[[link removed]]

Dear friend–



We hope you have had a good weekend and that this message finds you well. Lask week, we wrapped up Justice Camp [[link removed]] , our inaugural 4-day virtual learning camp on gun violence in partnership with Cities United. The week-long virtual event was a great success, providing attendees with insight and resources for ending gun violence in communities of color. If you missed Justice Camp, you can still visit the website [[link removed]] . There you can find materials and resources from the week, including presentation slides.

Earlier this month we released our new, bold, and community-driven policy agenda, written to prioritize the varied forms of violence that people of color experience on a daily basis, and offers concrete solutions with examples of success.

The agenda was born out of our networks of thousands of volunteers, and built on three pillars:

1.
Invest
in
Proven
Strategies
to
Prevent
Shootings
and
Homicides
2.
Dismantle
Structures
and
Institutions
That
Fuel
Gun
Violence
3.
End
Gender-based
Violence

We will vigorously advocate for these policies, alongside all of you, our coalition members, affiliated Policymakers for Peace, and a network of volunteers committed to pushing leaders to address gun violence comprehensively.

Thank you for your continued support,

In solidarity,

Greg Jackson

National Advocacy Director






Upcoming Events & Opportunities:

Volunteer Meetings: Thank you to the volunteers who attended our volunteer meetings. We are excited to get you all trained and ready for upcoming legislative fights in 2021. Did you miss the volunteer meetings? Don’t worry, sign up for volunteer meetings for 2021 here [[link removed]] .




Community Justice Policy Updates:

Ohio:

"Stand Your Ground" legislation was fast-tracked through the Ohio state legislature, setting up an intra-party showdown between Republican legislators and Gov. Mike DeWine, who opposes the measure. Standing united in opposition is a broad coalition of local and national advocacy organizations, including the Community Justice Action Fund. Law enforcement also stands united against the measure, as both the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association testified against it. Legislative leaders used various bills to get the measure through the House and Senate as quickly as possible, including S.B. 383, H.B. 796, and most recently an amendment to H.B. 175, which passed the House shortly before midnight on Thursday, and then passed the Senate on Friday. Only a veto from the governor can stop this dangerous bill from becoming law. Join us in signing your name to #StandWithOhio and show Gov. DeWine that the entire nation is watching! [[link removed]]

[[link removed]]

Virginia:

Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia signed into law HB 5099 [[link removed]] , also known as Breonna's Law in honor of Breonna Taylor who was killed by the Louisville Metro Police Department. The legislation prohibits law enforcement from executing no-knock warrants, and requires warrants to be served in the daytime except under certain circumstances.




News of Interest:

*
As
the
nation
mourns
300,000
people
killed
by
COVID-19,
Americans
are
also
remembering
the
more
than
41,000
people
who
died
by
gun
violence
this
year.
[[link removed]]
Many
of
the
same
Black
and
Latino
neighborhoods
have
been
disproportionately
affected
by
both
epidemics.
*
“In
Chicago,
we
never
get
a
chance
to
heal.
Healing
is
not
coming
to
us.
Every
time
we
turn
our
news
on,
it’s
another
shooting.
So
we’re
living
in
day-to-day,
present
trauma.”—
Check
out
this
powerful
feature
[[link removed]]
of
our
friend
Pamela
Bosely
of
Purpose
over
Pain
on
grieving
children
taken
by
gun
violence.
*
Louisville
Activist
Kris
Smith
was
killed
by
gun
violence
last
Friday.
[[link removed]]
Smith
is
the
second
activist
killed
in
the
past
weeks,and
is
one
of
more
than
150
homicides
in
Louisville
this
year.
Our
thoughts
are
with
his
family
and
community.
[[link removed]]
*
Last
week,
Virginia
became
the
first
state
to
ban
no-knock
warrants
in
response
to
the
murder
of
Breonna
Taylor.
[[link removed]]
The
law
was
named
Breonna’s
Law,
and
her
family
was
present
for
the
signing.
Gov.
Northam
said
that
the
signing
was
"not
a
cause
for
celebration"
because
"nothing
can
be
done
to
bring
Breonna
or
any
other
victim
back,"
but
that
"we
honor
them
when
we
act."
He
stated
he
was
signing
this
law
so
"other
families
don't
suffer
the
same
loss."
*
One
year
old
Carmelo
Duncan
was
shot
and
killed
in
DC
[[link removed]]
.
His
life
ended
before
it
happened.
His
murder
comes
at
at
the
heels
of
year
with
historically
high
rates
of
gun
violence
in
DC.
*
To
address
gun
violence,
the
Kalamazoo
City
Commission
has
developed
a
multi-layered
and
holistic
proposal
[[link removed]]
that
provides
funding
towards
community
mobilization
and
cohesion,
mental
health
support,
and
housing
rehabilitation
to
end
gun
violence.
*
Violence
prevention
workers
in
the
Bay
Area
point
to
the
loss
of
local
refuges
such
as
schools
and
community
centers
as
contributors
to
the
rise
in
gun
violence
during
the
pandemic.
[[link removed]]

*
Gun
violence
is
a
public
health
crisis,
but
a
Philadelphia
social
worker
writes
that
we
need
to
go
further
in
naming
and
addressing
this
issue:
“Gun
violence
is
a
disaster,
it
is
catastrophic.
It
is
a
public
health
emergency.
[[link removed]]
"

--

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe: [link removed] .