For Immediate Release: October 9, 2020
Contact: media@colorofchange.org
COLOR OF CHANGE CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFULLY REMOVES PRISON PROFITEER TOM GORES FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change, issued this statement following the removal of billionaire and Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s board of trustees:
“Today, the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art made it clear that there is no seat at the table for prison profiteers. After a coordinated campaign by Color Of Change and our criminal justice partner Worth Rises, Tom Gores has finally resigned from LACMA’s Board of Trustees as a consequence of his exploitation of incarcerated people and their families through his leadership at Securus Technologies.
“As the majority owner of Platinum Equity, which owns Securus, Gores controls a near-majority of the prison telecommunications market, which profits off the exorbitant fees it charges incarcerated individuals and their families for phone calls. With the COVID-19 crisis continuing to spiral and in-person visitation suspended indefinitely, these calls, which can cost $1 to $3 per minute, are the last remaining link between incarcerated people and their loved ones. Racism and discrimination in our justice system have meant that this enormous financial burden overwhelmingly falls on Black and low-income individuals. Cosigned by Tom Gores, this practice preys on Black people and tears Black families apart All this while his NBA team, the Detroit Pistons, has joined the league in saying #BlackLivesMatter and demanding systemic change in policing and the criminal justice system.
“We applaud this resignation and LACMA’s commitment to holding Tom Gores accountable for exploiting Black families. But in order to truly see justice done, prison phone calls must be completely free of charge nationwide. Congress must act and approve the Martha Wright Phone Justice Act to minimize Tom Gores and other billionaires’ profits off the pain of Black people and keep Black families intact. And the NBA and other organizational boards must also ask Tom Gores to step down and hold him accountable for his clear disregard for Black life.”
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Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over 7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and governments to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org
For Immediate Release: October 9, 2020
Contact: media@colorofchange.org