|
John,
For Thanksgiving, we’re so thankful for all the ways Black women have made the work at Color Of Change possible and lay the groundwork for us to fight for Black people every day. Black women continue to be at the forefront of every progressive movement in this country, fighting for the collective liberation of all people, and at the same time, they rarely have people fighting in their corner. That’s why at Color of Change we center Black women, we fight to protect Black women, we free Black women from cages, and most importantly we follow the lead of Black women.
Our elected officials and decisionmakers continue to let down Black women each and every day and they’re not afraid to do so. We know that we can’t wait around for our politicians to finally start to care enough about Black women to protect them. They are not going to save us, so that's why we show up for ourselves. And that’s also why it’s important to support and fund the work of organizations that fight for Black women not just when their votes are needed, but each and every day because when we fight for Black women, everyone benefits. The journey towards our collective freedom won't be easy and will be a struggle but we know it is what's right because so many of our lives depend on it.
At Color Of Change, you show up with us every day to win justice for Black women. When two Black women, Dyma Loving and Iesha Harper, were brutalized by cops in Miami and Phoenix this year, respectively, we fought back and got a cop charged with a crime and an officer fired from the force. When dozens of Black women were locked in cages earlier this year simply because they couldn’t afford to post bail, we rallied to raise money to get them freed just in time for Mother’s Day. And we’re calling on governors across the country to exercise their clemency power to free Black women survivors, like Cyntoia Brown and Liyah Birru, who is still incarcerated.
We’re not begging for anything from our elected leaders. We’re not asking to be given a seat at the table. We’re demanding that we not be forgotten and declaring that any policy that doesn’t serve our people is an anti-Black one.
Can you help us continue our legacy of fighting for Black women by contributing $8?
We were founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest natural disasters this country has seen and Black people were left for dead. Literally left stranded on their rooftops. And our elected leaders couldn’t have cared less, so we were founded to create the conditions where decisionmakers are held accountable and face consequences when they fail us. Not much has changed since 2005 for Black women. Black pregnant women are neglected by doctors even when they’re fighting for their lives right in the hospital, Black child-bearers are criminalized when taking their healthcare into their own hands, and Black trans women have a life expectancy age of 35 years old. There is still so much more work to be done and we’re in the fight for the long run. We’re doing more than just saying #TrustBlackWomen. We trust them, fight for them, and center them in all of our work.
Until justice is real,
--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Clarise, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena, Madison, Leonard, Tamar, Neosho and the rest of the Color Of Change team
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.
If you're absolutely sure you don't want to hear from Color Of Change again, click here to unsubscribe.
