Thursday, September 17, 2020

Action: Now Is The Time To Attack Structural Racism

 

NOW IS THE TIME TO ATTACK STRUCTURAL RACISM

caely.barrett@gmail.com

Background

W.E.B. DuBois recognized America’s split personality—as the land of the free and the home of the slave—which we’ve never had the will to change.   

Although these contradictions continue, George Floyd’s murder, the coronavirus pandemic’s highly uneven impact on communities of color, and Trump’s callous responses to both, have finally made white America confront deep-seated racial inequities. The more than 23 million who’ve participated in Black Lives Matter protests since May—supported by 87% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 53% of Republicans—make Black Lives matter the largest protest movement in American history.

We must not waste this energy for transformative change. Rather than focusing solely on police and criminal justice reform, we must push to eliminate the structural racism keeping people of color from achieving full equality by reinvesting in their communities. As first steps

  • The Senate must pass HEROS Act, George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and Emmett Till Antilynching Act, 

  • Congress must enact the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act, which identifies systematic racism as a public health crisis and requires CDC to develop both anti-racist health policies and programs preventing law enforcement violence.

  • Congress must commit to post-pandemic rebuilding based on anti-racism and economic justice.

1. Call the Senate.

Script for Sen. Merkley

Script for Sen. Wyden

2. Call the House.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Script for Greg Walden (OR-02)

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)

3. Get 2020 Ready.