Open this email to learn about our legislation to fund mental health resources to support those impacted by police violence.
John,
In October, I introduced the Helping Families Heal Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that seeks to provide mental health resources and support for people impacted by police violence. Today, I’m asking you to sign your name and share your support of this legislation.
Sign the Petition »
I drafted this piece of legislation with Lezley McSpadden. Lezley’s son, Michael Brown Jr., was murdered by a since-terminated Ferguson, Missouri police officer in 2014. His death sparked a movement for racial justice, and I spent over 400 days protesting for justice on the Ferguson Frontline in the months after.
Now, I’m using my position in Congress to partner with impacted families and ensure that surviving loved ones left behind by acts of violence have the resources they need to begin healing while we work towards ending police brutality.
We know that the hyper-vigilance necessary to exist in the current circumstances increases depressive symptoms and furthers the mental health disparity between Black and white people. Studies have shown that police killings of unarmed Black people are responsible for more than 50 million additional days of poor mental health.1
Still, American police fatally shoot over 1,100 people annually — and their violence disproportionately claims Black lives. In 2021, police killings accounted for 1,055 deaths in this country, breaking the record for a statistic that is already underreported.2
We cannot go on like this, John. Will you stand in solidarity by adding your name to our petition in support of this first-of-its-kind legislation? Together, we will send an overwhelming message of support to pass this bill.
Sign the Petition »
Your Congresswoman Loves You,
Cori
1Amanda Geller, Jeffrey Fagan, Tom Tyler & Bruce Link, Aggressive Policing and the Mental Health of Young Urban Men, 104 Am J. Pub. Health 2321 (2014).
2Fatal police shootings in 2021 set record since The Post began tracking, despite public outcry, Washington Post, February 9, 2022.
