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Color Of Change helps you do something real about injustice.

We design campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. Until justice is real.
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RECENT VICTORIES

  • Criminal Justice

Incarcerated People Fighting Wildfires Finally Eligible for Jobs When They Get Out

For decades, our country has unfairly relied on prison labor — and nowhere is this more obvious than in California, where thousands of people behind bars help fight fires each fall, risking their lives for $1 an hour. In response to a Color Of Change campaign, California Governor Gavin Newsom just signed an order expunging felonies off firefighters’ records. This means that people who fight fires while incarcerated can now join the firefighting ranks and build a real career based on their training and experience once they’re out. It’s high time we end discrimination against formerly incarcerated people, and stop erecting barriers to jobs, housing, and full participation in society. And we will continue our fight to make sure incarcerated firefighters are fully compensated and valued for their work.

  • social list opener
  • Criminal Justice

Rochester’s Police Chief Resigns as Quest for #JusticeforDaniel Continues

Our campaign seeking justice for Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man in need of mental health help who was killed by cops in March is gathering steam. Rochester’s police chief and deputy police chief both resigned after body camera footage was released showing what we all knew: Daniel should be alive today. For a week straight, organizers held protests and 77,000 COC members spoke out demanding the officers be fired, charged, and the city changes how it responds to mental health crises. Daniel’s brother had called police for help, explaining he was a threat to no one but himself. Instead, they brutalized Daniel and knelt on his back ’til he couldn’t breathe. We will not relent. Our quest for justice continues as we press Rochester’s mayor and city council to pass legislation that requires medical professionals — and not armed cops — to respond to medical calls.

  • social list opener
  • Tech Justice

Twitter Cracks Down on Right-Wing Media Pundit for Glorifying Kenosha Killing

All year Color Of Change has aggressively been pressing tech giants to crack down on hate speech and stop spreading racist calls to violence. Twitter recently put its new policy into practice – deleting a post from Ann Coulter applauding Kyle Rittenhouse for murdering two nonviolent protestors. Twitter has assured us that they won’t tolerate tweets encouraging vigilante violence like we’ve seen in recent months. We will continue to push them to do more to seek out those with millions of followers using their platform to fuel white nationalism and anti-Black violence.

  • social list opener

Color Of Change helps people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by 1.7 million members, we move decision makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people, and all people. Until justice is real.

IN THE MEDIA

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August 10, 2020

Activists Working in John Lewis’ Shadow Warn About Voter Suppression Ahead of November Vote

USA Today reports that voter suppression has increased since 2013, and longer wait times to vote, especially in Black neighborhoods, are a sign that things are getting worse. Color Of Change is using its platform to keep voters updated on registration guidelines and counteract false information online–one strategy to make sure everyone can vote come November. Rashad Robinson says Lewis’ legacy hangs in the balance. “You have to be optimistic to do social justice work, so we’re staying focused on making sure there’s a path toward victory in the fall.”

  • social list opener
August 6, 2020

Facebook Has More to Learn From the Ad Boycott

Read this Q&A with Rashad Robinson on Color Of Change’s five-year history of pressing Facebook to deal with its anti-Black problem — from the days when Black Lives Matter activists were being targeted by users. Wired shares Robinson’s perspective on why civil rights groups cannot be left to police Facebook by themselves. So far, advertisers have pulled more than $7B from Facebook, responding to Color Of Change and the StopHateForProfit coalition’s calls that Zuckerberg knowingly promotes algorithms and policies that foment racism and help hate groups get their message far and wide.

  • social list opener
August 3, 2020

Google Rejects Ad Depicting Police Violence Aimed at Persuading Black Voters

Tech giants are refusing to run a political ad by Priorities USA Action and Color Of Change that calls America a “police state” under Trump. The 30-second ad features a montage of police officers beating, tear-gassing, tasing and running over people protesting racial injustice and includes clips from a June speech from Trump. Hulu and Google have said they object to the “violent imagery” and “disturbing content” regardless of the political value and aims to motivate young and non-white voters distressed with the president’s response to the murder of George Floyd. Decisions to allow or censor content in Silicon Valley are coming under heightened scrutiny as the election nears.

  • social list opener
August 1, 2020

Black Entertainers, Athletes Converge to Deliver Messages of Social Activism

From sports to music, Black influencers are speaking out for racial justice. ABC explores Color Of Change’s #ChangeHollywood initiative, aimed at creating more opportunities for writers, directors and actors of color. COC President Rashad Robinson is quoted, “It’s about power. It’s about the historical aspects of who has gotten to tell stories and who hasn’t, whose stories have been mainstreamed, whose stories have been marginalized. Hollywood does in many ways, have an unforgivable history of stifling Black voices, Black talent, Black creativity and Black brilliance.”

  • social list opener
July 31, 2020

COVID-19, ‘De-funding’ Combine to Slash Police Budgets

This article dives into what cuts to police budgets will mean in cities likes Los Angeles, New York, and Baltimore next year. Right now, many departments are facing major cuts for the first time in more than a decade. Color Of Change’s Sr. Director of Criminal Justice Campaigns Scott Roberts is quoted, “The lack of imagination in public safety has only led to continuing down the same path to investing in more law enforcement.” More and better is possible activists say if cities invest that money in services that truly prioritize keeping people of color and working class communities safe.

  • social list opener
July 31, 2020

How Law & Order’s Dick Wolf Is Reimagining His Shows In The Wake Of The BLM Protests

As the nation ignited with police brutality protests this spring, TV cop shows started to catch a lot of flak. Reality shows that glorify policing, notably Cops and LivePD, were the first to go under sustained pressured from Color Of Change. Then attention turned to Dick Wolf, creator of Law & Order. Now the king of the police procedural is scrambling to save one of TV’s most lucrative franchises. Color Of Change continues to call out such shows, saying that the genre spreads dangerous misinformation about our criminal justice system and essentially functions as a “PR machine for the police.”

  • social list opener

Strategic Initiatives

Democracy & Census

Black people have the power to shape our democracy and set the agenda when they speak up and turn out in elections. Through our Black Brunches we have brought together more than 20,000 people across 20 cities—including many new to politics. Going into 2020, we have tremendous opportunities to register new voters, protect voting rights, and make sure our communities are counted and represented in the 2020 Census. We are engaging local leaders and our 1.7M members to help set a progressive agenda around criminal justice reform and boost civic participation in Black communities.

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Winning Justice

No one holds more power in our justice system than prosecutors. They decide who to prosecute, what the charges will be, and routinely make decisions that destroy Black people’s lives. We are ushering in a new era of prosecutor accountability by mobilizing Black communities across the country. Already, we've pushed prosecutors and candidates in a dozen cities make pledges to cut incarceration. We continue to build momentum to end the most unjust, destructive and racist practices in our system from money bail to over-sentencing, over-policing, and sending our children to adult prisons.

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COC Hollywood

TV and film play a profound role in shaping American culture. Yet, when it comes to representation of Black people, culture, and issues, far too much of the content Hollywood produces promotes dangerous misunderstandings that holds back racial justice in the real world. COC Hollywood is our initiative to change the rules in Hollywood by ensuring accurate, diverse, empathetic and human portrayals of Black people onscreen. We consult on film and TV projects, partner with changemakers inside the industry, work to raise standards around hiring and diversity, and elevate Black stories.

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