Create Digital Safety
National
Twitter Clamps Down on Theory that “Black People Can’t Get COVID-19”
Color of Change persuaded leaders at Twitter to adopt new policies to ensure the accuracy of COVID-19 information on the site after Blue-check users were posting dangerous (and scientifically debunked rumors) that Black people were immune to the virus or would recover quickly if they caught it. This misinformation was getting thousands of retweets. COC Campaign Director […]
Economic Justice
National
Preserving Access to Healthy Food for Black in the Pandemic
Black people disproportionately live in “food deserts” where healthy produce and meat are hard to come by. And during the pandemic, getting access to safe high-quality food is even harder though it’s one of the best ways to stay healthy. After a Color Of Change member in Los Angeles launched a campaign on OrganizeFor, Capri […]
Create Digital Safety
National
Amazon and Barnes and Noble to Vet COVID-19 Info
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever that tech companies and content producers hold themselves to high standards around the accuracy of the information they’re spreading. Companies initially let rumors proliferate about the virus, from the idea that Black people can’t catch COVID-19 to the lie that drinking bleach will cure you. These […]
Create Digital Safety
National
People in Prison Get Free Calls During COVID-19
During this pandemic, it’s so important to stay in touch with loved ones, especially for people in prison where the risk of outbreaks are among the highest in the world. Price-gouging by telecommunication companies who service prisons and jails is a serious problem; the industry scrapes $1.2 billion from poor people and communities of color […]
Create Digital Safety
National
West
LA Times Removes Paywall for COVID-19 Coverage
After serious pressure by Color Of Change, the LA Times agreed to drop the paywall around COVID-19 coverage. Public health messages, especially tied to the dangerous pandemic we’re all living under, ought to be available to everyone, not just those able to pay for a subscription. The LA Times first wanted to keep coronavirus articles […]
Create Digital Safety
National
Facebook Bans White Nationalist Content
Following intense pressure from COC members and direct engagement with our team, Facebook announced it would no longer allow white nationalist content on its platform. Banning white nationalism and separatist speech on Facebook and Instagram is a huge blow to efforts to spread white supremacy, raise money for anti-Black hate groups, and recruit others. It […]
Create Digital Safety
National
Facebook Removes Deceptive Trump Ad
Color Of Change once again held Facebook’s feet to the fire when it decided to run a misleading Trump re-election ad that implied it would take people to participate in the 2020 Census, but routed them to the “Make America Great Again” donation page instead. After we spoke out with tech accountability groups, Facebook reversed course […]
Create Digital Safety
National
Facebook Holds Its First Civil Rights Audit
This year we’ve worked tirelessly to hold Facebook accountable – persuading them to conduct their first civil rights audit and pressing them to adopt stronger policies against white supremacist content. We’ve held dozens of meetings, drawing their attention to how the platform has been used to censor Black activists and allow ads that discriminate against […]
Media & Culture
National
COC Members Save Disney’s Black Princess
We persuaded Disney not to whitewash their popular Black character Princess Tiana. When we saw early drawings of Tiana from the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, it was clear they had straightened her hair, thinned her nose, and lightened her skin. Our members spoke out and persuaded Disney to keep Tiana a beautiful Black princess – […]
Justice System
Northeast
NYPD Officer Fired for Murdering Eric Garner
Five years after the tragic and unnecessary death of Eric Garner, NYC mayor and police commissioner fired Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who put Garner in a chokehold and refused to let him go. COC members were part of a powerful coalition with dozens of groups around New York demanding justice. Though Garner’s death was ruled […]
