Officer Jeronimo Yanez could PROFIT from killing Philando Castile

Tell the City of St. Anthony: No severance package for Jeronimo Yanez.

nothing can describe the rage Black people are feeling right now.

The officer who killed Philando Castile, Jeronimo Yanez, was found not guilty on all counts by a mostly-white jury after 5 days of deliberation.¹

And as I write this, my hands tremble on the keyboard, because the pain is unbearable. I knew the verdict was coming and had no faith the police would be held accountable. But it never hurts less. Because once again, we sit and watch a mother scream in pain because the person who murdered their loved one got away with it.

Even more enraging is that Yanez stands to actually PROFIT from the pain and suffering he’s caused. As soon as the verdict came down, the City of St. Anthony fired Yanez from the department–hoping to stop people from heading to the streets in rightful protest. They announced the city will begin negotiating a “separation agreement” to help Yanez “transition into a new career.”²

So Yanez has been on a paid vacation for almost a year and now the department is offering him to walk away with a wad of cash? Hell no. Ain’t no way we can allow him to profit from the murder of Philando Castile–by any means.

Tell the City of St. Anthony: No justice. No pay. Stop all severance negotiations with Yanez immediately.

This was a clear cut case. Philando Castile did nothing wrong and was killed for no reason other than the color of his skin. He followed the officer’s every order and immediately alerted him that he was carrying a legal weapon. On a live video, we watched as his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds had to stay as calm and docile as humanly possible to avoid being killed herself–ending every sentence with “sir.”³ But none of that mattered. A courtroom of white jurors was still able to find a way to determine that Yanez killing Philando with seven shots was okay. They were still able to determine that having a police badge means having a license to kill Black people with impunity.

Philando should be here. He should be alive. And though the system keeps trying to tell us that they don’t, Black Lives DO Matter.

Sign the petition demanding Yanez gets fired without severance.

Philando Castile was pulled over more than 31 times for traffic stops before his death–and faced over 63 misdemeanor traffic charges.⁴ He was being pulled over for driving while Black and dealing with anti-Black state violence so much that it almost guaranteed he might eventually have a fatal encounter. He owed thousands of dollars in fines to the city–a clear example of the state extracting wealth from the Black community. The words of Valerie Castile couldn’t have been truer after the verdict came down, “My son loved this city, and this city killed my son.”⁵

Now, the City of St. Anthony is coming to the aid of a killer instead of coming to the aid of a family in mourning–and it’s sickening.

There is no magical thinking, special technology, research report or legal tactic that will stop this from happening. All I can say is that we must continue to organize our people, expand the base, leverage smart strategy to change the written and unwritten rules. Along the way we have to use and change the law, amplify smart research and tech and believe that change is possible — but most of all we must build power. Convictions of police for violence and misconduct don’t change the system alone but when we are able to hold police accountable it sends a powerful message.

Yanez got away without a conviction, but we can’t let him get away with profiting off the murder of a Black man.

Until justice is real,

— Arisha, Rashad, Scott, Clarise, Anay, Malaya, Enchanta, Katrese, and the rest of the Color Of Change team.

References:

1. “Minn. Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez Found Not Guilty on All Charges in the Shooting Death of Philando Castile,” The Root, 06-16-2017
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/8051?t=9&akid=7599.1174326.eswg_E

2. “City of St. Anthony fires Yanez,” Star Tribune, 06-16-2017
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/8052?t=11&akid=7599.1174326.eswg_E

3. “Woman Live-Streams After Police Fatally Shoot Boyfriend,’ ABC News, 07-06-2017
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/8053?t=13&akid=7599.1174326.eswg_E

4. “EXCLUSIVE: Black Man whose shooting death by police was livestreamed by girlfriend had been pulled over AT LEAST 31 times and hit with 63 traffic charges,” DailyMail, 07-08-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/8054?t=15&akid=7599.1174326.eswg_E

5. “Philando Castile’s Mom: ‘I’m Mad As Hell Right Now, Yes I Am!,'” Colorlines, 06-16-2017,
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/8055?t=17&akid=7599.1174326.eswg_E

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Chip in to our Cathy McMorris Rodgers Retirement Fund!

06/19/2017 Nativegrl77

Join the Resistance!

Washingtonians are FIRED UP over the opportunity to finally kick the extreme conservative Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers out of office.

And here’s why: She’s terrible for Washington families.

Will you pitch in before our mid-month deadline tonight to retire Rep. McMorris Rodgers and other eastern Washington Republicans, and elect progressive Democrats for our state’s future?

Here’s how your gift will help us defeat Rep. McMorris Rodgers, special election candidate Jinyoung Lee Englund, and other Republicans up and down the ballot:

We’ll hire organizers and volunteers to mount an aggressive field program
We’ll make sure voters know the stakes — a progressive future for Washington vs. Republicans who will turn back the clock
We’ll invest in outreach to target Democratic voters across the state

We can’t do any of this without you. Will you pitch in to our Cathy McMorris Rodgers Retirement Fund before midnight and give us the resources to carry out our ambitious plans?

Thanks,

Joe Barden
Development Manager

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Breast Cancer in Men: Treatments and Genetic Counseling

06/18/2017 Nativegrl77

Breast cancer in men tends to be diagnosed at an older age and a later stage. This Men’s Health Week, learn why all men with breast cancer need genetic testing and how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is helping men improve their health.

“For the first time, men can access investigational treatments in clinical trials and contribute to scientific advances and knowledge for others with this disease,” says Tatiana M. Prowell, MD, breast cancer scientific liaison at the FDA.

Read the Consumer Update to learn about breast cancer treatments for men.

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Starbucks … dads need parental leave

06/18/2017 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

Petitioning Starbucks, CEO Howard Schultz and COO Kevin Johnson

Starbucks: Give paid parental leave to dads

I am so disappointed to learn that Starbucks doesn’t offer dads any paid parental leave. Starbucks offers 6 weeks paid parental leave to new moms as well as to adoptive parents – but leaves out birth dads. That doesn’t make any sense!

I’m a new dad, and I love Starbucks. After my son was born, we spent countless afternoons cruising our neighborhood together. We have a regular route, and it always starts with dad getting a little treat at the nearby Starbucks. The staff were always so nice to us, and it was a warm and welcoming environment for a new dad who was often in a sleepless haze.

I am asking Starbucks to update its policy to catch up with the modern standard for paid parental leave and include dads.

I think of Starbucks as a forward-thinking and modern company – one that would recognize that all parents should be able to be there when a new child arrives. As a father, I know that taking time to bond with a new child is critical for families.

As one of the largest employers in the country, I’m asking that Starbucks update their paid parental leave policy to include dads – because it’s good for families, and they’re a great business who has a chance to be even better.

If you want to read more about the paid family leave practices at the largest employers in the country, check out the new report by PL+US.

Petition by Matt and PL+US

35,979

Supporters

Sign Matt’s petition

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Help Fathers Support Their Kids by Planting Trees

06/18/2017 Nativegrl77

Each dollar you donate allows us to plant one tree.

Fathers across the world struggle to support their families. For some of the world’s poorest fathers, that can mean choosing between burning trees for fuel or using that same forest land to grow crops to eat and sell. But there’s a better way.

Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project has been working for years to combat deforestation and help provide sustenance to some of the world’s poorest families. In Sub-Saharan Africa, our system uses proven agroforestry methods to grow specific varieties of trees and crops in phases over a four-year period. This balanced technique provides sustainable sources of food, fuel and crops to sell each year, and adds new meaning and stability to the lives of fathers who can now provide security for their kids.

Each dollar you donate allows us to plant one tree.

By helping plant trees, you give dads the ability to transition their families away from insecure and destructive subsistence techniques to a system that not only sustains and empowers them in the short term but also improves their communities and their children’s lives forever.

We need your help now! Each dollar donated adds trees and stabilizes family income in some of world’s most needy villages. There is much work to be done. For the fathers in your life—and their wives, sons and daughters—please donate. $1 plants 1 tree.

— The Earth Day Network Team