John,

As the case of George Floyd makes clear, the presence of police even for the slightest thing can be a death sentence for Black people. The only way we’re going to stop this endless cycle of police violence is by defunding the police and investing in our communities instead.

Thousands have taken to the streets to demand an end to police brutality. We know that many of you are wondering how you can get involved and what concrete changes we can call for to protect Black lives once and for all.

There is no one-stop solution, but we know we need to immediately redirect funds away from the police and into emergency response programs that don’t kill Black people. That’s why we’re joining our partners at the Movement for Black Lives to call for divestment from the police and investment in Black communities.

We’re hosting a Defund the Police 101 webinar this Friday to discuss what it means to shift resources and how you can help lead this charge in your community.

RSVP now to reserve your spot for our Defund the Police 101 webinar this Friday, June 5, at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT, and we’ll send you the link to join live.

Our speakers include powerful Black feminist leaders and long-time criminal justice reform and police accountability organizers, Charlene A. Carruthers and Dr. Barbara Ransby.

We are at a crossroads in this nation and the moment is ripe for real change, but only if we keep pushing forward. Social transformation most often results from disruption, and we can’t let things go back to the way they were.

More officers, guns, jails, and prisons are not a solution – they are part of the problem. The Minneapolis Police Department was considered by some as a “model” for progressive police reform. Even with implicit bias, mindfulness, and de-escalation training, body cameras, and early intervention systems to identify problematic officers, George Floyd was still murdered.

The solution to ending police violence and cultivating a safer country lies in reducing the power of the police. Cities can begin by changing policies so police officers never respond to certain kinds of emergencies, such as ones that involve substance abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, or mental health.

Instead, health care workers or emergency response teams would handle these incidents. If someone calls 911 to report a drug overdose, health care teams rush to the scene, not the police.

We can make this a reality, but only if enough people in our movement step up and demand it. Will you take the first step and join our Defund the Police webinar this Friday?

We know that investing in alternatives to policing is a feminist issue. By putting resources in education, health care, child care, and decarceration – not into police – we can support women and families and begin to address systemic inequalities and the legacy of racism.

Hope to see you on Friday,

Women's March Team

P.S. To learn more about defunding the police and why it’s necessary, check out and share this op-ed in The New York Times co-written by M4BL strategist, Thenjiwe McHarris.