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Many people have their reasons for being involved in this fight. As the year comes to a close, we asked Advancement Project staff some racial justice facts that others may not be aware of that helped them ground themselves in the work. Here’s what came up:

1. “The majority of students in the public school system nationally are students of color.”

The inequities and decades-long racist policies in education, as well as persistent underfunding and privatization of schools, are intentional, and there is a direct connection to the fact that most students are students of color. It’s why fighting for education is a racial justice issue and why we’ll continue working with partners, parents, and students on the ground to build an education system that works for all students.
—Carolyn Cowen Nissen, Deputy Director, Development Team

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2. “One in 19 African Americans of voting age is disenfranchised, a rate 3.5 times that of non-African Americans.”

Among the adult African American population, 5.3 percent is disenfranchised compared to 1.5 percent of the adult non-African American population. More than one in 10 African American adults are disenfranchised in eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia. These numbers are a wake-up call! We must continue to fight hard to eliminate felony disenfranchisement schemes. They remain a vestige of slavery that hinders building power in communities of color.
—Eddie Hales, Managing Director and General Counsel

3. “Most people sitting in carceral facilities are jail detainees who have not been found guilty and are simply there because they can't afford to pay bail.”

The problem with bail is that it disproportionately victimizes people from low-income backgrounds, making it so that if they cannot afford bail, they will need to sit in jail until their court date (which is sometimes months away). Abolishing cash bail has been part of our core work for the Justice Project for years and we are still in court fighting to fight against cash bail.
—Miriam Nemeth, Former Litigation Director

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Your gift, no matter the size, will make a real difference in the lives of those affected by these injustices.

4. “Black girls are five and half times more likely to be suspended from school than their white counterparts.”

Schools are a microcosm of our society, and the adultification and criminalization Black girls face has lifelong consequences beyond the classroom. We understand the connection between the violence faced in schools and the ongoing attacks on reproductive rights. Black youth are likely to be the most impacted by the criminalization of abortion (or miscarriages and still births) and contraception.
—Jennifer Dillon, Managing Communication Director

5. “Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of white Americans.”

Clearly this shows the disproportionate impact of racism in putting Black people in cages — shows that it is systemic. The criminal legal system is doing exactly what it was designed to do — disproportionately targeting Black communities. There is reforming a system built to uphold white supremacy and capitalism. We need to abolish prisons and the police. We deserve a system radically different from what we have, where we make significant public investments in people.
—Flavia Jimenez, Managing Director of Organizational Development & Leadership

Although these facts are painful, they illustrate the harsh reality that we face as people of color and show why we must keep on working towards our shared vision of a future where ALL can thrive.

We can't do it without the support of people like you, and we hope that you will consider making a donation to Advancement Project as we continue our important work in the coming year. Together, we can make a difference.

Onward,
The Advancement Project Team

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