FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

CJ Frogozo, CJ@FitzGibbonMedia.com, 310-570-2622

Kayla Keller, kayla@fitzgibbonmedia.com, 281-682-6212

Oakland, CA — After more than 5,500 California ColorOfChange members and allies across the state raised their voices, Gov. Jerry Brown signed “Ban the Box” (AB 218) legislation into law. AB 218 removes the deeply prejudicial checkbox disclosure of prior convictions from government job applications, while still permitting a background check for qualified applicants later in the hiring process. These reforms are critical to addressing barriers to employment for Black Californians. Ten other states across the country have adopted similar legislation, including a recent decision by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to “Ban the Box”.

The following is a statement from Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of ColorOfChange:

“Governor Brown’s decision is a positive step forward to reducing Black unemployment rates, strengthening the struggling economy, and significantly reducing recidivism and prison overcrowding. Stopping the practice of forcing applicants with a prior conviction to check a box alleviates some of the harmful impacts of mass incarceration, which extend throughout a person’s life. All of California benefits when people with past convictions are no longer shut out of the workforce, especially Black families and communities who are disproportionately impacted by over-incarceration, exploding recidivism rates, and sky-high unemployment. Banning “the box” in CA is long-overdue, and marks a critical step in opening up job opportunities for millions of qualified Black Californians.”

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With more than 900,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the nation’s largest Black online civil rights organization.