In response to the New York Times piece posted today on investigations into St. Louis Chief Prosecutor Kim Gardner, Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change, said the following:

“In recent months we have seen an alarming pattern of attacks emerge against women of color who attempt to hold the powerful accountable. From the halls of Congress to courtrooms across the country, Black women reformers, elected by the people, are being targeted by those with deeply entrenched political interests.

As the first African American Circuit Attorney of St. Louis, Kim Gardner has led a much-needed effort to hold the rich and powerful accountable for their wrongdoing, and now she’s the target of a sham investigation for doing her job and doing it well. This attempt to dismiss the will of St. Louis voters is only the latest step in a national playbook to dismantle the growing power of elected women and people of color in this country and halt the progress of our broader movement for criminal justice reform.

The perpetrators behind these thinly veiled attempts to silence us will use every weapon in their arsenal to come for the leaders who truly represent us, and who mark small steps toward more representative government. Color Of Change will not stand by and let this happen – not in St. Louis or anywhere Black people are ready to mobilize.”