Friend –

Police brutality cuts hundreds of Black lives short every year. Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in the mass incarceration system. And Black communities continue to be hit hardest by the impact of the pandemic.

If we are ever to address the racial injustices that continue to prevail in this country, then we must confront chattel slavery and its impact – and make strides toward achieving reparatory justice.

H.R. 40 is the path forward to achieve this. This bill would establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery, its legacy, and make recommendations to Congress for reparations.

And right now, we have momentum: H.R. 40 was voted out of the House Judiciary Committee and now has 195 cosponsors. I know ACLU activists like you have been taking action and speaking out on this all year – and we are so close to moving this forward before 2021 ends.

Let's keep this energy alive and get H.R. 40 onto the House floor for a vote: Send a message to your representative and let them know you support this critical bill now.

ACLU Supporter, the fact is, America has existed longer with slavery than without it. And the impacts of that cannot be overstated.

After hundreds of years of enslavement, Black people in America faced the terrorism of widespread lynchings and targeted massacres – and justice, equity, and basic human dignity have been denied across civil life and civil liberties for centuries. This harm continues today.

It's past time we talk about reparations. Let's make sure it happens in Congress now: Send a message to your representative and tell them to pass H.R. 40.

Thanks for taking action,

Jennifer Bellamy
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Senior Legislative Counsel, ACLU