Four men dressed as police officers enter gangster Bugs Moran’s headquarters on North Clark Street in Chicago, line seven of Moran’s henchmen against a wall, and shoot them to death. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, as it is now called, was the culmination of a gang war between …read more
VICTORY: Clemency for Kelley Williams-Bolar – 9/2011 …Rashad Robinson, ColorOfChange.org
There’s great news today in the case of Kelley Williams-Bolar, the Ohio mother who was convicted of a felony after allegedly misleading authorities and sending her children to a school outside her district. We just learned that Ohio Governor John Kasich granted Williams-Bolar executive clemency, reducing her convictions from felonies to misdemeanors. Gov. Kasich took this action despite the fact that Friday, the Ohio parole board made a unanimous recommendation against any form of clemency.
This is a huge victory, and it wouldn’t have happened without the activism of ColorOfChange members, and our friends at Change.org and MomsRising.org:
When we first learned of the case in February, more than 67,000 ColorOfChange members called on Gov. Kasich to take a public stand and commit to pardoning Williams-Bolar.
We delivered your signatures to Gov. Kasich’s office, along with thousands more from Change.org and MomsRising.org — more than 165,000 signatures in all. The next day, Gov. Kasich responded to the public pressure by asking the state’s parole board to review Williams-Bolar’s case.
On Friday, Ohio’s parole board finally came back with a recommendation for the Governor — to deny Williams-Bolar a pardon.
In response to the parole board’s recommendation, many of you swung into action this week, calling Gov. Kasich’s office and urging him to issue Williams-Bolar a pardon anyway. Today, Gov. Kasich announced that he would reduce Williams-Bolars felony convictions to first-degree misdemeanors.
Williams-Bolar will still be on probation and will need to complete 80 hours of community service; but she won’t have a felony conviction following her for the rest of her life, limiting her opportunities. Thanks for getting involved — without your voice, things could have turned out much differently for Kelley Williams-Bolar. You should be proud.
At ColorOfChange, we’ll continue to fight to end inequality in education and the criminal justice system, we hope you’ll continue to be there with us. Remember, our work is powered by you, our members. If you can support our work financially, in any amount, please click the link below.
http://www.colorofchange.org/donate
Thanks
and Peace,
— Rashad, James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
September 7th, 2011
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:
Happy V Day Reminder and Repost
Hey,
Today I became part of the revolution of women and men who will WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to violence against women and girls on 2.14.13.
ONE BILLION RISING is a global call to women and men across the planet to gather in their communities to dance and demand an end to violence against women and girls.
Will you join me? Sign up here:
Right now, 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime.
V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, refuses to watch as more than one billion women experience violence.
ONE BILLION RISING is a promise that on February 14th, 2013, we will ensure that millions of women and men rise up around the world to say, “ENOUGH. The violence ends NOW.”
Thank you!
Tacos, Dole, Fresh Express and Walmart store brand salads in latest Listeria recalls
Story by David J. Neal, McClatchy Washington Bureau
Walmart: Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Chopped Salad kits sold at stores in Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming with a best by date on or before Feb. 21, 2024.
Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Chopped Salad Kits sold at stores in California and Nevada with a best by date of Jan. 20 through Feb. 19.
Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Kit sold at stores at California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming with best by dates from Feb. 3 through Feb. 19.
Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Chopped Salad Kit, lot codes from B020 to B036 with best by dates from Feb. 5 to Feb. 21.
Marketside: Southwest Chopped Kit sold at stores California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming with best by dates from Dec. 27 to Jan. 14.
Costco:The Southwest Wrap from all stores between Oct. 27, 2023, and Feb. 6, 2024; Chicken Street Taco Kits with best by dates from Jan. 25 to Feb. 6; Maverick Foods Chipotle Chicken and Rice Bowl at Tennessee stores with best by dates from Jan. 25 to Feb. 8; and The Perfect Bite’s Mexican Style Street Corn Bite, lot No. 223231, best by Feb. 21, 2025, sold in stores in California and Hawaii.
Dole: Chopped Kit Avocado Ranch, lot codes W019 to W036 and N019 to N036 best by Feb. 3 through Feb. 20; Chop Kit Avocado Ranch Chop Kit Ranch A L’Avocat lot codes W022 to W036, best by Feb 6 through Feb. 20; Premium Kit Southwest Salad, lot codes W022 through W036 and N022 through N036, best by Feb. 4 through Feb. 18; Cajun Ranch Chopped Kit, lot codes W029 through W036, best by Feb. 11 through Feb. 18 and N022 through N036, best by Feb. 4 through Feb. 18; Premium Kit Endless Summer, lot codes W022 through W036, best by Feb. 4 through Feb. 18, and N023 through N036, best by Feb. 5 through Feb. 19; and Supreme Kit Southwest Salad, lot codes W020 through W036, best by dates from Feb. 3 through Feb. 18.
For the complete article: mcClatchydc.com
Kelley Williams-Bolar – 2011- Black History
Story of mother sentenced to jail for enrolling a child in different district, in 2011
Your voice is making a huge difference in the case of , the Ohio mother who was convicted of a felony after allegedly misleading authorities and sending her children to a school outside her district:
•Since we wrote to you about Williams-Bolar, you and more than 67,000 ColorOfChange.org members have called on Ohio Governor John Kasich to take a public stand and commit to pardoning Williams-Bolar.
•Last week, Gov. Kasich acknowledged the public outcry about the case and said he’d investigate.1 Also last week, prosecutors dropped the remaining charges in the case (for grand theft) against Williams-Bolar and her father.2
•On Monday, we went to Gov. Kasich’s office to deliver your signatures, along with thousands more from Change.org and MomsRising.org — more than 165,000 signatures in all. The petition delivery was covered by most of the major media in the state capitol.3,4,5
•On Tuesday, Gov. Kasich responded by asking the state’s parole board to review Williams-Bolar’s case.6
This an important step towards justice: before Gov. Kasich can pardon Williams-Bolar he must receive a recommendation from the parole board. To review her case and make a recommendation, the parole board had to receive a request from the governor or Williams-Bolar herself. Now that Gov. Kasich has made that request, the process for pardoning Williams-Bolar or commuting her sentence can begin.
Our voices are also having an impact beyond this particular case. By speaking out for Kelley Williams-Bolar, we’re also helping to focus the country’s attention on the conditions that put her in this situation: the lack of access to safe, quality education that so many of our children face, and the fact that it’s often rooted in economic and racial inequality.
Gov. Kasich acknowledged the public pressure that led him to take action Tuesday, saying “Many people have shared their thoughts with me in letters, email and phone calls, and I appreciate their outreach.”7
We still don’t know if the parole board will do the right thing. And we need to make sure that Gov. Kasich stays involved and committed to doing everything he can to ensure a just outcome for Kelley Williams-Bolar and her family. But we do know that they are a few steps closer to justice now, and it’s thanks in large part to the voices of ColorOfChange members and our friends at Change.org and MomsRising.org.
Thanks for getting involved. We’ll keep you posted on the case, and let you know if there are more ways you can help.
— James, Gabriel, Dani, William, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
February 10th, 2011
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU — your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=2
References
1. “Ohio governor weighs in on Kelley Williams-Bolar case,” Akron Beacon Journal, 2-1-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/720?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=4
2. “Theft dismissed in residency case,” Akron Beacon Journal, 2-1-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/721?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=6
3. “Petition to Pardon Mom,” ABC 6, 2-7-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/722?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=8
4. “Kasich asked to pardon mom in school-enrollment fraud,” Columbus Dispatch, 2-8-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/723?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=10
5. “Groups ask Ohio gov. to pardon district switcher,” Associated Press, 2-7-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/724?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=12
6. “Kasich asks parole board to review Williams-Bolar case,” Columbus Dispatch, 2-8-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/725?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=14
7. Ibid.

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