day before election day, where we’ll be texting thousands of Flint voters to remind them to vote
• Make sure every person in Flint who’s on social media sees information about Sheldon Neeley before November 5 through our ads and videos
• Print "Make a Plan to Vote" materials to hand out at our final canvasses and events

Eugene, it would mean so much to me if your first donation ever to our work went towards changing my hometown for the better. Can you make an urgent donation to fund these needs and help us win this thing? Every $1 helps.

Ok, I need to get out on these doors before it gets too cold! Thank you for everything, and wish us luck!

Until justice is real,

Ariana and the Color Of Change PAC team

Eugene, if we don’t stop Comcast, on November 13th, the Supreme Court will hear its petition to overturn the oldest civil rights law in the country — Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866.¹ A ruling in Comcast’s favor would take away our ability to achieve justice in cases of racial discrimination. It would allow businesses and people to once again block us from being full participants in the economic system.   

We cannot allow Comcast to challenge our first and oldest civil rights statute.² We must act now. Call Comcast’s executives and demand they drop this dangerous challenge to civil rights protections. 

Until justice is real,

--Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

(see our earlier email below for more details on this campaign)

References:

1. “Civil Rights Groups Slam Comcast for Trying to Weaken a Key Protection Against Racial Discrimination,” The Washington Post, October 2, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/199878?t=7&akid=38887%2E4804695%2E9a6flH 

2. “The Civil Rights Act of 1866: History and Impact,” Thought Co., February 3, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195186?t=9&akid=38887%2E4804695%2E9a6flH

Comcast and the Trump administration are working to strike down key provisions of one of the oldest and most important civil rights laws in the country: the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

For more than 150 years, this law has been a bedrock protection from racial discrimination in employment, housing, banking, and consumer and business transactions. Now, Comcast is petitioning the Supreme Court to allow racial discrimination in business transactions as long as racism is not the only reason for denying someone a service.^1,2 If the Supreme Court sides with Comcast and the Trump administration, it will strike down one of the most important tools we have for protecting our communities from discrimination. Such a decision has the potential to fundamentally change how racial discrimination claims are decided for decades to come.

We cannot allow Comcast’s board and executive leadership to quietly dismantle civil rights laws so that it can pad its bottom line by discriminating against Black people. We still have time to force Comcast to withdraw its petition from the Supreme Court. But we need to act fast to turn up the pressure on its board of directors before it’s too late! 

Demand Comcast withdraw its Supreme Court petition challenging the Civil Rights Act of 1866, our oldest civil rights statute. 

Color Of Change has reached out to Comcast executives and board members directly to request its Supreme Court petition to be dropped. However, Comcast and its executives refuse to accept its legal defense will roll back civil rights protections. For a company that prides itself on being dedicated to diversity and inclusion in all facets of its business, it is clear these efforts may be contradicted at any time to protect the Comcast’s bottom-line. 

Black people already face extensive barriers in accessing justice and economic equality in this country, and this petition would serve only to allow corporations off the hook for their discriminatory practices.

For Tatiana Denson, a 40-year-old Black woman who had the police called on her for trying to open a business checking account at a PNC Bank, or Judi Brown, a Black transgender woman who was subjected to transphobic and racist slurs and harassment by her manager and coworkers at a Circle K, this law is their only pathway to justice.^3,4 Comcast’s petition would make it so that Black people like Tatiana and Judi would have to prove that racism was the only driver of a decision or denial. Instead of affirming that racism has no place in the negotiation of a commercial contract, Comcast is partnering with a Department of Justice that is openly hostile to the civil rights of Black people. Together, they condone the inclusion of racism as a legitimate basis for refusing to enter into a contract with Black people — as long as racism is not the "only reason."⁵

We must ensure there are proper protections for our people now and for years to come. Demand Comcast drop its Supreme Court petition for a Civil Rights Act of 1866 hearing. 

Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 places Black people on equal footing with white Americans by outlawing conduct that would prevent our communities from developing the means to work, build wealth, or have access to the justice system to vindicate our rights. Comcast is using an important piece of legislation to win a legal battle in an effort to disregard the large-scale effects of an adverse Supreme Court decision.⁶ What is at stake is more important than television programming.

Comcast's persistent pursuit of a ruling undermining civil rights laws, despite our efforts to engage the corporation directly, places it at the forefront of coordinated efforts by this administration to strike down centuries of civil rights progress. Comcast must be held accountable for attempting to reverse legislation enacted to ensure the economic and civil protections of Black People. Demand Comcast drop its Civil Rights Act of 1866 Supreme Court petition. 

By leveraging a relationship with an administration that pursues white nationalist ideals to block Black economic and media power, Comcast is standing on the wrong side of history, and this cannot go without consequence. It is critical that Comcast reconsider its petition to the Supreme Court, given the extensive harms that a ruling in its favor could extend to Black people, Black businesses, and Black economic equality.   

Stop Comcast from setting an oppressive precedent that would make proving racial discrimination practically impossible.

Until justice is real,

--Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “The Civil Rights Act of 1866: History and Impact,” Thought Co., February 3, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195186?t=15&akid=38887%2E4804695%2E9a6flH
2. “Civil Rights Act of 1866,” African American Civil Rights Movement, 2017, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/195187?t=17&akid=38887%2E4804695%2E9a6flH
3. “Black Woman Uses 153-Year-Old Civil Rights Law to Sue PNC Bank for Racial Profiling,” The Grio, September 9, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195188?t=19&akid=38887%2E4804695%2E9a6flH
4. “Transgender Woman Sues Circle K, Citing Slurs, Harassment, Firing After Pride Parade: ‘I Was in Absolute Shock,” Chicago Sun Times, August 21, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195189?t=21&akid=38887%2E4804695%2E9a6flH
5. “Exclusive: Comcast & Trump Dismantling Civil Rights Over $20 Billion Entertainment Studios Lawsuit,” Forbes, August 23, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195190?t=23&akid=38887%2E4804695%2E9a6flH
6. “Comcast Defends Civil Rights Record as Discrimination Lawsuit Heads to Supreme Court,” Fierce Video, August 23, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195191?t=25&akid=38887%2E4804695%2E9a6flH

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene.

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE) must be held accountable for using racist imagery while profiting from our image, likeness, and the physical labor of Black wrestlers.¹ 

Albert Hardie Jr. (aka Jordan Myles), a professional Black athlete and employee of the WWE, had his name used to sell shirts with highly offensive anti-Black “sambo” imagery. In addition, the WWE is blaming Hardie for the release of this racist merchandise.² The WWE has been getting away with creating a racist work environment, in which Confederate flags are flown, racial slurs are the norm, and Black wrestlers are not paid equally to white wrestlers and are not given the same opportunities to compete for championships.^3,4,5

Wrestling is a guilty pleasure that blurs the lines of reality; however, Black wrestlers are tired of their reality being an entertainment storyline that denies blatant racism. Four WWE major events are planned to take place in California this December. 

Demand California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, investigate the racist workplace practices of WWE.

Sambo imagery was created during slavery and unfairly depicts Black people as being lazy and uneducated. It is a triggering reminder of the pain of our struggle.⁶ In the long line of WWE champions, there has been only one of mixed race, The Rock, whose father, Rocky Johnson, was a Black wrestler.⁷ This fact alone speaks to the internal racism that runs rampant in the WWE and to how the WWE uses controversy and racist tropes to its advantage. Racism in the WWE must be stopped, because entertainment spin does not make up for the damage of racism.⁸

The WWE reaps the benefits of Black viewership and Black physical labor, and it should not perpetuate racist storylines, imagery and toxic work environments. We must hold the WWE accountable for continuously exploiting the work of Black athletes. With regular RAW, NXT and other high profile events hosted in California we can hold them to some of the highest workplace standards in the country by calling on California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, to investigte the work place discrimination and racism happening within the WWE.

Demand California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, investigate racism in the WWE.

Someone in your household may be tuning in to this week’s “WWE Raw,” believing that this is “just” entertainment. But on a closer look, you can see the WWE trafficking in harmful images and narratives. Anti-Black and negative narratives of Black people in media have led to police killings of unarmed Black people, tougher prison sentencing, unfair treatment in schools, and more. 

The WWE’s fan base is more than 25% Black, and we have the power to hold the WWE accountable.^9,10 We have the opportunity to activate our political voice and effect change within an industry that profits from our labor and our viewership. It is time we challenge the status quo and shape the entertainment we deserve. 

Demand California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, investigate the racism Black wrestling independent contractors experience in the WWE.

Until justice is real,

--Brandi, Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “NXT's Jordan Myles Isn't Standing Down over the Racist Shirt WWE Designed for Him,” Deadspin, October 31, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212321?t=9&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35
2. “NXT’s Jordan Myles Calls Out WWE over Racist T-Shirt Design,” Sports Illustrated, October 28, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212322?t=11&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35
3. “Pro Wrestling Is Fake, but Its Race Problem Isn't,” The Atlantic, July 10, 2014, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212350?t=13&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35
4. “WWE’s Lack of Black World Champions Must Be Addressed in 2019,” Fansided, January 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212351?t=15&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35
5. “WWE Is Trying To Defuse Its Own History With A Storyline,” Deadspin, April 4, 2019, 
   https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212352?t=17&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35
6. “The Coon Caricature,” Ferris State University, 2012, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212380?t=19&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35
7. “WWE Is Trying to Defuse Its Own History with a Storyline,” Deadspin, April 4, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212352?t=21&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35
8. “The Post-Hulkamania WWE Network Is Still Racist,” Vice, July, 30, 2015, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212381?t=23&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35
9. “Tracking Fan Avidity for the Fight Game,” Sports Business Model, April 22, 2013, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212382?t=25&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35
10. “Sports Viewers Skew Republican — but NBA Fans Lean Blue,” CBS News, April 2, 2010, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/212383?t=27&akid=38913%2E4804695%2EPtzI35

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

I wish you could see my face right now, because I am BEAMING. After all our work, Sheldon Neeley won his race for mayor of Flint!

It’s been an amazing race, and the reason I’m smiling so big is because I’m so proud of everyone who made it happen.

Every one of us who worked on this race was a regular person in Flint, working for change because our lives and ability to thrive depend on it. And the work will go on after today, so I’m asking you: will you give a $5 victory donation to help replenish our resources as we plan for the next big elections in Flint and nationwide?

Let me give you an idea of the amazing work we, along with our all-volunteer squad, have been able to do in Flint in the last 6 weeks:

1. Knocked on 2,337 neighbor’s doors- My squad and I knocked 490 doors in a single day-- that’s HUSTLE! And in true Flint fashion, we powered through 40-degree winds, rain, and more.
   
   
2. Hosted a debate watch party and an Election Day Countdown celebration- The debate watch party was the first community gathering of its kind in Flint, and at our celebration Monday night we got to thank everyone for all the work they’ve done as we sent out final texts to remind people to vote.
   
   
3. Flooded social media, email, and mailboxes with support for Sheldon Neeley- We made sure everyone in Flint on email, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube heard about this race-- our digital ads were seen nearly 1.5 million times! We also hit mailboxes with a flyer about Sheldon Neeley to 29,000 potential voters in Flint.

If we can do this much work in 6 weeks, imagine what we could do with enough support in the months to come as Sheldon Neeley takes office. We can hold the Mayor’s office accountable to ensuring people get clean water, that plans to improve our schools are in motion, and that they invest in real community safety. You know as well as we do that the election is only the beginning— donate $5 now to celebrate our victory and help replenish our resources for the work ahead.

This win literally would not have happened without my neighbors and friends in Flint getting out with me and spreading the word every single day for weeks now. Besides the campaigns, we were the only people working on this race— meaning many of the folks we talked to may not have heard about the election without us knocking on their doors, inviting them to events, and getting on their social media feeds.

And let’s be clear: we plan to be in Flint long after this election. This is our home. Which is why we’re already thinking about tomorrow and next month and next year. Because today, we go home to the same contaminated water, the same under-resourced schools, the same neighborhoods in need of care.

We’ve got a leader that will respond to our demands after this election. But things haven’t changed yet— now we need to get to work. Make a $5 victory donation now to replenish the resources we’ve used on this election, and help us gear up for everything that comes next to make change in Flint.

Before I go get a badly-needed night's sleep, I just want to give one more shoutout to my people in Flint. The everyday people like me in Flint who are balancing being moms, dads, aunties, uncles, teachers, coaches, breadwinners, caregivers, and so much more-- while also fighting to make Flint a better place.

This win is for them.

For my beautiful, joyful volunteer squad, who have been consistently alongside me door-knocking, event hosting, and doing all the work in-between.

For every last person in Flint who cast their vote in a resilient, defiant act of faith that we still have the power to change our realities.

And of course, for my kids, and every other child in Flint.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing with us.

Until justice is real,

Ariana and the Color Of Change PAC team (Arisha, Jenni, Kwesi, Shannon, Calyssa, Chad, Drew, Charles, Cristel, Daniel, Tammi, and Scott)

Dear Eugene,

As the lights went out across California this month, our impacted members wondered if Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) - the nation’s largest for-profit electric utility - will ever be fixed. This latest failure, resulting in the massive Kincade and Getty wildfires, is due to lack of investment in poor power lines and utility equipment. As a result PG&E has nixed the power to nearly two million homes, spanning Sonoma and LA counties.¹ This move, not only disproportionately affects Black people, and other people of color, but illustrates why ownership of the for-profit utility company needs to shift from Wall Street to consumers.  If PG&E were owned by those who pay for its services, Wall street would not be able to rake in billions at the expense of Californians and these preventable wildfires would not have happened.

Tell PG&E enough is enough and it must dissolve its ownership

Currently, PG&E is facing bankruptcy as it faces $30 billion in liabilities for the wildfires and they have no intention of reimbursing customers affected by their power outages.^2,3 These fires will only become more detrimental and harmful for Black folks and other vulnerable populations as climate change grows. California’s dry air paired with  extreme, historic winds will only exacerbate PG&E-led fires.

A recent study by the University of Washington and the Nature Conservancy found that Black people are nearly 50% more vulnerable to wildfires than white people.⁴ In the mid-1940s, Black migration settled into fire-prone areas, with relatively poorer socioeconomic conditions.⁵ Wealthier people are more likely to be able to have cars to evacuate, buy fire insurance and create a defensible space around their homes. And have the resources to rebuild.

Handing over ownership is not far fetched. The city of San Francisco offered to buy PG&E for $2.5 billion.⁶There are more publicly-owned and cooperative electric companies than those owned by Wall Street.⁷ Abrams Capital, Knighthead Capital and Redwood Capital, PG&E owners, explicitly seek to siphon money from the companies they acquire- and as we have seen with PG&E, with little concern for the wellbeing of those harmed.

Tell Wall Street it’s time for PG&E customers to be first

These wildfires didn’t have to happen. PG&E owners ignored fire risks in favor of profits. Had the owners of PG&E upgraded its infrastructure, added weather, camera, and satellite stations and not intentionally placed power lines near vulnerable trees, the growing number of fires PG&E is responsible for would not have happened. Black communities deserve better than a focus on “the bottom line” approach from predatory investors. Deliberately putting our folks in harm's way with no restitution is true to Wall Street form and the worst kind of greed.

Tell PG&E investors this electric company should belong to Californians

 Until justice is real, 

-Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Amanda, Evan, Johnny, Eesha, Future, Marcus, Samantha, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. PG&E customers could remain without power until Wednesday. LA Times. October 29, 2019.
2. “Hostile takeover of PG&E? Billion-dollar hedge funds duel over bankrupt utility.” July 18, 2019.
3. “PG&E won’t reimburse customers affected by the Blackout.” The Sacramento Bee. October 22, 2019.
4. “The Unequal Vulnerability of Communities of Color to Wildfire.” Philip S. Levin. November 2, 2018.
5. “The Warmth of Other Suns.” Isabelle Wilkerson. October 4, 2011.
6. “PG&E Rejects San Francisco’s Offer.” San Francisco Business Times. October 11, 2019.
7. “Investor-owned utilities served 72% of U.S. electricity customers in 2017.” August 15, 2019.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Recently, Nigerian film “Lionheart” was nominated for the Best International Feature Oscar. Immediately following this milestone, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences disqualified the film from the category because the film has “too much English.” This decision is ridiculous. Because of British colonization, English is now the national language of Nigeria. To disqualify the film because of a refusal to understand Black and African experience is immoral and ahistorical. The Academy is using this reasoning as a way to continue to keep Black stories out of Hollywood spaces. Tell the Academy to add “Lionheart” back into the International Feature Film nominations!  

As with many aspects of Hollywood industry, the Academy’s decision to eliminate “Lionheart” from the International Feature Film category demonstrates a clear failure to understand Black and African history. Amidst the 500+ languages spoken in Nigeria, English is the country’s official language. This is the result of a long history of colonialism between European countries and Nigeria. It is unreasonable that the Academy would then use the film’s English dialogue — the nation’s official language — as a reason to eliminate it from an Oscars category that the film deserves. 

Tell the Academy to reverse their decision and add "Lionheart" back into the International Feature Film category.  

And this isn’t the first time the Academy has eliminated a film from the International Feature Film category for having “too much English.” In 2015, the Afghan film “Utopia” was also eliminated from the category for the exact same reason. Ironically, the Academy recently changed the name of this award category from Best Foreign-Language Film to Best International Feature Film to make the category more inclusive. This change, and their subsequent decision to disqualify “Lionheart,” demonstrates the Academy’s hypocrisy and their commitment to diminish our stories.

It’s clear that the Academy has a history of gatekeeping for people of color. Restricting Black films that tell the stories of people of color from esteemed Hollywood spaces is a means of silencing us. But it is time for this to end. Black stories and the stories of people of color deserve to be considered for the same nominations, awards, and prestige as films that tell the stories of white people. That is why the Academy must restore “Lionheart’s” International Feature Film nomination and create clear, consistent rules for the category moving forward that don't come at the expense of Black people. 

Join us in calling on the Academy to restore "Lionheart’s" International Feature Film Oscar nomination.  

Until justice is real, 

—Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Future, Amanda, Evan, Imani, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References: 

1. “Motion picture academy disqualifies Nigerian Oscar entry ‘Lionheart’ for having too much English dialogue,” Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213163?t=7&akid=39010%2E4804695%2E7G0nLA

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene.

Since the August 12th launch of the Popeyes chicken sandwich, Popeyes has sold more than 1,000 sandwiches a day--sparking a media frenzy that has led to millions of dollars in revenue.¹ However, despite the wild success of the sandwich, Popeyes’ employees have not reaped the benefits of their hard work--in fact employees report being forced to stand until their legs go numb for 10-hour shifts, work over 60-hour weeks, forgo state mandated breaks, and stand on the front line of customer harassment - all while making less than $10 an hour in some states.² The success of the company wouldn’t be possible without Popeyes’ employees who make the food, tend the registers, and in some cases, face social media humiliation in response to the popularity of the sandwiches. That’s why we’re asking Popeyes to pay its employees a living wage. 

Demand Felipe Athayade, Popeyes President, implement a living wage for its employees.

Popeyes happily used parts of Black culture and language through culturally appropriated branding and marketing, sparking a social media sensation that doubled it’s projected quarter sales this year.^3,4 All while treating its Black fast food employees poorly while they stand on the front-line of labor exploitation due to corporate manipulation of supply and demand.⁵ Restaurant Brands International, who acquired the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen brand in March 2017, benefits from increased dividends, but Black fast food employees are receiving the short end of the stick.⁶ 

Demand fair wages for Popeyes employees.

Popeyes stores are individually franchised; therefore, making employee wages, hours, hiring, and retention of employees individual matters.⁷ However, Restaurant Brands International reaps the big bucks and should enforce stricter corporate policies to make a fair wages a mandate. Its moments like these where we can stand in solidarity to fight for the marginalized and powerless in the face of cultural appropriation and corporate greed. Popeyes and its parent company must be held accountable for the increased workload the demand this sandwich created. 

Demand Popeyes franchises increase its minimum wage for Black fast-food employees.

Until justice is real,

--Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “Popeye's Q3 sales boom amid chicken sandwich craze; Impossible Whopper boosts Burger King,” USA Today, October 28, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213126?t=9&akid=39003%2E4804695%2EB5H2gF
2. “Threats, Leg Cramps, No Breaks: What Popeyes Workers Put Up With During The Sandwich Craze,” Vox, August 28, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213127?t=11&akid=39003%2E4804695%2EB5H2gF
3. “The Double Standards of Cultural Appropriation,” The Bottom Line: University of California, Santa Barbara, February 22, 2017, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213128?t=13&akid=39003%2E4804695%2EB5H2gF
4.  “Tim Hortons Drags on Restaurant Brands,” Wall Street Journal, October 28, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213129?t=15&akid=39003%2E4804695%2EB5H2gF
5. “Why Popeyes Is Still Out of Fried Chicken Sandwiches,” Vox, September 6, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213130?t=17&akid=39003%2E4804695%2EB5H2gF
6. “Restaurant Brands In Deal To Acquire Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen For $1.8 Billion,” CNBC, February 21, 2017, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213131?t=19&akid=39003%2E4804695%2EB5H2gF
7. “Popeyes Braces For The Return of The Chicken Sandwich After The Original Launch Sparked Chaos And Left Workers Exhausted,” Business Insider, October 28, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213132?t=21&akid=39003%2E4804695%2EB5H2gF

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene, if we don’t stop Comcast, on November 13th, the Supreme Court will hear its petition to overturn the oldest civil rights law in the country — Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866.¹ A ruling in Comcast’s favor would take away our ability to achieve justice in cases of racial discrimination. It would allow businesses and people to once again block us from being full participants in the economic system.   

We cannot allow Comcast to challenge our first and oldest civil rights statute.² We must act now. Call Comcast’s executives and demand they drop this dangerous challenge to civil rights protections. 

Until justice is real,

--Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

(see our earlier email below for more details on this campaign)

References:

1. “Civil Rights Groups Slam Comcast for Trying to Weaken a Key Protection Against Racial Discrimination,” The Washington Post, October 2, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/199878?t=7&akid=39004%2E4804695%2EpOO9lZ 

2. “The Civil Rights Act of 1866: History and Impact,” Thought Co., February 3, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195186?t=9&akid=39004%2E4804695%2EpOO9lZ

Comcast and the Trump administration are working to strike down key provisions of one of the oldest and most important civil rights laws in the country: the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

For more than 150 years, this law has been a bedrock protection from racial discrimination in employment, housing, banking, and consumer and business transactions. Now, Comcast is petitioning the Supreme Court to allow racial discrimination in business transactions as long as racism is not the only reason for denying someone a service.^1,2 If the Supreme Court sides with Comcast and the Trump administration, it will strike down one of the most important tools we have for protecting our communities from discrimination. Such a decision has the potential to fundamentally change how racial discrimination claims are decided for decades to come.

We cannot allow Comcast’s board and executive leadership to quietly dismantle civil rights laws so that it can pad its bottom line by discriminating against Black people. We still have time to force Comcast to withdraw its petition from the Supreme Court. But we need to act fast to turn up the pressure on its board of directors before it’s too late! 

Demand Comcast withdraw its Supreme Court petition challenging the Civil Rights Act of 1866, our oldest civil rights statute. 

Color Of Change has reached out to Comcast executives and board members directly to request its Supreme Court petition to be dropped. However, Comcast and its executives refuse to accept its legal defense will roll back civil rights protections. For a company that prides itself on being dedicated to diversity and inclusion in all facets of its business, it is clear these efforts may be contradicted at any time to protect the Comcast’s bottom-line. 

Black people already face extensive barriers in accessing justice and economic equality in this country, and this petition would serve only to allow corporations off the hook for their discriminatory practices.

For Tatiana Denson, a 40-year-old Black woman who had the police called on her for trying to open a business checking account at a PNC Bank, or Judi Brown, a Black transgender woman who was subjected to transphobic and racist slurs and harassment by her manager and coworkers at a Circle K, this law is their only pathway to justice.^3,4 Comcast’s petition would make it so that Black people like Tatiana and Judi would have to prove that racism was the only driver of a decision or denial. Instead of affirming that racism has no place in the negotiation of a commercial contract, Comcast is partnering with a Department of Justice that is openly hostile to the civil rights of Black people. Together, they condone the inclusion of racism as a legitimate basis for refusing to enter into a contract with Black people — as long as racism is not the "only reason."⁵

We must ensure there are proper protections for our people now and for years to come. Demand Comcast drop its Supreme Court petition for a Civil Rights Act of 1866 hearing. 

Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 places Black people on equal footing with white Americans by outlawing conduct that would prevent our communities from developing the means to work, build wealth, or have access to the justice system to vindicate our rights. Comcast is using an important piece of legislation to win a legal battle in an effort to disregard the large-scale effects of an adverse Supreme Court decision.⁶ What is at stake is more important than television programming.

Comcast's persistent pursuit of a ruling undermining civil rights laws, despite our efforts to engage the corporation directly, places it at the forefront of coordinated efforts by this administration to strike down centuries of civil rights progress. Comcast must be held accountable for attempting to reverse legislation enacted to ensure the economic and civil protections of Black People. Demand Comcast drop its Civil Rights Act of 1866 Supreme Court petition. 

By leveraging a relationship with an administration that pursues white nationalist ideals to block Black economic and media power, Comcast is standing on the wrong side of history, and this cannot go without consequence. It is critical that Comcast reconsider its petition to the Supreme Court, given the extensive harms that a ruling in its favor could extend to Black people, Black businesses, and Black economic equality.   

Stop Comcast from setting an oppressive precedent that would make proving racial discrimination practically impossible.

Until justice is real,

--Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “The Civil Rights Act of 1866: History and Impact,” Thought Co., February 3, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195186?t=15&akid=39004%2E4804695%2EpOO9lZ
2. “Civil Rights Act of 1866,” African American Civil Rights Movement, 2017, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/195187?t=17&akid=39004%2E4804695%2EpOO9lZ
3. “Black Woman Uses 153-Year-Old Civil Rights Law to Sue PNC Bank for Racial Profiling,” The Grio, September 9, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195188?t=19&akid=39004%2E4804695%2EpOO9lZ
4. “Transgender Woman Sues Circle K, Citing Slurs, Harassment, Firing After Pride Parade: ‘I Was in Absolute Shock,” Chicago Sun Times, August 21, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195189?t=21&akid=39004%2E4804695%2EpOO9lZ
5. “Exclusive: Comcast & Trump Dismantling Civil Rights Over $20 Billion Entertainment Studios Lawsuit,” Forbes, August 23, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195190?t=23&akid=39004%2E4804695%2EpOO9lZ
6. “Comcast Defends Civil Rights Record as Discrimination Lawsuit Heads to Supreme Court,” Fierce Video, August 23, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195191?t=25&akid=39004%2E4804695%2EpOO9lZ

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

PG&E’s CEO, Bill Johnson recently stated in response to a question about the blackouts, “One of the things we did was give people the opportunity to refill their refrigerator cause their house is still there."¹ Not only does Bill Johnson gets $2 million a year from Wall Street to make dangerous and reckless decisions to increase the vulnerability of Black communities, he’s just wrong. PG&E is responsible for at least 100 proven fatalities since 2018, destroying more than 20,000 homes and buildings, and immeasurable environmental catastrophes leading to food insecurity and the growing climate crisis.²

In addition to the harm caused with the most recent blackouts, there were at least 11,500 households³ that needed electricity to support medical devices like ventilators, CPAP machines and wheelchairs. Low-income and Black people disproportionately made up these households.⁴  Losing power signifies much more than just an inconvenience: It can be life-threatening; and this is why Californians need Wall Street out of its utilities and the households of vulnerable, Black communities.

Tell PG&E enough is enough and it’s time to dissolve its ownership 

Since the city of San Francisco offered to buy PG&E, San Jose has also put together a proposal to buy the utility from Wall Street.⁵With there being more publicly-owned and cooperative electric companies than those owned by Wall Street, a public takeover of PG&E is gaining momentum!⁶

Mayors of more than 20 other California cities, including Oakland, Berkeley and Sacramento, have endorsed the idea of a public takeover while seeking intervention from state regulators.⁷ The mayors also sent a copy of the letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and other state officials.⁸  Additionally, Representative Ro Khanna of California’s 17th district has public expressed a public takeover of PG&E, stating “For-profit does not work!"⁹

Abrams Capital, Knighthead Capital and Redwood Capital, PG&E owners, explicitly seek to siphon money from the companies they acquire- and as we have seen with PG&E, with little concern for the wellbeing of those harmed. We cannot allow for Black communities to fall prey and continue to be on the receiving end of “the bottom line” approach of #PGEProfits.

Tell PG&E this electric company should belong to Californians and not Wall Street

Until justice is real, 

-Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Amanda, Evan, Johnny, Eesha, Future, Marcus, Samantha, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References

1. “PG&E CEO Makes $2 million a year.” Activist Post. November 7, 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/214187?t=9&akid=38995%2E4804695%2EtO5um6 

2. “Camp Fire, deadliest in California history, caused by PG&E electrical transmission lines.” May 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/214138?t=11&akid=38995%2E4804695%2EtO5um6 

3. “How PG&E’s Power Shutoffs Sparked an East Bay Disability Campaign.” KQED News. November 6, 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213538?t=13&akid=38995%2E4804695%2EtO5um6 

4."How PG&E’s Power Shutoffs Sparked an East Bay Disability Campaign.” KQED News. November 6, 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213538?t=15&akid=38995%2E4804695%2EtO5um6 

5.“San Jose’s plan to turn PG&E into a coop gains backing from 20 mayors.”San Francisco Chronicle. November 5, 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213536?t=17&akid=38995%2E4804695%2EtO5um6

6."Investor-owned utilities served 72% of U.S. electricity customers in 2017.” August 15, 2019.

7.“San Jose’s plan to turn PG&E into a coop gains backing from 20 mayors.”San Francisco Chronicle. November 5, 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213536?t=20&akid=38995%2E4804695%2EtO5um6 

8.“San Jose’s plan to turn PG&E into a coop gains backing from 20 mayors.”San Francisco Chronicle. November 5, 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/213536?t=22&akid=38995%2E4804695%2EtO5um6

9. “Rep.Ro Khana Backs Public Takeover.” Huffington Post. November 1, 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/214200?t=24&akid=38995%2E4804695%2EtO5um6

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

The Missouri Attorney General is stopping Lamar Johnson, an innocent Black man, from reuniting with his family.

In 1995, Lamar Johnson was falsely accused, wrongly convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. More than two decades later, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner discovered multiple instances of prosecutorial misconduct in Lamar’s case including the bribing of the prosecution’s key eyewitness, who later recanted his testimony.² 

Now as part of an effort to right the wrongs of tough-on-crimes policies, Kim Gardner has petitioned the courts to hear the evidence of innocence and grant Lamar a new trial. But Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is BLOCKING Lamar's new trial and release. Schmitt claims that Gardner has no authority as a prosecutor to correct a miscarriage of justice and that the state technically cannot request a new trial for a defendant.³ This is morally reprehensible — why wouldn't he want to support freeing an innocent man? 

It’s time for Schmitt to stop playing political games with people’s lives. That is why we are demanding that Schmitt immediately end his efforts to block Gardner’s motion for a new trial and reverse course by joining hundreds of community advocates and legal experts in securing Johnson’s freedom. 

Tell Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt: Defend Lamar Johnson's freedom

It is not unusual for police officers to manipulate the evidence in order to lock Black people away. We have seen police officers and prosecutors coercing false confessions, tampering with evidence, and lying under oath all to keep Black people in cages. From the infamous case involving the Exonerated Five to more recently, Dontae Sharpe, a Black man wrongly convicted and incarcerated for two decades --  it is no secret that law enforcement will go to extraordinary and even unethical lengths to harm Black people. This blatant abuse of power needs to be addressed and stopped.

In Lamar’s case, the claims were downright ridiculous. Police officers claimed that Lamar miraculously left his home, traveled three miles to commit murder, fled on foot for three miles back to his apartment -- all under 5 minutes.⁴ Most shockingly, Johnson was not even released after the men actually responsible for the crime came forward and confessed, both in 1996 and 2002.⁵ The racist criminal justice system in Missouri has essentially robbed Lamar of his life and promising future. There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of falsely accused people locked up in cages. However, in the past three years, there have only been 13 exonerations in Missouri.⁶

The last thing AG Eric Schmitt should be doing is blocking any time attempt to free this Black man. Gardner should be commended not bullied for her efforts. We need more elected officials doing the right thing and addressing the harm of mass incarceration, especially in the cases of those who are innocent.

All across the country, prosecutors are using conviction review units (CRUs) to free people from prison. For instance, as a result of the State’s Attorney’s Kim Foxx's investigation of prosecutorial misconduct, nearly 40 incarcerated people have been reunited with their families.⁷ In the same vein, AG Schmitt can now correct the mistakes made by the criminal legal system 2 decades ago-- he can help reunite Lamar with his loved ones and return him to his beloved community. Lamar should not have to wait another day in prison. 

Until justice is real, 

--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika Clarise, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, Neosho, and the rest of the Color of Change team

 References:

1. "To win a murder conviction, police and prosecutors made up evidence and secretly paid a witness, St Louis DA finds." The Washington Post, 26 July 2019.
2. Ibid.
3. "Missouri AG looks to block efforts to free Lamar Johnson, saying Gardner does not have the authority." KMOV4 News, 1 November 2019.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. The National Registry of Exonerations. 8 November 2019.
7. The National Registry of Exonerations. 8 November 2019.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

We won historic legislation all but ending cash bail in New York--and now it’s under threat. Before the law could even be implemented, racists everywhere from law enforcement, to the media, and even Trump have launched a smear campaign against it. The hard work of thousands of community organizers, advocates, and Color Of Change members like you could go down the drain. But we won’t let the racists win--are you with us?

Because of our fight, thousands of people who have not been convicted of a crime will no longer suffer in jail simply because they can't afford bail. The law doesn't go into effect until January, but local officials are preparing to release people who are in stuck in jail because they couldn't pay bail early so there isn't too much of a backlog in January. It only makes sense. But last week the New York Post wrote multiple inflammatory articles claiming 900 criminals would be released onto the street and spread lies that New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio would be giving people Mets tickets and gift cards as a "reward." The city hasn't even determined what their supervised release program will need to look like for people released under the new law yet. And it's not even confirmed that Mets tickets are a part of the plan. These are clever lies that the NY Post is telling to scare people into thinking we need mass incarceration. 

We know the truth and we have a plan to defeat this smear campaign against justice. Meeting community needs is proven to increase community safety way more than jails ever could, but we need more people to know that. So we’re launching a campaign to spread the truth about what ending mass incarceration really means and we need your help to do it. 

Will you chip in $4 to help us get the truth out about NY Post’s scare tactics?

The NY Post reaches over 400,000 people everyday and is the third most read paper in New York, following the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal. If we can’t stop them, what they’re doing will work. Lawmakers have already introduced new legislation to roll our bail reform win back--and the country is watching. But with the support of members like you, we can do full scale media advertising that will combat the lies NY Post and law enforcement is spreading--that looks like meeting everyday New Yorkers where they are to tell them the truth. With your donations we can do things like put up bus stop and radio ads, and hire staff to work on a media strategy full-time. We’re up against really powerful opponents with a huge platform, but if we all put our support together, one by one, person by person, we can defeat them. 

Releasing people pre-trial is working better than jail, which is costing taxpayers A LOT more without improving public safety. In fact, extensive research--and real-life examples from across New York State show that LESS reliance on incarceration actually delivers MORE public safety. For the past four years, NYC's supervised release program has helped people meet their needs in order to make it back to court. They get $10 gift cards to put food on the table, cellphones so they can get court reminders, and metrocards so they can show up to court. These are basic necessities that help families who couldn’t afford bail navigate the justice system and stay together. In New York City, the jail population has dropped from 22,000 to 7,000 over the past three decades but at the same time crime is lower than ever before. How? Legislators, advocates and stakeholders focused on keeping people out of jail, and investing more in community-based resources such as housing, treatment, services and care. The result? Less incarceration and more public safety. 

The real danger is inside of cages, not in granting people their rightful freedom. Kalief Browder nearly died spending two years in solitary confinement on Rikers Island and later committed suicide because of the trauma he faced there. He was innocent and should have never been jailed in the first place. 

Despite the New York Post’s racist scare tactics, we aren't scared. And we can't be silent. The stakes are really high in New York. If we can put an end to this smear campaign, it will mean this law gets implemented without hiccups and we can keep moving towards real justice in this country.

I support the TRUTH, not NY Post’s lies.

Until justice is real,

--Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, Neosho, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. "Highlights of New York's 2019 Bail Reform Law," Vera Institute for Justice, July 2019

2. "City Courts Are Getting A Jump Start on Bail Reforms Ahead of January," Gothamist, 4 November, 2019

3. "Nearly 900 city inmates may be freed before bail-reform law takes effect," New York Post, 3 November 2019

4. City Courts Are Getting A Jump Start on Bail Reforms Ahead of January," Gothamist, 4 November, 2019

5. Ibid

6. Ibid

7. "Comptroller Stringer: Despite a Decline in Incarceration, Correction Spending, Violence, and Use of Force Continued to Rise in FY 2018," NY Comptroller's Office, 22 January 2019

8. City Courts Are Getting A Jump Start on Bail Reforms Ahead of January," Gothamist, 4 November, 2019

9. "Neighborhood Stat: Strengthening Public Safety Through Community Empowerment," Center for American Progress, 2 October 2019

10. "If We Left Everybody Go There Would Be No One In Prison," NY Times, 13 May 2018

11. "NY Bail Reform Would Be Curbed Under GOP Proposals In Legislature," New York Law Journal, 7 November 2019

12. "The New York Post's Craven Ilhan Omar Cover Was An Insult to All New Yorkers," GQ Magazine, 12 April 2019 

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene, imagine you've been arrested and are waiting for your day in court. The toilet doesn't work in a shared cell with standing room only because there's no running water at all. The floor is the only seating option for the 11 hours you're detained in the "bull pen." There's no one available to treat your medical condition and the bugs in the food have made you even more ill. A restrictive lockdown has been in affect for days, disrupting communication with your loved ones and triggering mental health symptoms. And you know your family just can't afford a $1500 bail bond right now.  

These are just some real-life examples of the many dangerous problems at Cuyahoga County jail. Nine people have died since 2018. Overall, the conditions are so inhumane that people are taking desperate measures to escape.¹ This jail is "one of the worst in the country" and a local judge has vowed to stop sending people there who are charged with nonviolent offenses.^2,3  The jail is stealing futures every day but Prosecutor Micheal O'Malley has the power and discretion to immediately reduce the jail population and minimize the harm the system is having on our community. O'Malley's office is prosecuting 81 percent of the cases in Cuyahoga County jail. As County Attorney, O’Malley holds the power to decide whether many of these people, especially those awaiting trial, can come home. And there's three ways he can that: 1) stop detaining people because they can't afford bail, 2) treat children like children, and 3) stop sending people to jail for mental illness and addiction. Communities want more from their elected prosecutors across the country and O'Malley was recently targeted in public protests to take action on these very doable steps.⁴ If we can keep the momentum going, we can push O'Malley to make a commitment to using his power to reduce the jail population.

Eugene, add your name to the petition demanding Prosecutor O'Malley take action.

Chantelle Glass, a Black woman and mother of three, thought she was going to die when jail guards assaulted her with pepper spray causing her asthma to flare up.⁵ She was incarcerated for an unpaid traffic ticket and was brutalized when she asked to make a phone call. She is not alone in this experience. Several guards from Cuyahoga jail have been charged for their violence in recent years and there is a class action lawsuit pending.⁶

Regardless of whether the conditions and violence at the jail are resolved, basic decency and a real concern for public safety would oblige Prosecutor O’Malley to stop sending so many people to the Cuyahoga County Jail.

That's why we're joining with the Campaign for a Just Prosecutor to demand County Attorney Micheal O'Malley commit to do the following: 

• Stop detaining people because they can't afford bail. 60% of those held in the Cuyahoga County Jail have not been convicted of a crime. They are there because they cannot afford the cash bond set in their case. Studies have shown that when top prosecutors in other counties have stopped asking for cash bond, the jail population dropped by 22% in Philadelphia under Larry Krasner, and by 16% in Chicago under Kim Foxx.^7,8 Prince George's County State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy just announced that she will no longer seek money bail as a condition for release.⁹ O'Malley can do the same.
  
• Treat children like children. In 2017, Prosecutor O’Malley’s first year in office, nearly twice as many kids were sent to adult court, as compared to his predecessor in 2016, despite a decrease in case filings. Cuyahoga County transfers more children to adult court than any other county in the state. Prosecutor O’Malley should use his discretion to keep kids where they belong—in juvenile court.
  
• Stop sending people to jail for mental illness and substance addiction. O’Malley could reduce the jail population by 20% if he stopped jailing people for property or drug offenses. Jail is never the solution for mental illness and substance use disorders, in fact incarceration often makes the problem worse. Our people need care, not cages. O’Malley should create a program that allows people to stay out of the court system and get the help they need. 

Tell Prosecutor O'Malley that he has the power to transform the criminal system in Cuyahoga and help people escape the violence and conditions of the county jail.

“There is something critically wrong with our County Jail, and our criminal justice system, that when a non-violent detainee is booked into our county jail, they’re immediately placed in what could be considered Death Row,” LaTonya Goldsby, Black Lives Matter Cleveland, told The Appeal.¹⁰ Activists on the ground with our partners at the Coalition to Stop the Inhumanity at Cuyahoga County Jail have been leading the movement to transform the criminal system and hold officials accountable in Cuyahoga. Coalition members have been canvassing Cleveland neighborhoods to hear about people’s experiences with the jail and build its campaign against the county executive and other jail officials. They recently set their sights on the role of the prosecutor in overpopulating the jail and replicating wins from the prosecutor accountability movement all over the country.

Color Of Change members have been active in organizing for progressive prosecutors in Philadelphia, St. Louis, PG County, and more. We know that when we fight we win. There are thousands of Color Of Change members in Cuyahoga and our collective extended networks are even bigger. Together, we can build the kind of public pressure to get the attention of the elected prosecutor and get him to implement these demands by reminding him who he is supposed to work for. Sign the petition now. Then share it with your friends and family and on social media.

Until justice is real,

--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Clarise, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. "Mother of man who died of suicide in Cuyahoga County Jail: 'They failed him.'" Cleveland.com, 15 August 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/183756?t=9&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj
2. "U.S. Marshals Report: Ohio County Jail 'One of the Worst in the Country.'" Prisoner Legal News, 5 March 2019.  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185045?t=11&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj
3. "After Inmate Deaths, Cleveland Judge Vows to Stop Sending Nonviolent Offenders to Local Jail." The Root, 8 October 18. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185046?t=13&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj
4. "Activists protest Cuyahoga County Jail conditions at Justice Center." Cleveland.com, 1 July 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185047?t=15&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj
5. "Woman pepper-sprayed, attacked by Cuyahoga County Jail officers: ‘I thought I was going to die.’" Cleveland.com, 10 April 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185048?t=17&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj
6. "Inmates sue over conditions at Cuyahoga County Jail." WKYC, 24 April 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185049?t=19&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj
7. "Philly’s experiments with progressive criminal justice lend evidence to public safety debate." Philadelphia Inquirer, 21 August 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185050?t=21&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj
8. "Report: Incarceration Rates Drop Nearly 20% Under Kim Foxx." WTTW, 30 July 2019.  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/182614?t=23&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj
9. ""Prosecutors in Prince George’s will no longer recommend cash bail for defendants." Washington Post, 15 September 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185088?t=25&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj
10. "Veteran's death highlights 'inhumane' conditions in an Ohio jail." The Appeal, 14 May 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/185051?t=27&akid=39098%2E4804695%2Ee4pcWj

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

At Color Of Change, we often talk about how district attorneys, while incredibly powerful actors in the criminal justice system, are also relatively obscure, flying under the radar and operating away from public scrutiny. 

That’s why we launched one of our biggest research projects Winning Justice, a first of its kind directory of each prosecutor in all 2,400+ counties across the country. Winning Justice brings greater visibility to the power of the DA’s office by featuring critical information about every prosecutor including their political party, race, gender, how long they’ve been in office, and where they stand on our 6 demands.¹ 

While this information has enormous potential for our organizing work, it also poses an enormous task in keeping it up to date. 

To meet that need, Color Of Change is hosting our first ever Sip & Search event this month in Washington, DC!² We’ll be sharing some background on our prosecutor work and then delivering a free training on super effective research skills that our members can use to learn about their elected officials. For the rest of the evening, we will work together to start uncovering information about local prosecutors that will be featured on Winning Justice. 

Our Sip & Search will give our members the tools they need to learn about their elected prosecutors, while also keeping Winning Justice up to date and accurate. These events are such an exciting opportunity to meet this crucial need while also sharing research skills with our amazing members-- but to execute events like this, we need your support.

Will you chip in $4 to help fund our research trainings?

Prosecutor races occur every 4 years but they are not held uniformly across the country. Last year, over 1,000 counties in 25 states held prosecutor races and this year, counties in another 5 states held their own. That means that every year there are results from both primary and general elections and a new batch of candidates that must be reflected on Winning Justice so that it remains accurate. 

Without research on what elections are occurring each year, Winning Justice can quickly fall into disrepair and hold information that’s out of date. That makes the website not just ineffective but potentially harmful for organizers that rely on its information to hold their prosecutors accountable. 

These trainings present an opportunity to build out a squad of researchers to join us in maintaining this site— and that starts with our first Sip & Search this month and the 4 we hope to host throughout 2020.

$4 would go a long way to funding the creation of our research materials, securing venue spaces, and helping us train our members in how to uncover the truth about our local prosecutors. Will you help us?

Opportunities like this are new ways that Color Of Change is bringing together our members and sharing the tools needed for them to build power alongside one another and us. Making sure these events can remain free and as robust as possible is a huge part of how you too, can be a part of this movement to shine a light on these powerful actors in the criminal justice system and hold them accountable.

Eugene, will you help support us in training a new squad of researchers?

Until Justice is Real,

-- Erika, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Tamar, Clarise, Madison, Leonard, Marena, Marybeth, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. "Our 6 Demands," WinningJustice.org, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/57041?t=10&akid=39120%2E4804695%2EUZ9slr
2. "Color Of Change Invited You to Sip & Search," https://act.colorofchange.org/survey/sip-search-2019/?t=12&akid=39120%2E4804695%2EUZ9slr

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

Last Wednesday, under Acting Oakland Unified School Board President Jody London’s watch, parents were physically barred from participating in a school board discussion that has the potential to completely change the trajectories of their children’s futures.¹ In spite of escalating protests from teachers and parents, Oakland Unified School District is moving along plans to close up to 24 schools over the next three years.² The vast majority of these schools, many of which are known for developing culturally competent curriculum and tight-knit relationships with the communities they serve, are located in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods in East and West Oakland. 

The fight to protect our schools is the fight to protect our communities.

When schools leave our communities, the vital resources they provide our students and their families leave with them. The underinvestment in Black students' education that Oakland's school closures represent has been mirrored in nearly every major city in the country. If we do not take action now, the complete disregard Black students are being shown in California will undoubtedly continue to go unchecked across the nation. This is why we are demanding that Acting School Board President Jody London place a moratorium on all school closures in the Oakland Unified School District today.

Will you sign the petition and forward this email to make sure your voice is heard? Add your name here.

From Chicago to D.C. to Philadelphia, the rate of school closures in predominantly Black neighborhoods, especially those with rising rates of gentrification, has jumped dramatically in the past ten years³. Studies show that these closures hit Black students the hardest. While white students are “significantly more likely to transfer to high performing schools,” Black students who get displaced rarely benefit academically or otherwise from their new placements⁴, widening the achievement gap that the historic Brown v. Education decision to end racial segregation in education once sought to close. For so many of our communities, schools are one of the only institutions that still provide consistent support and resources to both Black children and their families⁵. Once those schools shut down, Black students get left behind, with no real plan in place to ensure that the new schools they attend have the appropriate resources to guarantee their success or their safety. What happens in the fight for both equity and equality in education in Oakland will set the stage for what's possible for our communities across the country for years to come. We have to make it our business to support all Black students' right to a stable education today.

Black kids deserve stability in education. Take action to demand Acting President Jody London place a moratorium on all school closures in the district NOW.  

Systems built without our input will not meet the needs of our communities. Our children should not have to be shuffled out of their own communities for the false promise of a quality education - our fight is for a deeper investment in the schools that they already attend. While the Oakland Unified School District continues to spend well over 6 million dollars a year on hiring police officers at schools who criminalize, traumatize, and harshly punish our children, they refuse to meaningfully invest in the teachers, counselors, and nurses who have been proven to support their growth and potential ⁶. That isn’t right! Take action today to let President Jody London know that she has a responsibility to invest in the solutions her constituents want, not to ignore their concerns and lock them out of this process. Sign now to demand that Acting President London and the board of directors put a moratorium on all school closures immediately.

Sign now to let Acting President Jody London know we want a moratorium placed on Oakland school closures now. 

Until justice is real, 
—Kwesi, Arisha, Shannon, Chad, Dominique, Daniel, Corina, Imani, Quiana, Sadie, Ariana, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. "Oakland school board may close meeting to public after protests,” East Bay Times, November 12, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/195290?t=11&akid=39141%2E4804695%2EBzgMqP
2. “Oakland school board’s vote to close schools draws ire from parents, teachers,” Mercury News, September 12, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163219?t=13&akid=39141%2E4804695%2EBzgMqP
3. “School Closings Are Shutting The Doors On Black And Hispanic Students,” ThinkProgress, May 14, 2014, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163220?t=15&akid=39141%2E4804695%2EBzgMqP
4. “School Closures Tend to Displace Black, Poor Students With Few Positive Outcomes,” Kinder Institute for Research, August 2, 2016, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163220?t=17&akid=39141%2E4804695%2EBzgMqP
5. “Gentrification, School Closings, and Displacement in Chicago,” The American Prospect, March 14, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163220?t=19&akid=39141%2E4804695%2EBzgMqP
6. “From Report Card to Criminal Record,” The Black Organizing Project, Public Counsel, and the ACLU Northern California, August 2013, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163220?t=21&akid=39141%2E4804695%2EBzgMqP

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

A Black Syracuse Alum just started a petition to Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud to: Hold Syracuse students accountable for their racist acts! Sign now

Dear Eugene, I just started a petition titled "Hold Syracuse students accountable for their racism!" A series of racist incidents have taken place on Syracuse University’s campus. Black students are being targeted with racist graffiti and racial slurs. A white supremacist manifesto from the New Zealand shooter was posted online to a Greek life forum and sent to several students’ phones.1 And a Black woman was verbally attacked by white fraternity members, who shouted the N-word at her.2 These incidents are jeopardizing Black students’ safety on campus. As an alum, I was disturbed. But I was not surprised. Join me in supporting Black Syracuse students as they demand accountability for students who commit racist acts.  This is not the first instance of racism at Syracuse. Earlier this year, it was reported that a white student used a gun to pistol-whip and terrorize Black students at a party.3 Last year, a group of Theta Tau fraternity members performed and posted racist skits online. Although the students were suspended, some of them were allowed to return to class and to continue to learn alongside the same Black students who were harmed by their actions.4 The University’s insufficient responses to this pattern of bigotry demonstrates a blatant disregard for the health and safety of Black students.  Join Black Syracuse students in calling on the University to implement anti-racist policies on campus.    The University’s lackluster response here is unsurprising. Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud seems to care more about shutting down parties than protecting Black students. His vague commitments in response to these incidents show he’s not willing to take a strong stand against racism. Black students — people who have had to work two, three, four, or five times as hard to get into, and stay in, college — are having their college experience destroyed.   We cannot allow white Syracuse students to keep threatening their Black peers. We will continue to support the Black community at Syracuse as they push for changes to university policies and for a campus where every Black student feels safe.5 By signing the petition, you will support Black students as they demand: The University immediately expel anyone who commits racist acts;   The University hire more counselors that represent marginalized groups;6  The University adjust the Code of Student Conduct so that it specifically establishes consequences for racism;   The University provide notification of racist incidents within 48 hours of the occurrence; and  The University commit to implementing an anti-racism curriculum.7  Join me in demanding that Syracuse create a safe campus for Black students. Thank you, A Black Syracuse Alum  References:  “SU chancellor responds to student sit-in demands as racist incidents continue,” WBFO.org, November 20, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215219?t=13&akid=39158%2E4804695%2Eb8TT63 Twitter, November 19, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215220?t=15&akid=39158%2E4804695%2Eb8TT63 “SU community members voice concerns about Ackerman Avenue assault,” The Daily Orange, February 2019, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/215221?t=17&akid=39158%2E4804695%2Eb8TT63 “Syracuse Theta Tau brothers explain crude skits: 'We thought it was OK' (police video),” Syracuse.com, January 29, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215222?t=19&akid=39158%2E4804695%2Eb8TT63 “#NotAgainSU releases revised list of demands,” The Daily Orange, November 15, 2019, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/215223?t=21&akid=39158%2E4804695%2Eb8TT63 Twitter, November 19, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215220?t=23&akid=39158%2E4804695%2Eb8TT63 “SU chancellor responds to student sit-in demands as racist incidents continue,” WBFO.org, November 20, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215219?t=25&akid=39158%2E4804695%2Eb8TT63   Sign now

Join us and start your own petition on OrganizeFor today!

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

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Eugene,

Imagine if the 2020 election was the first time you ever got to vote (maybe it is!).

For the past 4 years, you’ve had to watch as Donald Trump, his administration, and right-wing Congresspeople incited violence against people of color, threw children at the border in cages, threatened reproductive rights, refused to protect you from gun violence, and so much more. But now you’ve finally turned 18, and this is your first chance to use your voice and change the path of this country.

What a first election to be voting in, right?

We know these young people are angry, scared, and tired of not having a say-- and with your support, we could be the first people to reach them to turn that passion into action. Be one of the first to donate to our Black Youth 2020 fund today-- you can help us reach our Giving Tuesday goal of starting 2020 with $10,000 for this work!

Let us know what you chip in for Black youth. Even $1 makes a difference:

Young people today are part of the most racially diverse generation in our country’s history. In 2020, voters between 18 and 23 are expected to be 45% people of color; in comparison, voters 56 and older are projected to be about 75% white.¹

And we know these young people want to vote. In the 2018 midterm elections, Black youth turnout was 35%, compared to just 24% in the 2014 midterms.²

With your support and the right plans, we can reinforce this rising tide of young Black voters. We’re launching new tools and resources to help flood the polls with new Black voters in 2020. Donate $5 to our Black Youth 2020 fund between now and Giving Tuesday and be a part of hitting our $10,000 goal!

We’ve been experimenting all of 2019 with new tools for young Black audiences. For example, we know that young people are much more likely to be on YouTube than Facebook these days, so we’ve begun testing YouTube ads to reach them. Another innovation is our Messenger chatbot, a tool that helps people learn more about our races and campaigns by chatting on an app, just like talking to a live person.

Your donation will allow us to deploy these tools far and wide in 2020, targeting young Black people in cities and states where their votes can literally change the course of elections-- meaning new district attorneys, new Congresspeople, and of course, a new president.

But to do all that, we need the funding to take our new tools to a national scale. Invest in Black youth this Giving Tuesday to support our Black Youth 2020 fund and help us start off 2020 with $10,000 to mobilize young Black voters!

Until justice is real,

Arisha, Jenni, Drew, Charles, Sabrina, Daniel, Tammi, Cristel, Scott and the Color Of Change PAC team

Sources

1. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215447?t=6&akid=39382%2E4804695%2EGUIAYS
2. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215448?t=8&akid=39382%2E4804695%2EGUIAYS

Dear Eugene, 

On November 8th, we had a chance to witness something that rarely happens. Tondalao Hall, a Black mother who was sentenced to 30 years for “failure to protect” her children from abuse was released from Mabel Correctional Facility in Oklahoma. She served 15 years behind bars simply for surviving domestic violence while her abuser, Robert Braxton, was never held accountable. 

As I watched Tondalao reunite with her family I was both relieved and overjoyed. It was a special moment that so few incarcerated women get to experience. And that special moment that was hard-fought and won by community organizations like Project Blackbird. Project Blackbird, led by Candace Liger, is an organization that works to reimagine freedom for people and communities impacted by the criminal legal system. For years, community organizers in Oklahoma and advocates across the country pressured the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, District Attorney David Prater, and finally Governor Stitt to release Tondalao from prison. Without Black women's unwavering commitment to center and defend Black women, Tondalao may have never been released. Now we need to raise $20,000 before 2020 to welcome her home and ensure her successful restoration.

Chip in $3 to support Tondalao and her family this Giving Tuesday.

Tondalao’s release happened one week after Governor Stitt approved the largest single-day mass commutation in the state's history, and just a few weeks after the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole board unanimously recommended Tondalao's commutation.¹ As the result of a ballot initiative to declassify simple drug possession and low-level property offense, over 400 incarcerated folks were released to join their loved ones.² And even though Tondalao's release didn't meet the requirements to be a part of the single-day mass commutation, it did create the momentum that Project Blackbird needed to demand her immediate freedom.³ There is no telling where Tondalao would be without other Black women leading the charge against this injustice and refusing to allow it to go unchallenged. The painful truth is this: Tondalao is just one of the thousands of Black women across the country who are criminalized for surviving abuse, incarcerated, and then separated from their families. While we continue to work to end these violent systems and institutions, we must do our part to ensure the people who suffer the indignity of incarceration are supported once they come home.

Tondalao is home. And she needs our support now more than ever. Will give $3 to support her as she rebuilds her life?

The future is bright for Tondalao. In the 15 years she sat behind bars she became a licensed cosmetologist -- an important milestone that will undoubtedly help her get started on a career after her release. Still, this transition will be challenging. Formerly incarcerated people face real barriers to resources that many of us take for granted such as housing, employment, healthcare, and so much more. We want to make sure she and her family never have to worry about basic necessities during this time. Eugene, your contribution is crucial for Tondolao as she begins this next phase of her life.

Will you chip in to Tondalao's freedom fund?

Until justice is real, 

--Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, Neosho, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

 References:

1. "She went to prison over her boyfriend’s child abuse. Thirteen years after he got out, she’s free." The Washington Post. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/214887?t=9&akid=39336%2E4804695%2EmOyFpF
2. Open Letter to Governor Stitt. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/215337?t=11&akid=39336%2E4804695%2EmOyFpF
3. "Hundreds of Oklahoma inmates being released Monday in largest commutation in U.S." NBC News. historyhttps://act.colorofchange.org/go/213548?t=13&akid=39336%2E4804695%2EmOyFpF

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

The NCAA continues to criminalize Black student-athletes for not having money. Last year, Chase Young, a star defensive football player for the Ohio Buckeyes, sought after his dream of having his family see him play in one of the biggest football events of the year, The Rosebowl. He had to borrow money from a family friend to pay for airfare for his family to travel for the game, and he paid the family friend back. But the NCAA put Young under investigation, and suspended him two games, forcing him to sit out of games that jeopardized his chances of winning the Heisman trophy.¹

In Memphis, the NCAA is sabotaging basketball star, James Wiseman, for the financial support that his family was given, without his knowledge, when he was in high school. Wiseman’s then high school coach, Penny Hardaway helped pay for him and his family to relocate to a better high school.² But because of this, the NCAA started an investigation and is blocking him from playing.³

The Investigations of Chase Young and James Wiseman demonstrate that the NCAA cannot be trusted to manage the finances of Black student-athletes. This is why we need Congressional oversight on fair pay for Black student-athletes.

Demand that Congress institute legislation to end the exploitation of Black student-athletes across the country!

The dollar amount of Chase Young’s airfare and James Wiseman’s family support is miniscule when compared to the billions NCAA will make off of these athletes this season. The NCAA signed a TV deal with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting to air its March Madness tournament that will make them a billion dollars a year.⁴ Yet NCAA is criminalizing Chase Young and James Wiseman over thousand-dollar transactions meant to help their families.

The NCAA recently succumbed to national pressure to allow athletes to earn money from the use of their names, images, and likenesses. But because this is the NCAA, we know there will be arbitrary limitations for how and when players can earn and spend their own money. The scrutiny over student-athlete finances will only increase as the players are exposed to more economic opportunity, as seen in the cases of James Wiseman and Chase Young. We can’t leave it up to the NCAA to create fair rules for student-athletes.

Color Of Change members fought and won fair pay for our student-athletes in California. Now, we must make sure we do the same for student-athletes around the nation. Federal legislation must be created to limit the authority of the NCAA in determining economic opportunities for Black student-athletes. Several members of Congress are already on board to end NCAA’s dictatorship.

Demand federal legislation to protect them from NCAA’s exploitation!

Until justice is real,

Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Evan, Future, Amanda, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color of Change team

References:

1. “Ohio State star Chase Young will miss Maryland game 'due to possible NCAA issue',” Yahoo Sports, November 8, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215041?t=9&akid=39148%2E4804695%2E9UdYse
2. “Top NBA draft prospect James Wiseman allowed to play by court after being ruled ineligible by NCAA,” Yahoo Sports, November 8, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215042?t=11&akid=39148%2E4804695%2E9UdYse
3. “Memphis declares James Wiseman ineligible to play after he drops lawsuit vs. NCAA,” ESPN.com, November 14, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215043?t=13&akid=39148%2E4804695%2E9UdYse
4. “The NCAA's new March Madness TV deal will make them a billion dollars a year,” SB Nation, April 12, 2016, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/25769?t=15&akid=39148%2E4804695%2E9UdYse

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has taken its exploitative, anti-Black policies to the next level and is currently forcing a teenager to pay an $11,500 fine over a financial decision he did not make.

Freshman basketball star James Wiseman is the latest victim of the NCAA’s draconian amateurism rules. Wiseman was a high school senior when his coach, former NBA star Penny Hardaway, gave his family $11,000 to move to a better school district.¹ The NCAA became aware of the situation and has been targeting Wiseman and his team, the Memphis Tigers, ever since: suspending the star from 12 games and requiring him to pay a fine of $11,500.² The NCAA knows that Wiseman, an unpaid student-athlete, cannot afford to pay this fine. This is a vindictive move to control Wiseman the way the NCAA tries to financially control all Black student-athletes.

Demand that the NCAA drop this malicious fine immediately!

The NCAA is not only harming the young star’s financial well-being; it is also robbing him of future earning opportunities. Wiseman is a potential #1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. This suspension could cause him to fall down the draft, costing him millions. The NCAA cannot continue to exploit and harm Black student-athletes.

NBA players, presidential candidate Andrew Yang, and sports influencers are calling the NCAA out for its ridiculous punishment.[3] The pressure to hold the NCAA accountable for its anti-player and anti-Black policies has intensified since the Fair Pay to Play Act was introduced and passed in California. And even though the NCAA recently succumbed to national pressure to allow athletes to earn money from the use of their names, images, and likenesses, the organization is still attempting to sabotage players financially. As we fight for a long-term solution to end the NCAA’s exploitation, we have to stop them from sabotaging this young athlete’s opportunity for success.

Demand that the NCAA drop its vengeful fine against James Wiseman today!

Until justice is real,
Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Evan, Future, Amanda, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color of Change team

References:

1. “Top NBA draft prospect James Wiseman allowed to play by court after being ruled ineligible by NCAA,” Yahoo Sports, November 8, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215042?t=9&akid=39357%2E4804695%2EjMj6vV
2. “Memphis star freshman James Wiseman suspended 12 games, cleared to play in January,” Yahoo Sports, November 20, 2019, ttps://sports.yahoo.com/memphis-star-freshman-james-wiseman-suspended-12-games-cleared-to-play-in-january-221004290.html
3. “James Wiseman case has everyone piling on the NCAA — including Andrew Yang,” The Washington Post, November 21, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215639?t=11&akid=39357%2E4804695%2EjMj6vV

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

“America’s Got Talent” fired Gabrielle Union for being ‘too black.’ In a recent update, news was released that Gabrielle Union was not only fired from NBC’s competition show “America’s Got Talent” for speaking out against bigoted content, but was subjected to criticism because “her rotating hairstyles were ‘too black’ for the audience.”^1,2 This kind of behavior is dehumanizing to Union, Black viewers, and Black people everywhere, and America’s Got Talent must be held accountable. 

Demand that advertisers who sponsor “America’s Got Talent” immediately drop the show. 

Please see the email below for more information about this issue. 

“America’s Got Talent” must be held accountable. Recently, Gabrielle Union supposedly left her role at reality competition show “America’s Got Talent” because she was “busy.” Since then, it has come to light that Union was fired from the program for speaking out against the show’s racism and sexism. “America’s Got Talent” is a show that reaches millions of people. And Gabrielle Union is reported to have increased the show’s viewership.³ It is not only unacceptable that this show has a bigotry problem, but that they fired their wildly popular Black host for speaking out against it.

It’s 2019 and we believe it is about time for shows that permit bigotry to lose their platform — and their funding. Tell advertisers to drop “America’s Got Talent.” 

This is not the first time “America’s Got Talent” has had problems. In 2017, Nick Cannon left the show because of their attempts to “silence and control [his] outspoken voice.”4 And, it’s been reported that the show “replace[s]...women and blacks at Simon [Cowell]’s whim.”⁵ This history of sexism and racism problems at the show demonstrate a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of the Black entertainers they hire, and shows a level of carelessness towards viewers that must change. 

One of the most effective ways to change behavior of TV executives and decision-makers behind-the-scenes is to eliminate a show’s funding source. Join us in calling on advertisers to drop “America’s Got Talent.” 

But it is not only bigotry behind-the-scenes that’s a problem here. The decision to remove Gabrielle Union from “America’s Got Talent” sets a precedent that Black women — and our voices — don’t matter. Black women work tirelessly, today and throughout history, to make invaluable contributions to activism, politics, art, entertainment, and culture. Our successes come with great sacrifice, and are the result of perseverance, resilience, and hard work. America’s Got Talent’s decision to remove Gabrielle Union from the show sends the message that Black women are disposable. At a time when Black women are too often abused, ignored, or disregarded, this decision is not just wrong, it’s dangerous.⁶

Tell advertisers to take a stand against America’s Got Talent’s bigotry and drop the show for good.

Until justice is real, 
—Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Future, Amanda, Evan, Imani, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References: 

1. “Inside ‘America’s Got Talent’: Ousted Judges Had Complained of Toxic Culture (EXCLUSIVE),” Variety, November 26, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215818?t=8&akid=39361%2E4804695%2EirEhrv
2. Twitter, November 27, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215819?t=11&akid=39361%2E4804695%2EirEhrv
   
3. “[Exclusive] Gabrielle Union Fired From 'America's Got Talent' After Speaking Out Against 'Problematic' Racism, Sexism and More: 'They Replace Women and Blacks at Simon's Whim,'” LOVEBSCOTT, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215646?t=13&akid=39361%2E4804695%2EirEhrv
4. “Nick Cannon Quits ‘America’s Got Talent’ After Flap About N-Word Joke,” TheWrap, February 13, 2017, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215647?t=15&akid=39361%2E4804695%2EirEhrv
5. “[Exclusive] Gabrielle Union Fired From 'America's Got Talent' After Speaking Out Against 'Problematic' Racism, Sexism and More: 'They Replace Women and Blacks at Simon's Whim,'” LOVEBSCOTT, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215646?t=17&akid=39361%2E4804695%2EirEhrv
6. “Black Women Are Disappeared & Vilified In Mainstream Media & News,” Black Women Too/Color Of Change, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215648?t=19&akid=39361%2E4804695%2EirEhrv

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene, 

Since starting three years ago, the National Bailout Collective¹ has bailed out over 450 Black women and caretakers across the country. In Maryland, over 50 Black women escaped the nightmare of a jail cell.

In preparation for next year’s Black Mama's Bail Out, local organizers in Maryland are taking their efforts to the next level by launching the first-ever #FreeBlackMamas house. The #FreeBlackMamas house will be a communal space for Black women to rest easy, breathe and clear their heads, get healthy, and most importantly, build their case for when they go back to court.

We know that getting released from jail is only half the battle. Once a Black woman is freed, she will need to find the resources to fight her charges, but that becomes increasingly difficult to do once her life has been disrupted by money bail. That is why we are raising money for #FreeBlackMamas DMV, so local activists can provide housing to recently bailed out Black women for at least one year. The #FreeBlackMamas house represents a chance to beat the odds.

On this Giving Tuesday, it would mean so much to have your first-ever donation go towards the #FreeBlackMamas house. Consider giving the gift of peace and stability to Black mamas today.

Black women often serve as anchors for many Black families. Once a Black woman is jailed, she is more likely to disappear into the system because there is hardly anyone to support her. She is often alone. And while a Black woman sits in a cage, awaiting trial, she could lose her job, her home and in some circumstances, even her children. 

Thankfully, we have another vision that is powered by our love for Black women. In the #FreeBlackMamas house, Black women will receive access to legal support, career coaching, and the chance to participate in wellness programs such as art, yoga, and so much more. Black women will also be able to connect with each other as they begin to navigate the criminal legal system. This is Black love in action. This is what true community looks like. And this is where you come in, Eugene. We need your support to make it happen.

If we raise $20,000 in the next 4 weeks, the #FreeBlackMamas House can get off to a good start. Here's how. 

• If 25 people give $25 then the cost of groceries will be covered for at least one month.
• If 50 people give $50 then Black mamas will not have to worry about childcare expenses as they work to rebuild their lives.
• If 100 people give $100 then Black women will have a guaranteed roof over their heads in 2020.

For too long, the money bail system has wreaked havoc in our community. In fact, the two billion dollar bail bond industry is quite literally profiting from the separation and destruction of Black families. But we are creating something new -- something more powerful with the #FreeBlackMamas house. Since we started doing Mama’s Day Bailouts 458 women have been reunited with their families. We can do so much more -- but it starts with your contribution.

Until justice is real, 

-- Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Madison, Leonard, Marena, Tamar, Neosho and the rest of the Color Of Change team 

References:

1. National Bailout Collective. 2019.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

Last week, a Minnesota school forced students to throw away their hot lunch if they had just $15 in school lunch debt. Not only were the students’ lunches thrown away, but they were humiliated in front of their classmates as cafeteria staff called out students for their debt. School administrators are punishing students because their family can’t afford the cost of lunch. These kinds of actions are cruel, and we must do something to intervene.

We’re working to erase school lunch debts for Minnesota students. Chip in $5 to help erase a student's debt and ensure students are able to have a hot meal at lunchtime. 

Too often, students whose families have low incomes are shamed by school administrators because they can’t afford their lunch. But students and their parents don’t deserve to be shamed because they can’t afford the cost of lunch. Shaming practices are unfair, and they disproportionately impact the Black and Latinx students whose families have low incomes due to systemic economic barriers. This inequity is why we want to clear students’ lunch debt altogether.

Chip in $5 to help eliminate school lunch debt for these students. 

Color Of Change members are powerful, and you continue to show up when we need to fight back against the systems that hurt our people. We need you now, more than ever, to help us as we work to ensure that every single day, Black and Latinx students in Minnesota are able to have a hot lunch to eat and won’t be shamed for it.

Chip in $5 to end school lunch debt for Minnesota students.

Until justice is real, 
—Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Future, Amanda, Evan, Imani, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “Minnesota school district apologizes after video shows workers throwing away hot lunches for students with outstanding debt,” The Hill, November 13, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215049?t=10&akid=39296%2E4804695%2EKe-Nv5
2. “Warwick School Committee approves policy ending ‘lunch shaming,’” WPRI.com, May 15, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/135889?t=12&akid=39296%2E4804695%2EKe-Nv5
3. “Officials, advocates push for Minnesota law to keep students from being denied diplomas over school lunch debts,” Star Tribune, May 10, 2019, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/135890?t=14&akid=39296%2E4804695%2EKe-Nv5

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hey Eugene,

We just wanted to send out a thank you note to all our members for your huge support this Giving Tuesday season!

We received over $35,000 in donations, which means we’ll be able to continue fighting on campaigns like:

1. Pressuring district attorneys and governors to dismantle mass incarceration, including ending cash bail, refusing to prosecute survivors of abuse and sexual violence, and granting clemency
   
   
2. Checking the power of large tech corporations like Facebook and Amazon, including demanding they address racism embedded in company policies and refuse to collaborate with systems of oppression like ICE and police departments
   
   
3. Ensuring Black people are treated with dignity in all parts of our society, including ending Black hair discrimination in workplaces, ensuring that Black patients are getting the care they deserve from medical professionals, and securing Black college athletes the pay they’ve earned

Thank you so much again Eugene, for your support this week and all year long. We can’t wait to keep building, fighting and WINNING with you for Black people in the year to come.

Until justice is real,

Rashad and the Color Of Change team

P.S. Didn’t get a chance to donate for Giving Tuesday? You still have time! Chip in to join our movement for racial justice here.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Hi Eugene,

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a motion to block Lamar Johnson's chance at freedom -- an innocent Black man that has been locked up for a crime he did not commit. Lamar has been in a cage for 24 years. This unacceptable. We need to move quickly. A Missouri judge will hear Lamar's appeal for a new trial in just 2 days. 

Tell Attorney General Schmitt: Immediately end this obstruction of justice and defend Lamar's right to a new trial NOW.

Until justice is real, 

--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika Clarise, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, Neosho, and the rest of the Color of Change team

P.S. Read our email below for more information about Lamar's case.

Dear Eugene,

The Missouri Attorney General is stopping Lamar Johnson, an innocent Black man, from reuniting with his family.

In 1995, Lamar Johnson was falsely accused, wrongly convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. More than two decades later, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner discovered multiple instances of prosecutorial misconduct in Lamar’s case including the bribing of the prosecution’s key eyewitness, who later recanted his testimony.² 

Now as part of an effort to right the wrongs of tough-on-crimes policies, Kim Gardner has petitioned the courts to hear the evidence of innocence and grant Lamar a new trial. But Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is BLOCKING Lamar's new trial and release. Schmitt claims that Gardner has no authority as a prosecutor to correct a miscarriage of justice and that the state technically cannot request a new trial for a defendant.³ This is morally reprehensible — why wouldn't he want to support freeing an innocent man? 

It’s time for Schmitt to stop playing political games with people’s lives. That is why we are demanding that Schmitt immediately end his efforts to block Gardner’s motion for a new trial and reverse course by joining hundreds of community advocates and legal experts in securing Johnson’s freedom. 

Tell Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt: Defend Lamar Johnson's freedom

It is not unusual for police officers to manipulate the evidence in order to lock Black people away. We have seen police officers and prosecutors coercing false confessions, tampering with evidence, and lying under oath all to keep Black people in cages. From the infamous case involving the Exonerated Five to more recently, Dontae Sharpe, a Black man wrongly convicted and incarcerated for two decades --  it is no secret that law enforcement will go to extraordinary and even unethical lengths to harm Black people. This blatant abuse of power needs to be addressed and stopped.

In Lamar’s case, the claims were downright ridiculous. The state suggested that Lamar miraculously left his friend's apartment, traveled three miles to commit murder, and traveled back -- all under 5 minutes.⁴ Most shockingly, Johnson was not even released after the men actually responsible for the crime came forward and confessed, both in 1996 and 2002.⁵ The racist criminal justice system in Missouri has essentially robbed Lamar of his life and promising future. There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of falsely accused people locked up in cages. However, in the past three years, there have only been 13 exonerations in Missouri.⁶

The last thing AG Eric Schmitt should be doing is blocking any attempt to free this Black man. Gardner should be commended not bullied for her efforts. We need more elected officials doing the right thing and addressing the harm of mass incarceration, especially in the cases of those who are innocent.

All across the country, prosecutors are using conviction review units (CRUs) to free people from prison. For instance, as a result of the State’s Attorney’s Kim Foxx's investigation of prosecutorial misconduct, nearly 40 incarcerated people have been reunited with their families.⁷ In the same vein, AG Schmitt can now correct the mistakes made by the criminal legal system 2 decades ago-- he can help reunite Lamar with his loved ones and return him to his beloved community. Lamar should not have to wait another day in prison. 

Until justice is real, 

--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika Clarise, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, Neosho, and the rest of the Color of Change team

 References:

1. "To win a murder conviction, police and prosecutors made up evidence and secretly paid a witness, St Louis DA finds." The Washington Post, 26 July 2019.
2. Ibid.
3. "Missouri AG looks to block efforts to free Lamar Johnson, saying Gardner does not have the authority." KMOV4 News, 1 November 2019.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. The National Registry of Exonerations. 8 November 2019.
7. The National Registry of Exonerations. 8 November 2019.

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Dear Eugene,

The University of North Carolina (UNC) is currently providing financial support for the headquarters of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Funding for this hate-filled group came at the expense of two university centers: the Center on Poverty and Workforce Development and the Center for Civil Rights. There's no mistaking what's unacceptable about this. A state university is prioritizing funding for a certified hate group,¹ whose primary function is to promote white supremacy, over institutions that respond to the needs of Black people and vulnerable communities. 

Tell the University of North Carolina governing board it should not be funding the Sons of Confederate Veterans

In addition, UNC gave the Sons of Confederate Veterans $2.5 million to keep its “Silent Sam” Confederate statue after students and other university supporters removed it last spring². The Sons of Confederate Veterans is a violent organization. The statue was erected in 1913 by a former UNC trustee as he whipped a Black woman for insulting it.³ Their mission statement, “committing to the vindication of the Civil War,⁴” is a continuous reminder that they are heavily invested in a return to slavery. The way the governing board has bent over backwards for neo-Confederates makes its actions loud and clear: the University of North Carolina system does not foster a community that cares about Black lives.

Sign our petition demanding the Board of Governors stop funding white supremacy with state university dollars.

After the governing board’s $2.5 million contribution was disclosed, the Sons of Confederate Veterans referred to the outcome as a victory, following their unsuccessful attempt to sue the university for the student removal of this tribute to slavery. The governing board insisted on secrecy surrounding their funding and did not want the $2.5million donation to be made public.⁵ The Board’s failed attempts to censor these dealings tell us even they knew they were wrong. 

The most shameful thing about all this is the university is funding hate at the expense of two essential centers that would truly support and grow the institution and surrounding community. The governing board fired the attorneys affiliated with the Civil Rights Center⁶ and had to return funds that supported its Center on Poverty and Workforce Development.⁷  For the Board of Governors to use the university's platform and money in this way is a slap in the face to justice-minded North Carolinians and any Black person affiliated with the university.The University of North Carolina Board of Governors is a part of a violent cornerstone of the white South that ensures Black people remain in political, economic, and social subordination. We must push back.

Tell the Board of Governors to stop funding Confederate hate.

 Until justice is real, 

-Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Amanda, Evan, Johnny, Eesha, Future, Marcus, Samantha, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “Neo-Confederates." Southern Poverty Law Center.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/220883?t=9&akid=39720%2E4804695%2EhNu-i-

2. “UNC's Deal to Give Confederate Group $2.5 million Comes Before Lawsuit.” News and Observer. December 2, 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/220884?t=11&akid=39720%2E4804695%2EhNu-i- 

3. "Who is Silent Sam."University of North Carolina Library. 1912 - 1914. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/220884?t=13&akid=39720%2E4804695%2EhNu-i-

4."Sons of Confederate Veterans." SCV.org. December 3, 2019. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/220886?t=15&akid=39720%2E4804695%2EhNu-i-

5.“Read the Victory Letter a White Nationalist Sent His Followers After Receiving $2.5 million from UNC.” BoingBoing.  December 5, 2019.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/220887?t=17&akid=39720%2E4804695%2EhNu-i-

6.“UNC Center for Civil Rights Attorneys Are Out of A Job.” News & Observer. October 19, 2017. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/220888?t=19&akid=39720%2E4804695%2EhNu-i-

7.“No More Poverty in North Carolina:UNC Governing Board to Close School's Poverty Center.” Washington Post.  February 5, 2015.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/220888?t=21&akid=39720%2E4804695%2EhNu-i-

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.

Eugene,

Once again, Governor John Bel Edwards is allowing corporate greed to endanger Black people’s lives in Louisiana. Formosa Plastics has applied to Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to build a 9.4 billion dollar petrochemical plant in the predominantly Black community of St. James Parish, Louisiana.¹ And with several permits already moving through the department successfully, it looks like they are going to be approved. The problem? Formosa Plastic’s plant proposes to emit a chemical that a 2016 EPA study has proven causes cancer, “even with limited exposure.”² There is no other way to say it. If this chemical plant is built, Black people will die. This is why we must speak up now, before it’s too late.

Let Governor John Bel Edwards know we won’t sit by while corporations poison our people. The time to protect our communities is now.

This isn’t the first chemical plant that has been approved in the region. The stretch of the Mississippi river where the company intends to build has long been referred to as “Cancer Alley” after the parish adopted a land-use plan that designated large swaths of agricultural land for industrial use in 2014.³ Since then, several multi-billion dollar companies have built major manufacturing plants that emit some of the highest levels of waste and pollution in the country in a region where Black people make up just under 50% of the population. This is unacceptable. 

Another Black community poisioned by corporate greed and abandoned by the government. We cannot allow this to happen. Sign now.

Time and time again, the state of Louisiana has demonstrated that it values profit more than it values Black people’s lives. According to a ProPublica analysis, the air around Formosa’s plants is more toxic with cancer-causing chemicals than 99.6% of industrialized areas of the country⁴. Just last month, Formosa Plastics was required to pay residents of Texas $50 million dollars for the impact of illegally dumping billions of plastic pellets and other pollutants into Lavaca Bay and other waterways. Still, despite the devastation the company has caused across the country, DEQ seems poised to grant them more land, resources and space. And despite the fact that Formosa’s currently-operating PVC site in Baton Rouge has been out of compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act for the past three years, Governor John Bel Edwards recently announced a 332 million dollar investment of taxpayer dollars into the company’s expansion in Louisiana.⁵ This isn’t right.

Formosa Plastics is counting on us to turn a blind eye to the disaster it is creating. Tell Governor John Bel Edwards that it’s his duty to stop them.

We’ve long known that pollution takes its greatest toll on the health of Black communities, who are often left with few resources or recourse. Environmental racism continues to place Black people in close proximity to pollution and other environmental hazards.⁶ Black children suffer disproportionately from asthma, and are seven to eight times more likely to die of asthma than white children.⁷ Communities of color face nearly 40% more exposure to toxic air pollution than white communities.⁸ Formosa Plastics is counting on environmental racism and to get away with their crimes and Governor John Bel Edwards is giving them the free pass they need to do it. We can’t let that happen.