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.
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. Join us in demanding a universal basic income as part of any coronavirus response package.
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. Sign onto the platform to demand that officials implement humane responses to protect incarcerated people.
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. 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
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. Make a plan to take the census today.
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. 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
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.
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