Activists Keep Police Reform Push Despite Minneapolis Loss

A Minneapolis ballot initiative, which would have removed a requirement for a minimum number of MPD officers, was defeated when 56% voted against installing a new Department of Public Safety with a more holistic vision that relies less on cops with guns. Still many advocates in the “defund” movement see just how much progress has been made. Momentum for similar efforts continue to build in Washington D.C., Austin, and Los Angeles. Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson says social movements can take years to create sweeping change, and this one has pushed a major shift in the conversation in a short time.“I couldn’t imagine a ballot measure like this even being on the ballot three years ago,” he said. “Movements lose until they win.” A Star Tribune analysis found the strongest support among younger voters, around the University of Minnesota, and near where George Floyd was killed. Opposition was strong in wealthy areas, and the city’s largely Black north side, where people expressed fears about violent crime.

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‘Past Angry’: Victims’ Families, Civil Rights Leaders Condemn Failed Police Reform Talks

Last week, the bipartisan talks around the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act ended without a deal as both sides came to an impasse over qualified immunity. Bridgett Floyd said she could barely find the words to describe her disappointment in lawmakers for failing to pass sweeping reforms bearing her brother’s name. Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson said he’s unsurprised talks broke down in a “filibuster environment” designed to block civil rights laws. Voters of color turned out in record numbers last year to elect Democrats he says, and they are being let down. “It’s unacceptable that our leaders continue to fail to deliver. Democrats got the majority and they can’t keep telling our community to put aside our safety, our dignity, our humanity in the face of unchecked violent policing.”

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‘Cops’ Revival One Year After Cancellation Labeled ‘Repugnant’ By Activists

A year after George Floyd’s death and Color Of Change got Cops pulled from the airwaves, it’s back on Fox Nation. The reality series was canceled during last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests as a new awareness of how TV shows often glorify violent policing took hold. The decision has been met with anger from racial justice advocates. Jade Magnus Ogunnaike, Sr Director of Media, Culture, and Economic Justice, is quoted. “Color Of Change’s members fought for eight years to have the television show Cops canceled for a reason: It is an insidious program that distorts the truth about crime in our country and purposefully encourages the public to support the harmful behavior of police, prosecutors, and other law enforcement figures. Cops and shows like it should not be televised—on any network.”

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NPR INTERVIEW: Live From The HIBT Summit, Rashad Robinson

The Ted Radio Hour’s Guy Raz interviews Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson for their final 2021 main stage event. In this live interview, Rashad talks about finding strength and purpose through activism. On the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, he talks about why activism does not have to center around sadness and tragedy, how activism is about the power of the people, recognizing victories, celebrating moments of joy, and creating a new era of self- and community-care. “Black joy is not the absence of pain, but the presence of aspiration. It’s not just about what we are fighting against but what we are fighting for.”

Hear the full interview at https://n.pr/3zwku8s

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THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Pride 2021 & 10 LGBTQ Changemakers

Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson made the Hollywood Reporter’s top 10 list of LGBTQ changemakers this year. After George Floyd was murdered, his renewed efforts to make the entertainment industry confront its portrayals of cops had a huge impact. COPS and Live PD were canceled, and more than a dozen TV shows brought on Color of Change to rethink depictions of policing, the justice system and racism. Next Robinson wants to see people of color get their due in LGBTQ stories.

Full article at https://bit.ly/2X3i587

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BET: 3 Ways to Demand Justice Now That The Derek Chauvin Trial Is Over

The guilty verdict against Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd is just the beginning of a long journey for officials to step up and enact real solutions that change the conditions Black people face at the hands of police, and move us towards true justice and reinvestment in our communities. Color Of Change is running campaigns to support the Department of Justice’s investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department’s practices, to fund non-policing public safety programs, and end qualified immunity once and for all. Full article is at https://bet.us/3Cfxa64.

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Police Are Still Killing People at the Same Rate as before

After all the protests for George Floyd, after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder, a staggering fact remains: the rate of fatal encounters with police, who have killed about three people per day this year, is on par with last year. In fact, during the first four months of 2021, there’s only been 6 days when police did not kill anyone according to new data from Mapping Police Violence. Sr. Director of Criminal Justice Campaigns Scott Roberts is quoted saying, “There’s an effort, at least by some political actors, to give folks false hope that we’re turning the corner around police violence. These numbers show that, as far as we can tell, it’ll continue.” Today Black people are 3x more likely to be killed by police than white people, but 1.5x more likely to be unarmed. The work to transform policing continues.

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‘Defund the Police, Invest in Our Communities’

Activists gathered a year after George Floyd was murdered to unveil five new community murals calling for defunding the NYPD. Organizations behind the artwork include Color Of Change, Communities United for Police Reform, Arab American Association of NY, Justice Committee, Make the Road NY and Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. COC Campaign Director Malachi Robinson said their demands had not changed over the past year. “What we were demanding was transformation, for real change and for the end of police terrorizing Black and Brown communities. We are saying no more police and no more mass incarceration. We’re saying we need to invest in our communities and the things that keep our communities really safe.” The groups are demanding City Council defund the NYPD by $1B and invest it in youth programs.

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3 Ways To Continue Demanding Justice Now That The Derek Chauvin Trial Is Over

The guilty verdict against Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd is just the beginning of a long journey for officials to step up and enact real solutions that change the conditions Black people face at the hands of police, and move us towards true justice and reinvestment in our communities. Color Of Change is running campaigns to support the Department of Justice’s investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department’s practices, to fund non-policing public safety programs, and end qualified immunity once and for all.

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Activists Take Next Step in Push to Replace Minneapolis PD

A charter amendment to replace the Minneapolis Police Department is one step closer to going before voters in November. Yes 4 Minneapolis, a coalition of 20+ racial justice and community activist groups including Color Of Change, delivered 20,000 signatures to officials at City Hall. Their proposed amendment would replace the police department with a new Department of Public Safety and shift authority over police from the mayor to the City Council. They city is under pressure to overhaul policing since George Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin in May 2020. Antonio Williams said he had spoken with many Minneapolis residents who experienced brutality, injustice and indifference at the hands of city police. “Give us a chance, give us a choice to choose something new that works for all people.”

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Biden’s Sky-High Promises on Racial Justice

After George Floyd, many Democratic voters and politicians found themselves getting a crash course in racial inequality. Biden, who was responsible for the 1994 crime bill that spurred mass incarceration, is now vowing to make confronting systemic racism and uplift Black people a tenet of his administration. Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson is quoted in this New York Times’ article on how Biden is evolving with the country when it comes to race and justice. “Biden is actually being Biden by being inside of all of the ways in which the current landscape is sending him messages. That is good, but I don’t want to be classifying this as some sort of out-front radical leadership. That would really not represent everything that could be possible if we leaned in more.” There’s still so much at stake from overhauling policing and investing in public safety to student loan forgiveness.

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‘Let This Be a Turning Point’: Chauvin Conviction Sparks Calls for ‘True Justice’

This is accountability, but not justice many have said in the wake of the guilty verdict against Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd. Common Dreams surveyed leaders at 20 organizations fighting for change. Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson is quoted saying, “Nine minutes and 29 seconds will forever be supplanted in our hearts and memory… we use this moment to push for real change because the fight for accountability and justice in America is far from over. The Chauvin trial may be over, but what comes next will be the consequential moment in our history. We need to do more than raise our voices; we must demand action now.”

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