Prohibit discrimination profiling, join in Earth Day global cleanups, help gain justice for Jayland Walker. and more ways to help.
Contact all members of Congress:
- By phone: (202) 224-3121
- By email: democracy.io
- By US mail: Representatives / Senators
- By fax: Representatives / Senators
- By Resistbot: Resist.bot
Contact White House or other federal agencies:
- PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATORY PROFILING BY LAW ENFORCEMENTSenate Democrats have introduced the End Racial and Religious Profiling Act of 2023. If passed, it will prohibit federal, state, and local law enforcement from profiling on the basis of race, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation, with serious consequences for violations. Let’s tell our U.S. Senators to co-sponsor S.1084.
- JUSTICE FOR JAYLAND WALKER AND TYRE NICHOLS
We’ve learned that the eight Akron police officers who killed Jayland Walker will not be indicted for their actions during the shooting. Walker was shot 46 times after a car and foot chase that began when police attempted to stop him for a minor traffic violation. Much like the murder of Tyre Nichols, this should renew focus on police involvement in traffic stops, one of the most dangerous interactions that people have with police. Let’s contact our police departments and local officials and urge them to join those communities that have phased out or reformed traffic stops for low-level infractions, and reach out to our members of Congress to urge them to get back to work on both the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and a proposal by Rep. Ritchie Torres that would reward cities who move traffic enforcement away from armed police. We can also contact the Justice Department to urge them to heed Rep. Emilia Sykes’ call for a patterns and practices investigation into the Akron Police.
- VOLUNTEER WITH BLACK VOTERS MATTEROn July 1, 2023, Mississippi’s House Bill 1020 will take effect, creating a 2-tiered justice system in the city of Jackson—whereby the 80% of residents who are Black will be subject to a separate and wholly appointed, not elected, judiciary and a separate police force while the Capitol Complex Improvement District will remain exempt from this change. Resistance is mounting. The ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, students at Tougaloo College, the mayor of Jackson, Black legislators have all voiced their opposition and taken action; now they are joined by Black Voters Matter. Black Voters Matter has been at the forefront of organizing in the South, whether it’s protesting the takeover of Jackson, Mississippi’s judicial system, handing out water to those in line to vote in Georgia or getting folks out to reject the expulsion of the Tennessee Two. They’re looking for volunteers to help them continue their advocacy by text and phone. Let’s sign up for their next volunteer orientation tonight, April 18th.
- DID JUDGE KACSMARYK CON THE SENATE?
The Senate Judiciary Committee requires nominees to disclose any publication with which they are associated. While under consideration for a federal judgeship, Matthew Kacsmaryk took his name off an article he had submitted to a Texas law review in which he criticized Obama-era protections for trans people and those seeking abortions, and had it replaced with two other lawyers. The ideological views expressed in the paper are extreme and would have been a challenge for his already controversial nomination. This possible effort to obfuscate his views is particularly significant now that we’ve seen his judicial record, which suggests someone attempting to write his political preferences into the Constitution. Let’s contact our members of Congress and ask for an investigation into Judge Kacsmaryk and whether or not he deliberately misled the Senate.
- EARTH DAY GLOBAL CLEAN-UPThere are many benefits to community cleanups. Earth Day is sponsoring the Great Global Cleanup. Let’s check this out and join or create our own community cleanup. More information and instructions here.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- ALL: SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION IN THE STATESThe National Caucus of Environmental Legislators has a bill tracker that lets us see pro-environment bills that have been filed in our state legislatures. Let’s use the tracker to find bills introduced in our state legislatures, and let’s tell our state senators and reps to co-sponsor the ones we support.