FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 14, 2013

Contact: Kayla Keller, kayla@fitzgibbonmedia.com, 281.682.6212

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/renisha_mcbride/

New York, NY — ColorOfChange.org, the nation’s largest online civil rights group, is demanding that 19-year old Renisha McBride’s murder is investigated as a homicide, and that her killer be arrested instead of shielded by Michigan’s Stand Your Ground or ‘Shoot First’ law. Already, more than 40,000 ColorOfChange members have spoken out in a letter written to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and Dearborn Heights Police Chief Lee Gavin demanding justice and urging them to show leadership and send a clear message that Black youth cannot be killed with impunity.

ColorOfChange Executive Director Rashad Robinson said: “The Renisha McBride tragedy highlights the injustice that results from a cultural landscape that criminalizes Black people. As the list of unarmed, gunned-down Black youth continues to grow, and the phrases “Shoot First” and “Stand Your Ground” become household terms, the message is clear; these dangerous laws combined with the daily reality of deep-rooted racial prejudice power an often deadly reality where countless young Black people are perceived as a threat and can be killed without consequence. Our members are outraged, and stand together demanding an end to the devaluation and dehumanization of Black life.”

Shortly after the news of Renisha’s death broke, local residents of Detroit and nearby areas rallied for justice — condemning racial profiling and violence against women. Demonstrators referred to Dearborn Heights as a “sundown town,” a mostly white suburb outside of Detroit that has a history of being hostile to Black folks.

Writer and activist dream hampton says: “As a Detroit native and mother of a young daughter, I am horrified and infuriated by the shooting death of Renisha McBride, and the shameful lack of movement on behalf of authorities to arrest her killer. In both life and death, Renisha — a and so many of her young, Black peers — have their lives criminalized and marginalized by a system that does not protect them. Enough is enough. We demand transparency in this case. Renisha’s killer must be brought to justice.”

ColorofChange.org has mobilized over 350,000 members, partners, and allies over the last year to stand in opposition to Shoot First Laws. For more information: www.colorofchange.org

###

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