Color Of Change at the White House
“At Color Of Change, we stand up for victims.”
That fact, expressed by Sakira Cook, Color Of Change’s co-interim vice president for policy and government affairs, is recognized by the Biden Administration.
Cook and COC President Rashad Robinson were invited to represent Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, and its 7 million members at an outdoor White House event July 11, 2022, celebrating President Biden’s signing of the Safer Communities Act to reduce gun violence.
Cook also was invited to the White House for President Biden’s signing of an executive order aimed at stemming police misconduct. That signing ceremony took place on May 25, 2022, marking the two-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police and the resulting flood of protests across the nation and globe against police violence and abuse.
Also attending the signing were members of Mr. Floyd’s family and the family of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed in March 2020 by police in Louisville, Kentucky, when they forced their way into her apartment to serve a warrant in the middle of night.
The executive order, which pertains largely to federal law enforcement personnel, includes many of the provisions urgently sought by COC members. It bans the use of chokeholds by federal authorities unless deadly force is authorized; limits federal officers’ use of “no-knock” warrants; and restricts the transfer and purchase of military equipment by local police departments. It also establishes a national database to collect the names of law enforcement personnel who have been fired for misconduct and requires all federal agencies to update their policies on use of force.
“It’s a measure of what we can do together to heal the very soul of this nation, to address profound fear and trauma, exhaustion that particularly Black Americans have experienced for generations and to channel that private pain and public outrage into a rare mark of progress for years to come,” President Biden said during the ceremony.
While the executive order is viewed as a stop-gap measure, White House officials said President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will continue their push for permanent federal legislation that also would apply to state and local law enforcement.
Meanwhile, the Safer Communities Act provides funding for state and local crisis intervention and school safety programs and to implement and manage “red flag” programs that would block gun access to those judged to be a danger to themselves or others. It also requires enhanced background checks for 18- to 21-year-olds before purchasing a firearm.
Cook called the legislation “a step forward.”
“There’s more work to be done, work to ensure that there are no unintended consequences that will harm the communities that we are trying to protect,” she said.
COC officials continue to advocate on Capitol Hill for legislation and policy changes to improve the lives of Black people nationwide. Robinson, Cook and other COC officials met recently with senior lawmakers in the House and Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, regarding the Algorithmic Accountability Act. That legislation would bring transparency and oversight to software, algorithms and automated systems used to make critical decisions in people’s lives and that often result in bias and harm to Black people.
“We want to raise awareness (around) the importance of holding tech companies accountable and to protect Black people,” Cook said.
Our work
Color Of Change leads campaigns that build real power for Black communities. We challenge injustice, hold corporate and political leaders accountable, commission game-changing research on systems of inequality and advance solutions for racial justice that can transform our world.
To learn more, join or donate to our mission, visit colorofchange.org