[1]Voting While Black

Hey John,

#ByeAnita. In this little hashtag lies the origin story of Color Of Change
PAC.

I’m Jenni, I lead the digital and communications teams for Color Of Change
PAC. You don’t usually hear from me because most of my work is
behind-the-scenes, but today I want to tell you our origin story, and how
it's connected to re-electing Kim Foxx in 20 days.

[ [link removed] ](If you already know you support Kim Foxx, the most powerful action you
can take is donating $3 to help our organizer Audrey in Chicago reach the
thousands of people we need to win and continue transforming criminal
justice. Otherwise, read on!)

Back in 2016, Color Of Change PAC barely existed. But over years of
working on criminal justice campaigns, our team had started realizing that
district attorneys, state’s attorneys, and other public prosecutors are
some of the most powerful players in the justice system. They have the
power to decide who gets charged with crimes and who doesn't, whether
police are held accountable for harming and killing people, whether cash
bail keeps poor people locked up, and so much more.

We heard about a candidate in Cook County, IL named Kim Foxx, who was
challenging then-State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. Alvarez had made national
headlines for refusing for over a year to charge the police officer who
shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in Chicago. Kim Foxx was
promising to hold officers accountable, to stop targeting Black and Latinx
communities with low-level crimes, and to provide real safety and support
for Cook County residents.

So I was hired (just as a short-term position back then!) to help elect
Foxx, only a few weeks before the election. Back then, you seldom heard
anything about prosecutor elections or the importance of showing up in
them. So I sent digital ads all over Chicago informing tens of thousands
of people about the upcoming election, making sure Black communities heard
and recognized Kim Foxx’s name. And along with our partners on the ground,
we got #ByeAnita trending all over social media.

Then that March, Election Day came around-- and Kim Foxx won! And in the
last 4 years, she’s proven that fighting to elect her has been worth it.
In just 4 years Kim Foxx has: 

* Helped thousands of struggling people get into rehab and job programs,
and provided services for students at risk of incarceration
* Cleared the names of over 1000 people with racist marijuana
convictions from the War on Drugs
* Led the nation in exonerations, with 94 innocent people’s names
cleared

Kim Foxx’s election was the first time that Color Of Change PAC got to
actually elect a candidate who improved Black people’s lives. We were
literally making our vision for our organization a reality.

John, my biggest fear is that if another “tough-on-crime”
prosecutor is elected, all of the progress Kim Foxx has made will be
destroyed. [ [link removed] ]That’s why I have to ask: will you donate $3 to help us
reach all the undecided voters we can in the next 20 days and convince
them to vote for Kim Foxx?

I don’t want Black people in Cook County to fear being thrown in jail for
struggling with addiction or mental illness or poverty.

I don’t want young people’s lives wasted behind bars for mistakes they
made as children.

And I definitely don’t want to see any police officer not have to answer
for killing an innocent person in the streets.

But I’ve spoken with Audrey, our organizer in Chicago, and there are still
a lot of people who aren’t sure whether to vote for Kim Foxx.

We have 20 days to change their minds. Are you with us?

[ [link removed] ]Yes, I want to donate to help people break the cycle of mass
incarceration and live safe, thriving lives under Kim Foxx's leadership!

[ [link removed] ]Donate now

 

Thank you for all you do, John. Let’s win this.

Until justice is real,

Jenni, Arisha, Drew, Charles, Calyssa, Audrey, Cristel, Daniel, Tammi,
Alex, Scotty and the Color of Change PAC team


 
Paid for by ColorOfChange PAC, colorofchangepac.org, not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee, and no candidate is responsible for the activities of the committee.


A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board's official website, elections.il.gov, or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.

Color Of Change PAC is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Contributions to Color Of Change PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

This email was sent to [email protected].

If you're absolutely sure you don't want to hear from Color Of Change again, click here to unsubscribe:
[link removed]