Support Color of Change & Sign Credo's Petition: They've Been Supporting Us

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

There is an old saying that "freedom ain't free" - and it is as true now with the demonstrations and movements that are emerging today, as it was Black in the day of brother Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, etc. That said, and with the new year bringing a new set of vultures in Congress, the role of Color of Change is going to be more pivotal and important than ever.
Additionally, CREDO is circulating a petition for Police Reform in New York City, and across the country - please show your support and sign it and pass it on.  If you can't sign it on my blog, please go on line and sign it on their website - everything we do makes a big difference in the final outcomes.

I'm reposting emails I received from them that we all need to resonate to and get behind - as we move forward.  

Stay Blessed & 
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria 

STAY BLESSED

On Mon, Dec 15, 2014 at 8:13 AM, Rashad Robinson, ColorOfChange.org <info@colorofchange.org> wrote:

2014 has been transformative for the racial justice movement Chip in to make 2015 even bigger

Dear Gloria,
Earlier this month I was at the ColorOfChange annual staff retreat. On the first morning we held four and a half minutes of silence: one minute for every hour Michael Brown lay on the street after being killed by Officer Darren Wilson. It was a powerful reminder of why we fight, and also of the historic time we're in.
There's a sense of pain and anger, but also of possibility as Black folks and our allies have taken to the streets across the country asserting that "Black Lives Matters" and demanding an end to discriminatory, militarized policing.
The moment of silence was also a reminder of the important role that the ColorOfChange community plays in this movement for a just and inclusive America. At the staff retreat we took stock of our work over 2014, and while we've faced hardships, I was blown away by what we've accomplished together this year...

1. We successfully pressured Saturday Night Live to hire not one, but three Black women. This included Sasheer Zamata, who became the first Black woman cast-member since 2007.
    
2. We stopped the fight between DMX and George Zimmerman, who was continuing to victimize Trayvon Martin and capitalize on his death.
    
3. We got racist Clippers-owner Donald Sterling kicked out of the NBA, forcing him to sell the team.
    
4. We fought back against the telecom corporations attempting to buy the Internet and end Net Neutrality, which has been critical to our 21st-century fights for justice. We made sure our voices were heard in DC, and - in November - President Obama let us know he was listening.
    
5. More than 1 million people saw our #IfTheySpeakForMe YouTube videos, encouraging folks to get out and vote during the 2014 mid-term elections.
    
6. We divested nearly $60 million from the private prison industry, which is responsible for some of the most abusive and inhumane conditions in the country.
    
7. We fought hard for important reforms to New York City's Stop-and-Frisk program, including a city-wide ban on discriminatory policing and an independent monitor to oversee changes.
    
8. We helped pass California's Prop 47 ballot initiative, reclassifying nonserious, nonviolent crimes as misdemeanors instead of felonies, keeping countless Black folks out prison and giving many a chance to get out.
    
9. And we brought the campaign for police accountability and systemic reforms to the White House, delivering nearly 1 million petition signatures. During this amplified moment we're continuing to fight for justice for Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Ramarley Graham, John Crawford, and too many others.

Our work is far from done, which is why spent the second half of the retreat hatching plans for 2015. We discussed ways to improve our work so that we can more effectively win real-world change for Black folks. Ultimately, that’s what ColorOfChange is about.
But change takes a community. Our 2014 victories and achievements wouldn’t have happened without you signing petitions, advocating on social media, showing up on the streets, and chipping in your hard-earned money. And now we're looking toward the year ahead.
Our ability to make ambitious plans for 2015 is constrained by what we're able to fundraise this month. If we can raise $100,000 by December 31, we'll have the resources we need to dream big this coming year. We’ve proven that we’re an effective force for change for Black folks and our allies. Click to contribute whatever you’re able to, today.
Thanks and peace,
--Rashad, Arisha, Matt, Bhavik, and the ColorOfChange team

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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.
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By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All

Credo Action

What New York can do after Eric Garner

Sign the petition

Tell New York Governor Andrew Cuomo:

"Issue a temporary executive order giving Attorney General Eric Schneiderman authority over any police killings of unarmed civilians."

Name

Email*

Street address*

Zipcode*

You'll receive periodic updates on offers and activism opportunities.

Last week, the police officer who choked Eric Garner to death escaped justice when a Staten Island grand jury failed to indict him. The Garner tragedy — coming on the heels of the failure of a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri to indict the officer who killed MIchael Brown — makes clear not only the need for major changes in policing to protect people of color, especially African American men, but the powerful role that local prosecutors play in protecting police officers who kill unarmed civilians.
This week, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to strip the state’s 62 elected district attorneys of their power to investigate police killings of unarmed civilians and turn it over to the state.
Taking this authority from local prosecutors is a key step to bringing real justice to the victims of police killings and their families.

Tell Governor Cuomo: Give Attorney General Eric Schneiderman authority over police killings of unarmed civilians in New York.

For anyone who watched the video of Garner’s death, or heard his haunting last words of “I can’t breathe,” it was a shock that the Staten Island grand jury failed to indict the officer who killed him. But it’s actually not surprising that district attorneys seem to act more often as defenders of police who kill than as their prosecutors, especially during grand jury proceedings. Not only do district attorneys work closely with the police on a daily basis, they depend on the support of law enforcement unions for reelection. It’s a conflict of interest that lets police kill without consequence.
Attorney General Schneiderman has asked for only temporary authority from the governor, with the hope that the state legislature will pass more systemic reforms. But it’s a critical first step in holding police accountable and offers a major stopgap if the legislature is slow or fails to act.
There’s no reason for Governor Cuomo not to act now to give Attorney General Schneiderman the power to investigate all police killings of unarmed civilians.
Thanks for helping to hold police accountable.

CREDO Action is a publication of Working Assets | credomobile.com

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Now that you know what are you going to do about it? 
Stay Blessed & 
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria