President Obama has the power — and responsibility — to help end the nationwide crisis of police violence and its unjust consequences. Urge Pres. Obama to issue an executive order directing the Department of Justice to rigorously enforce and expand civil rights law and federal bans on violent and discriminatory policing: There is an epidemic of racial bias, police violence, and a lack of accountability in our countrys police forces. Thousands have been killed.1 Millions more have been sucked into the criminal justice system by racially-biased practices — stripped of their rights and unable to gain employment because of discrimination.2 The federal government could, at the direction of President Obama, significantly change these conditions — but its not happening yet. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI could enforce our civil rights laws much more aggressively — the laws Martin Luther King, Jr. and others gave their lives fighting for — holding officers and police departments accountable when they target and kill Black people across the country. And the federal government could lead the way towards ending employment discrimination against people whove been incarcerated. But these things wont happen unless we demand them. President Obama has already taken a number of important steps to reform policing — but its not nearly enough, and theres much more he can do.3 This Tuesday, President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address. Please join us in calling on him to crack down on violent and discriminatory policing by issuing an executive order directing the DOJ to enforce our civil rights laws more aggressively, and to remove unjust barriers to employment targeting the formerly incarcerated. It only takes a moment. There are plenty of laws on the books that, if enforced, could hold officers and police departments accountable for discrimination and unjust violence.4 Everyone knows that local police departments and local prosecutors rarely hold their own officers accountable. But the federal civil rights laws fought for and achieved by Martin Luther King and others allow the federal government to enforce the law. The federal government is supposed to intervene. But year after year, we see more injustice, brutality, and death, with little or no accountability. We cannot afford to wait any longer for tangible police accountability and long term, structural change to keep our communities safe.5 And an executive order from President Obama would go a long way in moving the Department of Justice into action. Without the Presidents leadership, the federal government will continue with business as usual: more lives tragically lost, the occasional investigation, and no justice. Join us and our allies at the PICO National Network and others in calling on President Obama to direct the Department of Justice to enforce our nations civil rights laws, and to take leadership in ending police violence and employment discrimination against the formerly incarcerated. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a reminder of progress made, promises unkept and a time for action. A radical and fierce civil rights leader, Dr. King gave his life to holding national leaders accountable for addressing racial discrimination head on and ending the oppression of poor people and people of color across the world. His bold vision, strategies and tactics were based on an unrelenting love of Black people, justice, and faith in the power of movement building and civil disobedience to change the world. Dr. King saw racism, war, police violence, poverty, and voting suppression as inextricably linked. And his legacy is alive and well within todays growing new civil rights movement to end state violence targeting Black and brown communities. With only two years left in his presidency, this is President Obamas moment to define his legacy on civil rights and the criminal justice system. And with a lot of different forces pressuring the President, we need to make sure he hears a chorus of voices demanding that he prioritizes ending discriminatory policing and violence, and addressing the collateral consequences of mass incarceration in a racially-biased criminal justice system. Tell President Obama we expect him to do more than make speeches this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Now is the time to honor Dr. Kings legacy and restore integrity to our nations justice system by aggressively enforcing civil rights laws. Thanks and peace, Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Lyla, Jamar and the entire ColorOfChange.org team References 1. Killed By Cops 2000-2014 ColorOfChange, 12-1-14 act.colorofchange.org/go/4534?t=7&akid=4044.1679888.PDNqH- 2. Ban the Box, National Employment Law Center, act.colorofchange.org/go/4536?t=9&akid=4044.1679888.PDNqH- 3. President Obama Announces Task Force on 21st Century Policing, White House 12-18-14 act.colorofchange.org/go/4537?t=11&akid=4044.1679888.PDNqH- 4. Federal officials may use little-known civil rights statute in police shooting cases, Guardian 12-24-14 act.colorofchange.org/go/4535?t=13&akid=4044.1679888.PDNqH- 5. National policing crisis calls for national action, ColorOfChange 09-30-14 act.colorofchange.org/sign/federalpolicingreforms/?t=15&akid=4044.1679888.PDNqH- ColorOfChange is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and their allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 19:53:40 +0000
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