Dear John,

I want to send my best wishes to you and your loved ones. I hope you are
able to do everything you can to stay safe and healthy during this
challenging time. You are part of the Color Of Change family and right
now, we are thinking of you.

We know very well that when America gets the sniffles, Black people catch
the flu. It is no exaggeration that Black people will be
disproportionately harmed by the disastrous handling of the coronavirus —
first from our antiquated healthcare system which denies care to those who
need it and then from the following recession that will result in
countless lay-offs and firings.

COVID-19, or coronavirus as it is commonly known, is a deadly crisis that
highlights all of the failures of our systems. Make no mistake, its rapid
spread, threatening the lives of the most vulnerable among us, is due to
an incompetent administration that refused to properly evaluate its threat
and the cowardly corporations and Republican officials who enabled his
ascent to power. Even now, as entire school systems shut down and hospital
beds fill up, Donald Trump and his Republican enablers continue to deceive
us while refusing to provide the American people the essential social
safety nets that we need to survive this time. But we are not defeated. We
know that we, the people, have the power.

We have the power to demand universal basic income as a part of any
coronavirus aid package and adequate safety precautions for incarcerated
people. We have the power to demand that vote-by-mail be expanded so that
our people don’t risk their health at the polls. And we have the power to
demand that Governor Cuomo doesn’t resort to prison labor as a quick fix
for supply shortages exacerbated by opportunistic hoarding and panic
buying.

Join us in demanding justice now with five crucial fights that will help
us survive this pandemic and thrive in its aftermath.

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The outbreak of COVID-19 reminds us that many people live
paycheck-to-paycheck when they shouldn’t have to. Many part-time, hourly
or contract workers - who are disproportionately Black and low-income -
are meeting economic hardship as hours are cut or reduced, leading to lost
wages and a juggling of whether to pay for housing, medical care, and
other need-based items. The increasing need to “self-isolate” with an
equally increasing need to pay expenses is why there should be a universal
basic income. A universal basic income would not only help plug financial
holes where necessary but eliminate economic uncertainty for nearly 80% of
workers. [ [link removed] ]Join us in demanding a universal basic income as part of any
coronavirus response package.

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Mass incarceration is now more than ever a public health crisis. People
locked in prisons, jails, and detention centers are some of the most
vulnerable in this time and we can't allow them to be neglected nor
exploited. There are already confirmed COVID-19 cases popping up in jails,
prisons, and detention centers across the country. Places of incarceration
are the least equipped to keep people safe and healthy during a pandemic
outbreak. People are crammed into small spaces, forced to share bathrooms
and go without showers. Incarcerated people are not given access to soap,
hand sanitizer, adequate medical care or supplies, etc. And the cycle of
people in and out of jails, prisons, and detention centers will only
spread this pandemic through communities faster. Color Of Change came
together with over 50 groups to develop a national platform that outlines
how officials should be responding to this moment. [ [link removed] ]Sign onto the
platform to demand that officials implement humane responses to protect
incarcerated people.

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The coronavirus pandemic has made it abundantly clear that we must expand
vote-by-mail options nationwide. The long lines at polling places and
other hassles Black people too frequently experience while voting are
already a dire threat to democracy, and allowing them to continue in light
of this massive public health threat is even more unconscionable.
[ [link removed] ]Support Senator Ron Wyden’s bill to authorize emergency funding to
expand vote-by-mail options in states that don’t already have it. This
bill is an important step towards protecting our democracy and public
health

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We have long been encouraging folks to complete the census online or by
phone as early as possible this spring, but that plan just got even more
important now that we’re collectively dealing with COVID-19.
Self-responding early helps lessen the need for census takers to knock on
people’s doors to complete the count, and it also gives the Bureau -- and
organizers like us! -- more time to work through any issues that might pop
up as the count goes on. [ [link removed] ]Make a plan to take the census today.

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In addition to preventing the spread of the outbreak, we must be vigilant
to ensure this crisis isn't abused to further criminalize or exploit our
people. In New York, Governor Cuomo is forcing incarcerated people to
mass-produce hand sanitizer they can't even use for less than $1 a day.
Yet, he's done nothing to protect incarcerated people from the spread of
the disease and is refusing to use his clemency power to expedite release.
[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition demanding Gov. Cuomo stop forcing underpaid labor
and use his power to release incarcerated people who are vulnerable.

With the world in crisis, it is so important that we stick together and
stand up for one another. Whether you take action on one -- or all five --
of the important campaigns highlighted above by our team, we deeply
appreciate your fighting for justice during this crucial moment.

Until justice is real, 
Rashad Robinson


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[ [link removed] ]Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. [ [link removed] ]Help
keep our movement strong.

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