Chicago States Attorney Kim Foxx and Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby just announced, within a week of each other, that they will be taking action to clear past marijuana convictions and expunge the records of thousands of people facing extreme barriers because of past convictions–and we have a chance to push District Attorneys across the country to do the same. DAs have the power to give our people a fair chance to recover from state violence, the war on drugs, and rebuild their lives by clearing old records on a wide range of misdemeanor charges. However, most expungement processes are antiquated, costly, and inaccessible to everyday people.

The economic impact that an old criminal record can have on a Black person is undeniable. Folks with any kind of record face significant challenges in accessing housing, employment, reuniting with their children, obtaining a student loan, and participating in any government assistance program while they are re-entering their communities.

We want district attorneys to implement speedy, accessible, and thorough processes to automatically expunge the records of all who are eligible people, beyond those with marijuana convictions. Many states have several hundreds of thousands of people eligible for expungement but without a clear or easy pathway to having their record cleared. For example, estimates in Los Angeles County alone are that over 200,000 people are eligible for this kind of automatic expungement. But in order for DAs to take action, they need to hear from the people who elected them! Together we can let district attorneys know: people deserve to live their lives free of the perpetual punishment that comes with a criminal record.

We envision automatic expungement becoming a best practice for all DAs. Can you imagine how that might impact the people in your life? Let your DA know in the comments section!

Below is the letter we will send:
Here is the Petition:
Dear District/State’s Attorney,
It is widely recognized that the war on drugs is one of the primary drivers of mass incarceration. The economic impact it has had on Black people is undeniable. Folks with criminal records face significant challenges in accessing housing, employment, reuniting with their children, obtaining a student loan, and participating in any government assistance programs while they are re-entering their homes. Additionally, many of those affected have plead guilty despite their innocence just to avoid jail time. Over the years this has lead to the wrongful convictions of too many people who are impacted for the rest of their lives. There should be no eternal punishment, especially without crime.

The injustice is clear. That’s why so many district attorneys are using the power inherent to their position to give our people a fair chance to recover from state violence, the war on drugs, and rebuild their lives. However, most expungement processes are antiquated, costly, and inaccessible.

If you were to commit to taking action on automatic expungement it would have a huge impact for the people of your community.

According to a civil complaint filed by high school student and dancer Camille Sturdivant, her dance team coach, Carly Fine, and dance team choreographer, Kevin Murakami, excluded her from performing while she was a member of the dance team at her high school. These educators told Camille that her “skin clashed with the color of the uniforms” and that her “Black skin would cause the audience to look at [her] and not the other dancers.”

If that was not enough, Camille notes that along with her dance team coach and choreographer, other teachers in the district and parents of other dance team students reinforced her exclusion by continuing to work with Coach Fine, even after she was fired for a series of racist texts she sent about Camille.

When Camille’s parents met with the principal of the school, Amy Pressly, to inform her of the coach’s actions, they received this response: Coach Fine “had the authority to pick whomever she wanted for the dance routines.”

Principal Pressly’s actions were not enough. Join us in calling on the Blue Valley Schools’ Board of Education to hire an independent investigator to investigate this blatant discrimination.
Below is the letter we will send to the Blue Valley Schools Board of Education:

Here is the Petition:
Dear Blue Valley Schools Board of Education:

Camille Sturdivant was forced to deal with racist abuse from educators at her school. Dance team coach, Carly Fine, dance team choreographer, Kevin Murakami, and another teacher at the Blue Valley Northwest High School excluded Camille from performing on the dance team. These educators told her that her “skin clashed with the color of the uniforms” and that her “Black skin would cause the audience to look at [her] and not the other dancers.”

School is supposed to be a safe haven for students. Students should be able to learn and grow, free from bigotry and racist judgments. Camille was denied this experience. he was forced to deal with flagrant, racist comments during what was supposed to be a fun extracurricular activity.

This is absolutely unacceptable. There must be accountability for Coach Fine, Choreographer Murakami, and Principal Pressly who allowed Coach Fine to continue working with the dance team, even after she was terminated from the school for her racist comments. We demand you hire an independent investigator to thoroughly investigate the racism Camille faced.

When industry giants offer to write their own regulatory rules, we all lose. Just look at any industry, from manufacturing to fossil fuel extraction.

The same thing should go for Silicon Valley. But tech giants like Amazon, Facebook, and Google want to regulate themselves, and they’ve pitched Congress on a “grand bargain”1 that will destroy existing protections and leave us with much weaker rules. Tell Congress Not to listen: Don’t allow tech companies to regulate themselves when it comes to our privacy.

Amazon, Facebook, and Google have teamed up to push Congress to write their own rules when it comes to privacy law. In the process, they’ll step over any state-level legislation designed to protect to consumers’ data online — like California’s new, groundbreaking privacy law.2

Silicon Valley isn’t shy about this: they clearly value “innovation” over people’s privacy. In the past, Facebook and Google have been sued multiple times for violating existing privacy regulations.3 If tech companies are allowed to write their own industry regulations, there will be nothing to hold them accountable when – not if – they invade our privacy.

Thanks for taking action,

Tihi and the team at Demand Progress

Sources:
1. The Verge, “Democrats aren’t buying a proposal for big tech to write its own privacy rules,”  January 14, 2018

2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.

Even though Congress passed the Equal Pay Act more than 50 years ago, women on average still only make 80 cents for every dollar a man makes. It’s 2019, and it’s long past time for this to change.
Every worker in America deserves to be paid based on their work, not their gender. That’s why I’m introducing the Paycheck Fairness Act in the Senate this week to change and improve equal pay laws and continue the important work of closing the gender wage gap.

I’m fighting for legislation to finally make equal pay for equal work a reality, but I need your help to make it happen. Add your name now to support the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The gender wage gap is hurting all of us — women, our families, our communities, and our economy. Combined, working women are losing out on $900 billion a year that could be used to buy groceries, pay for child care, support local businesses, and build retirement savings.

Ten years ago this week, I watched as President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act, a good step forward in the fight to ensure women are paid fairly. We’ve made great strides in the last decade, but our fight isn’t finished until we fully close the wage gap and ensure every woman and man in this country is paid according to the quality of their work, and not their gender.
Sign your name now to join our fight for equal pay for equal work.
Thank you for your support,
Patty

pattymurray.com