Dear friend–

In 2020, the pandemics of COVID-19 and gun violence hit communities of color hardest. We saw that too often, our communities' pain and stories don’t make headlines, but as an organization, we work every day to challenge that reality: building power for and with communities of color to end gun violence.

Today, we are releasing our 2020 Annual Report, detailing highlights of our work this year, and highlights the exciting projects we have in store for 2021. 

Our work has always been led by survivors and the voices of the people on the frontlines,  and our goal is to revolutionize gun violence prevention by centering the people closest to the pain of everyday gun violence. CJAF has one of the largest people of color-led violence prevention networks of activists in America, with over 30,000 identified supporters. This year, in response to unprecedented violence in our communities our work was bolder, and bigger than ever before. 

Here are some highlights:

• We grew our staff by six people this year, bringing on Thia’a Rahman as Distributed Organizing Manager, Talib Hudson as Policy Director, Andrea Pino-Silva as Communications Director, and Irina Alejandro, Saloni Khushal, and Krunali Brahmbhatt as Organizing Fellows.
• Through our Elect Justice campaign, we led successful electoral efforts in Texas and Wisconsin, and we reached out to over 1.6 million voters in communities most impacted by gun violence. 
• Added seven new members to the Speakers Bureau, and trained members in how to share their expertise to policymakers and media.
• Launched our new Policy Agenda, a comprehensive, holistic, and grassroots policy framework driven by communities of color directly impacted by violence.
• We launched Policymakers for Peace, a national nonpartisan network of state and local elected officials of color coming together to change the conversation on gun violence prevention.

These are only a few highlights from our busy year, and we encourage you to read our full 2020 Annual Report on our website.

As we lean with grace into the fifth year of our work, we are grateful for the support of our partners, funders, and supporters. 

Thank you all for your partnership and support.

Wishing you and your family happy holidays! 

The CJAF Team

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