Gratitude: The spirit of the season
By Color Of Change staff
As we reflect on this season of gratitude, we, at Color Of Change, want to express our deep appreciation for you, our members — a community of changemakers. Your unwavering dedication, actions and support have fueled meaningful progress in the fight for racial justice. Together, we have proven that when we come together, we can create lasting change.
During the past year, your support and your actions have helped achieve remarkable victories. Here are just a few:
* Advocating for Black Students: In partnership with the National Education Association, COC has trained more than 1,100 people nationwide to #DefendBlackHistory and advocate for Black students in local school board meetings and to confront harmful book bans.
* Transforming Justice: Through our Winning Justice initiative, we pushed the Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney’s Office to reduce overcrowding in the Fulton County Jail by nearly 23% in three months. That was followed by a coalition victory that halted plans for a costly new $2 billion jail in favor of less costly renovations and more humane alternatives.
* Phone Justice for Families: Building on the successful push for passage of the federal Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, we advocated for the Federal Communications Commission to implement the legislation and reduce exorbitant phone and video call rates in prisons and jails across the country. The FCC unanimously voted in July to lower the rates for phone and video calls, keeping incarcerated people and their families connected and saving millions of dollars for families starting as early as January 2025.
* Expanding Free Tax Filing: As part of the Coalition for Free and Fair Filing, COC members advocated for the IRS to expand its free Direct File to more states next year. Direct File now will be available in 24 states in 2025, a jump from 12 states in 2024, saving taxpayers countless hours and millions of dollars in filing fees by bypassing predatory tax prep companies that target Black and Brown families.
These victories — a testament to the power of collective action — are possible only because of you, our members. We are grateful for your help in taking on some of the toughest challenges and achieving solutions that uplift people and communities.
As we celebrate this season of gratitude, we are reminded that the journey toward justice is not one we take alone. Thank you for standing with us.
We invite you to join us virtually on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT for a Gratitude Celebration to thank members who have been part of our journey this past year and whose continued efforts help to build Black power and joy in their communities.
RSVP HERE FOR GRATITUDE CELEBRATION DEC. 20
Your partnership inspires us each and every day. Together, we will continue to build a legacy of hope, courage and transformation and further embrace our vision for a more human, less hostile world.