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0 have signed. Let's get to 2,500!

It has become increasingly apparent through the ordering of costumes and the uncomfortable outries of my dancers of color, that we as a dance industry are still operating under a eurocentric and white-washed mindset. The specific issue at hand being the lack of multiple skin tones available in costuming and performance wear for dancers.

The lack of options of varying flesh colors within the costume, and the fact that many costume companies will not provide a solution. For example, many costumes are produced with a tan strap when they just as easily could attach a clear strap (to ensure the "no strap" look on everyone) or make the straps the same color as the costumes (to ensure inclusivity of all dancers) or include a brown strap option as well.

Not only does this lack of varying shades of skin tones cause issues for the teachers, such as them now having to dye certain pieces of costumes to make their dancers feel included and integrated in the same ways, but it also creates a feeling of not belonging and not being represented for dancers of color.

The issue has taken on more problems in the sense that the newest "trend" in the dance world is illusion cutouts in costumes. If my dark skin dancer wears a leotard with mesh cutouts/illusion necklines or backs it no longer succeeds the desired look because of the inability for the flesh of the dancer and the "flesh" mesh to match.

Representation is important in every aspect of life, but particularly for young girls growing up representation can have a direct effect on their self image and internal psyche. Representation means that they can see a reflection of themselves and how they see themselves in mainstream media. If adolescents grow up continuously and consistently seeing only young, thin, white, and able-bodied representations in the media, it will have a devastating impact on those who do not fit this mainstream normality. However, if adolescents are being exposed to varying skin tones, different cultural and racial identities, and various body types they can be influenced into appreciating the body and the skin tone that they have. These unrepresented adolescents, such as dancers of color, could grow up assuming that since they do not match the images presented in the mainstream projections and images, they do not fit into the societal perception of normal and accepted. They then believe that they are deemed "less than", undesirable, or unworthy of feeling good about themselves. They will believe that they do not belong in this community.

It is 2018. Let's stop this idea that there are only white dancers. The end of racism in costuming starts with you. Enough is enough. Offer inclusive options for dancers of color and include equal representation amongst your costume models.

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It has become increasingly apparent through the ordering of costumes and the uncomfortable outries of my dancers of color, that we as a dance industry are still operating under a eurocentric and white-washed mindset. The specific issue at hand being the lack of multiple skin tones available in costuming and performance wear for dancers.

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Spirit Halloween LLC: End All Sales of Racist Indigenous Costumes

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Spirit Halloween LLC: End All Sales of Racist Indigenous Costumes

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In light of the Truth and Reconciliation's 94 Calls to Action; Business and Reconciliation, Call 92, Section iii, we the undersigned hereby demand Spirit Halloween LLC, End All Sales of Racist Indigenous Costumes today and prevent any future sales from their stores and online.

Each year we are faced with the images of "costumes" appropriating Indigenous culture for profit by Spirit Halloween stores, all across Canada, and Halloween 2018 sees no change. These products are offensive, demeaning and harmful and to all Indigenous peoples.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada issued it's report in December of 2015 and outlines its recommendation to Business Reconciliation in Call to Action number 92, in particular, section iii, which states:

"Provide education for management and staff on the history of Aboriginal peoples (Indigenous Peoples), including history legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights and anti-racism."
http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
"In Canada, anti-discrimination legislation exists to protect and advocate for the human rights of Indigenous peoples. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act - including the repeal of section 67 - are dedicated to maintaining every individual's rights under the law."
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/rights-indigenous-peoples.html
Every culture must be recognized and honoured as we seek a path towards reconciliation and ending racism at every level of government, service or business.

Join us in demanding Spirit Halloween End All Present and Future Sales of Racist Indigenous Costumes from their stores and online.

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In light of the Truth and Reconciliation's 94 Calls to Action; Business and Reconciliation, Call 92, Section iii, we the undersigned hereby demand Spirit Halloween LLC, End All Sales of Racist Indigenous Costumes today and prevent any future sales from their stores and online.

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Stop Escapade Selling Stigmatising Costumes

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Stop Escapade Selling Stigmatising Costumes

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The online fancy dress shop Escapade is selling Halloween Costumes such as the "Psychotic Nympho" and "Psycho Nurse Sally" and other costumes making fun of mental illnesses. When asked to comment Escapade said they would continue to sell the costumes as "there are people who are scared of mentally ill people".

As an NHS Psychiatrist I work with people with mental health problems every day. These costumes and Escapade's comments stigmatise mental health problems and contribute to a culture of fear and isolation for vulnerable people. With one in three suffering a mental health problem, we should be making it easier to talk about, not stigmatising it with "scary" costumes.
Please sign this petition to show that you think stigmatising mental health problems in this way is wrong and that you wish the costumes to be removed from Escapade's shops and their online store.
Many retailers have made similar mistakes in the past but thankfully listened to the public and took these kind of costumes off the shelves.

Thank you for signing the petition!

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The online fancy dress shop Escapade is selling Halloween Costumes such as the "Psychotic Nympho" and "Psycho Nurse Sally" and other costumes making fun of mental illnesses. When asked to comment Escapade said they would continue to sell the costumes as "there are people who are scared of mentally ill people".

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0 have signed. Let's get to 50,000!

This petition is to request a policy that will prevent the importation of products that are passed off as Indigenous-made and sold in Australia. These products are mostly painted Boomerangs, key chains, bags etc. with fake Aboriginal designs on them and even some painted canvases.

Thousands of these products are sold every day to tourists in Australia. Some of them have removable labels or stickers stating where the product was made, some of them have no labels at all.

Regardless of labeling or lack of, many of these products use iconic images and traditional painting styles that give consumers a false impression about the origin of the products.

It may be hard to police the sale of non-genuine Aboriginal products in general but banning the import of products that mimic Indigenous art would go a long way in reducing the number of fakes on the market, given that the vast majority of them are imported.

Such a ban would mean that anybody wanting to mass produce and sell fake Aboriginal products would have to make the product in Australia. This would severely reduce the profit margin, taking away the incentive for people to produce fakes Indigenous art.

It would also leave the market open for genuine Indigenous art sales to thrive.

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This petition is to request a policy that will prevent the importation of products that are passed off as Indigenous-made and sold in Australia. These products are mostly painted Boomerangs, key chains, bags etc. with fake Aboriginal designs on them and even some painted canvases.

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Petition: We Need A Federal Mask Mandate

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Petition: We Need A Federal Mask Mandate

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Dear Members of Congress:

Our nation has failed to control the coronavirus pandemic on multiple fronts. Many states are facing increasing cases, hospitalizations, and ultimately deaths. The politicization of wearing a mask to prevent the spread of this contagious virus has resulted in polarizing and dangerous rhetoric across the nation.

Masking is not a political issue but a public health one. Universal masking is effective at curbing the spread of COVID-19. It is imperative our nation implement a NATIONAL MANDATE to wear a mask or face covering in public, especially in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained. The current national guidelines for Opening Up America Again do not require masks or face coverings, leaving the issue to individual states. Unfortunately, state leaders have been inconsistent in advising or enforcing masking, contributing to increased community spread.

We, the undersigned, as health professionals and concerned Americans, implore you to urgently implement a national mandate for masking to halt the spread of COVID-19. We are a united states, and the decisions made in one state impact many. A national mandate for universal masking will save lives, revitalize our economy, allow our children to return to school, and unite the country against our common enemy, COVID-19.

On Behalf of the Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative ( IMPACT):
Shikha Jain MD FACP, Eve Bloomgarden MD, Ali Khan MD MPP FACP, Laura Zimmermann MD MS FACP, Amisha Wallia MD MS, Garth Walker MD, Seth Trueger MD, Maylyn Martinez MD, Emily Landon MD, Vineet Arora MD MAPP

On Behalf of GetMePPEChi: Tricia Pendergrast

On Behalf of Masks Now Illinois: Emma Davenport

On Behalf of Lindsey Leininger PhD MA, Nerdy Girl in Chief at Dear Pandemic

On Behalf of NeedMasksToday: Katherine Kennedy MD, Abhirami Janani Raveendran MD M.Ed.

On Behalf of GetUsPPE: Megan Ranney MD MPH

On Behalf of Helen Burstin MD MPH, CEO Council of Medical Specialty Societies

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Dear Members of Congress: Our nation has failed to control the coronavirus pandemic on multiple fronts. Many states are facing increasing cases, hospitalizations, and ultimately deaths. The politicization of wearing a mask to prevent the spread of this contagious virus has resulted in polarizing and dangerous rhetoric across the nation.

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A video shared online has claimed that the coronavirus pandemic is a hoax and part of a conspiracy to control the general public. This is false.

A post sharing the video can be viewed here ( here).

The opening sequence shows billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, warning that "we will have to prepare" for the next pandemic.

The narrator then uses points to argue that the pandemic was planned, and claims it is a hoax that is being used as an excuse to control the general public.

CLAIM 1 - THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID-19 HASN'T BEEN IDENTIFIED OR ISOLATED

"They've never isolated it or actually identified this virus as actually existing, so the whole thing is just a big scam", the narrator claims ( here).

This is not true. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the name of the virus that causes the disease COVID-19 ( here).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus was identified by Chinese authorities on January 7, 2020 ( tinyurl.com/y5at3vke).

CLAIM 2 - TEST FOR COVID-19 BROADLY TESTS FOR RNA VIRUSES AND GENETIC MATERIAL

"Of course, the more people they test, then the more people are going to test positive because they're just testing for RNA viruses and genetic material", the narrator alleges ( here).

It is false that the COVID-19 test broadly detects all RNA viruses rather than SARS-CoV-2 specifically.

An RNA virus is a virus that has RNA as its genetic material ( here). Human diseases caused by RNA viruses include COVID-19 ( here), SARS, influenza and Ebola disease ( here).

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test used to detect SARS-CoV-2 works by detecting the presence of its RNA in the swab sample ( here).

Each virus has its own pattern of RNA material, and the test for coronavirus tests for the RNA material of SARS-CoV-2 specifically.

CLAIM 3 - ALL DEATHS ARE BEING LABELLED AS COVID-19

"All deaths are basically being labelled as COVID deaths now whether they are or not. All you have to do is test positive for this genetic material in your body and it'll say COVID-19" ( here).

In the UK, data on COVID-19 deaths published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) includes deaths "involving COVID-19".

This includes deaths that have COVID-19 mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, whether it is an underlying cause or not ( here).

However, the ONS says that: "In the majority of cases (46,736 deaths, 92.8%) where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, it was found to be the underlying cause of death".

It is wrong to say that all deaths are being recorded as COVID deaths. One indication of how many deaths have been caused by the pandemic is the number of 'excess deaths' recorded, or additional deaths compared to the number usually expected during a given time period.

An ONS report shows that England and Wales saw spikes in the number of excess deaths that reflect the number of COVID-19 deaths that were reported at that time (see Figure 2) ( here).

In June, the ONS reported that there were around 64,500 excess deaths across the UK for the time of year using a five-year average, though the figure is now likely to be higher ( here).

VERDICT

False. The coronavirus pandemic is not a hoax; it is a global outbreak caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

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Fact check: The coronavirus pandemic is not a hoax or a conspiracy to control the general public

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A video shared online has claimed that the coronavirus pandemic is a hoax and part of a conspiracy to control the general public. This is false. A post sharing the video can be viewed here ( here). The opening sequence shows billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, warning that "we will have to prepare" for the next pandemic.

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There's a lot of information circulating about COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, so it's important to know what's true and what's not.

TRUE or FALSE? You can get a face mask exemption card so you don't need to wear a mask.
The answer is false.
Fake cards and flyers, claiming that the bearer is exempt from mask-wearing regulations, have shown up in some areas. The cards, which some people have purchased online, may have official-looking logos or government insignias on them. They claim that the person carrying them has a physical or mental condition covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that makes them unable to wear a face mask or covering.

The United States Department of Justice has issued a statement about these fake mask exemptions, explaining that these cards and flyers are fraudulent.

People have tried to use the fake cards to avoid having to wear a mask in public places that require them, such as some stores and restaurants. The cards are not issued by the U.S. government and are not backed by the ADA.

TRUE or FALSE? You can protect yourself from COVID-19 by injecting, swallowing, bathing in or rubbing onto your body bleach, disinfectants or rubbing alcohols.

The answer is false.

These products are highly toxic and should never be swallowed or injected into the body. Call 911 if this occurs.

Disinfectants, bleach and soap and water may be used to clean surfaces, an important prevention step in stopping the spread of coronavirus and COVID-19 - the disease caused by the coronavirus that's led to the global pandemic. Never attempt to self-treat or prevent COVID-19 by rubbing or bathing with bleach, disinfectants or rubbing alcohol anywhere on your body. Effective hand sanitizers do have alcohol, but they are formulated to be safe for use on hands.

Learn more about protecting yourself from the coronavirus and COVID-19.

TRUE or FALSE? A vaccine to cure COVID-19 is available.
The answer is false.
There is no vaccine for the new coronavirus right now. Scientists have already begun working on one, but developing a vaccine that is safe and effective in human beings will take many months.

TRUE or FALSE? The new coronavirus was deliberately created or released by people.
The answer is false.
Viruses can change over time. Occasionally, a disease outbreak happens when a virus that is common in an animal such as a pig, bat or bird undergoes changes and passes to humans. This is likely how the new coronavirus came to be.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Self-Checker

Check symptoms. Protect yourself. Get information.

TRUE or FALSE? Ordering or buying products shipped from overseas will make a person sick.
The answer is false.
Researchers are studying the new coronavirus to learn more about how it infects people. As of this writing, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that the likelihood of becoming infected with COVID-19 from a commercial package is low since it has likely traveled over several days and been exposed to different temperatures and conditions during transit.

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There's a lot of information circulating about COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, so it's important to know what's true and what's not. The answer is false. Fake cards and flyers, claiming that the bearer is exempt from mask-wearing regulations, have shown up in some areas.

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Still Confused About Masks? Here's the Science Behind How Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus | UC San Francisco

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Editor's Note: This story was updated on July 11 to include information on why valved masks do not block exhaled droplets.
As states reopen from stay-at-home orders, many, including California, are now requiring people to wear face coverings in most public spaces to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization now recommend cloth masks for the general public, but earlier in the pandemic, both organizations recommended just the opposite. These shifting guidelines may have sowed confusion among the public about the utility of masks.

But health experts say the evidence is clear that masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and that the more people wearing masks, the better.

We talked to UC San Francisco epidemiologist George Rutherford, MD, and infectious disease specialist Peter Chin-Hong, MD, about the CDC's reversal on mask-wearing, the current science on how masks work, and what to consider when choosing a mask.

Read the latest COVID-19 masking do's and don'ts from Peter Chin-Hong, MD, infectious disease expert.
Read the latest

Why did the CDC change its guidance on wearing masks?

The original CDC guidance partly was based on what was thought to be low disease prevalence earlier in the pandemic, said Chin-Hong.

"So, of course, you're preaching that the juice isn't really worth the squeeze to have the whole population wear masks in the beginning - but that was really a reflection of not having enough testing, anyway," he said. "We were getting a false sense of security."

Rutherford was more blunt. The legitimate concern that the limited supply of surgical masks and N95 respirators should be saved for health care workers should not have prevented more nuanced messaging about the benefits of masking. "We should have told people to wear cloth masks right off the bat," he said.

Another factor "is that culturally, the U.S. wasn't really prepared to wear masks," unlike some countries in Asia where the practice is more common, said Chin-Hong. Even now, some Americans are choosing to ignore CDC guidance and local mandates on masks, a hesitation that Chin-Hong says is "foolhardy."

What may have finally convinced the CDC to change its guidance in favor of masks were rising disease prevalence and a clearer understanding that both pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission are possible - even common. Studies have found that viral load peaks in the days before symptoms begin and that speaking is enough to expel virus-carrying droplets.

"I think the biggest thing with COVID now that shapes all of this guidance on masks is that we can't tell who's infected," said Chin-Hong. "You can't look in a crowd and say, oh, that person should wear mask. There's a lot of asymptomatic infection, so everybody has to wear a mask."

What evidence do we have that wearing a mask is effective in preventing COVID-19?

There are several strands of evidence supporting the efficacy of masks.

One category of evidence comes from laboratory studies of respiratory droplets and the ability of various masks to block them. An experiment using high-speed video found that hundreds of droplets ranging from 20 to 500 micrometers were generated when saying a simple phrase, but that nearly all these droplets were blocked when the mouth was covered by a damp washcloth. Another study of people who had influenza or the common cold found that wearing a surgical mask significantly reduced the amount of these respiratory viruses emitted in droplets and aerosols.

But the strongest evidence in favor of masks come from studies of real-world scenarios. "The most important thing are the epidemiologic data," said Rutherford. Because it would be unethical to assign people to not wear a mask during a pandemic, the epidemiological evidence has come from so-called "experiments of nature."

A recent study published in Health Affairs, for example, compared the COVID-19 growth rate before and after mask mandates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. It found that mask mandates led to a slowdown in daily COVID-19 growth rate, which became more apparent over time. The first five days after a mandate, the daily growth rate slowed by 0.9 percentage-points compared to the five days prior to the mandate; at three weeks, the daily growth rate had slowed by 2 percentage-points.

Another study looked at coronavirus deaths across 198 countries and found that those with cultural norms or government policies favoring mask-wearing had lower death rates.

Two compelling case reports also suggest that masks can prevent transmission in high-risk scenarios, said Chin-Hong and Rutherford. In one case, a man flew from China to Toronto and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. He had a dry cough and wore a mask on the flight, and all 25 people closest to him on the flight tested negative for COVID-19. In another case, in late May, two hair stylists in Missouri had close contact with 140 clients while sick with COVID-19. Everyone wore a mask and none of the clients tested positive.

Do masks protect the people wearing them or the people around them?

"I think there's enough evidence to say that the best benefit is for people who have COVID-19 to protect them from giving COVID-19 to other people, but you're still going to get a benefit from wearing a mask if you don't have COVID-19," said Chin-Hong.

Masks may be more effective as a "source control" because they can prevent larger expelled droplets from evaporating into smaller droplets that can travel farther.

Another factor to remember, noted Rutherford, is that you could still catch the virus through the membranes in your eyes, a risk that masking does not eliminate.

How many people need to wear masks to reduce community transmission?

"What you want is 100 percent of people to wear masks, but you'll settle for 80 percent," said Rutherford. In one simulation, researchers predicted that 80 percent of the population wearing masks would do more to reduce COVID-19 spread than a strict lockdown.

The latest forecast from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests that 33,000 deaths could be avoided by October 1 if 95 percent of people wore masks in public.

Even if you live in a community where few people wear masks, you would still reduce your own chances of catching the virus by wearing one, said Chin-Hong and Rutherford.

Does the type of mask matter?

Studies have compared various mask materials, but for the general public, the most important consideration may be comfort. The best mask is one you can wear comfortably and consistently, said Chin-Hong. N95 respirators are only necessary in medical situations such as intubation. Surgical masks are generally more protective than cloth masks, and some people find them lighter and more comfortable to wear.

The bottom line is that any mask that covers the nose and mouth will be of benefit.

"The concept is risk reduction rather than absolute prevention," said Chin-Hong. "You don't throw up your hands if you think a mask is not 100 percent effective. That's silly. Nobody's taking a cholesterol medicine because they're going to prevent a heart attack 100 percent of the time, but you're reducing your risk substantially."

However, both Rutherford and Chin-Hong cautioned against N95 masks with valves (commonly used in construction to prevent the inhalation of dust) because they do not protect those around you. These one-way valves close when the wearer breathes in, but open when the wearer breathes out, allowing unfiltered air and droplets to escape. Chin-Hong said that anyone wearing a valved mask would need to wear a surgical or cloth mask over it. "Alternatively, just wear a non-valved mask," he said.

San Francisco has specified that masks with valves do not comply with the city's face covering order.

If we're practicing social distancing, do we still need to wear masks?

A mnemonic that Chin-Hong likes is the "Three W's to ward off COVID-19:" wearing a mask, washing your hands, and watching your distance.

"But of the three, the most important thing is wearing a mask," he said. Compared to wearing a mask, cleaning your iPhone or wiping down your groceries are "just distractors." There's little evidence that fomites (contaminated surfaces) are a major source of transmission, whereas there is a lot of evidence of transmission through inhaled droplets, said Chin-Hong.

"You should always wear masks and socially distance," said Rutherford. "I would be hesitant to try to parse it apart. But, yes, I think mask wearing is more important."

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Still Confused About Masks? Here's the Science Behind How Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus

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We talked to UCSF epidemiologist George Rutherford, MD, and infectious disease specialist Peter Chin-Hong, MD, about the CDC's reversal on mask-wearing, the current science on how masks work, and what to consider when choosing a mask.

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United States Coronavirus update with statistics and graphs: total and new cases, deaths per day, mortality and recovery rates, current active cases, recoveries, trends and timeline.

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What U.S. States Require Masks In Public?

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What U.S. States Require Masks In Public?

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What U.S. States Require Masks In Public? (Updated Daily)

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Mandatory mask laws can mean many different things, sometimes it's only on public transport, sometimes only in essential businesses, and sometimes everywhere in public.

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0 have signed. Let's get to 150,000!

For the past 80 years there has been an exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act that allows disabled workers to be paid $1 an hour. This gross discrimination in the workplace can no longer be tolerated. This petition calls upon not only our congressmen and women, but also our president. We urge that you help right this indecent wrong that has been committed against people with disabilities for far too long.

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For the past 80 years there has been an exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act that allows disabled workers to be paid $1 an hour. This gross discrimination in the workplace can no longer be tolerated. This petition calls upon not only our congressmen and women, but also our president.

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If you haven't said it yourself, then you've probably heard someone else say it: "That's retarded."

A lot of kids think this description - calling someone "retarded" or "a retard" - is okay, especially if it's a joke. There is a growing awareness that these words are hurtful no matter how they are used.

The Special Olympics, which are going on now through July 4 in Greece, has created the "R-word Campaign" to raise awareness that these words are hurtful. Kids like 11-year-old Peter Netchvolodoff of the District are already trying hard not to let the words slip out.

"It's offensive to people who have mental disabilities, like people with autism or Down syndrome," said Peter, who first learned about the issue in school. "They didn't choose to have a mental disability - they were born that way. It's kind of like saying they're not as good as us."

An important change

The description "mentally retarded" has been used for years to refer to people with medical conditions that cause below-average intelligence and difficulty learning daily living skills. But such people can have a wide range of abilities, so they are now more commonly referred to as "people with intellectual disabilities." This is similar to the Special Olympics athletes being known as "people with disabilities."

"What we try to emphasize as much as possible is 'person first,' " said Ryan Eades, a manager for the Special Olympics. It sends a message that these people are part of regular society and deserve respect, he said, even if they are not like you.

Last year, the United States government passed a requirement that all documents and laws use the term "intellectual disability" and not mental retardation. The law is called Rosa's Law, named after Rosa Marcellino, a 10-year-old girl from Edgewater, Maryland, who has Down syndrome. Rosa's family was upset that Rosa was often referred to as "retarded," even on official school documents.

The family contacted a local lawmaker about having that term changed in their school district. There was so much support for the change that it was adopted by the state of Maryland and, eventually, the federal government.

Changing habits

But to make the change stick, it can't just be the government that changes; people have to stop saying "retard" and "retarded" as a joke, too.

Sammy Toggas, 9, of the District, said he has sometimes said it as a joke, even though he knows he's not supposed to. But now other kids notice it. "They'll say, 'Ooooh, I'm going to tell on you,' " Sammy said.

Kids are important to making this change, Eades said, because they are naturally sensitive to being hurt or excluded. So you can help. Make the change yourself, then tell your friends, your siblings and, if you have to, even your parents: The R-word is not okay.

- Margaret Webb Pressler

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If you haven't said it yourself, then you've probably heard someone else say it: "That's retarded." A lot of kids think this description - calling someone "retarded" or "a retard" - is okay, especially if it's a joke. There is a growing awareness that these words are hurtful no matter how they are used.

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Why shouldn’t you use the N-Word if you’re not Black?

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Why shouldn’t you use the N-Word if you’re not Black?

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Just in case you needed some clarification after reading our editorial last week, we thought we'd give you a more detailed explanation.

We believe that, "No" should be a sufficient response and justification on its own. Yes, we did write that editorial to be provocative, incendiary or however you would like to characterize it. However, we also genuinely believe that if a Black person tells you "No" in response to "Can I use the N-word if I'm not Black?", that it's an acceptable answer. Anything more is emotional and intellectual labor that you can do for yourself.

However, we are willing to put this piece together for those of you who toss around the N-word, but aren't willing to do a Google search when someone tells you that it's offensive.

The first, and simplest, reason is that there is no equivalent for white people. There is no word that, if levied against a white person, triggers a history of enslavement or comparable trauma.

We know what you're thinking, "What about the word cracker?" Well, the most recent etymological evolution of this word was used to refer to someone who was a "whip-cracker." Take two seconds to connect the dots, and you'll soon realize that this word is only offensive if you're working through some white guilt.

Basically, the word cracker is nowhere near the same level. If you disagree, there's a reason why nobody hesitates to say "cracker," while you'll be pressed to find a person who doesn't refer to the anti-Black slur as "the N-word".

Secondly, the N-word is a classic example of the reclaiming of language through the subversion of its power. Essentially, when Black communities reclaimed this word, they flipped it on its head and used it as a tool of camaraderie to the point where the word lost its power over them.

This has been seen in many marginalized groups. Take the word "faggot," for example. Gay men and others in the LGBTQ+ community toss this word around in a joking, almost endearing way. The more it is used in this manner among queer people, the less power it has over them when it is used as a slur.

When the F-word is used in a derogatory manner by a straight person, it's extremely offensive. That's because when the word is used in this way, similarly to the N-word, it acts as a reflection of the existing power dynamics in society.

In the context of the N-word, the power behind the word is reflective of more than just slave times ⁠- it carries a history of institutionalized, racial discrimination against Black people that has yet to be fully eliminated from society.

Basically, we're not just upset about it being a mean word. The racial discrimination that the N-word reinforces is tangible and affects the mental and emotional well-being of Black people and their finances, too. Whether it is the use of subprime mortgages to deny or stiff-arm Black families into predatory housing situations, the persistent employment discrimination that we see in hiring practices or the fact that the median Black wealth will be $0 in 2053, it is clear that resources are being denied to Black communities. All you are being denied is the use of a word in rap songs.

When a population is denied ownership of tangible goods in society, the ownership of language can be a powerful and empowering thing. While many white folks have strong opinions on this matter, it's really not their issue to weigh-in on. When one tries to police Black communities' use of language, they are reasserting their implicit moral authority as a non-Black American.

So while you may not be personally responsible for racial inequity in America, and you may not be able to personally make reparations, the least you can do is refrain from actively robbing Black people of their ownership of the N-word.

So, can you use the N-word if you're not Black? No. Just, no.

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Explained: Why you can't say the N-word if you're not Black

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"So while you may not be personally responsible for racial inequity in America, and you may not be able to personally make reparations, the least you can do is refrain from actively robbing Black people of their ownership of the N-word."

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Cultural exchange and appreciation are the core values of Greenheart Club. Learning to understand a culture that is different than your own is so important in becoming a global citizen and leader. Through our participants, we've heard so many wonderful stories of people of different backgrounds coming together to exchange ideas through service.

It is important to understand, however, that there is a difference between appreciation and appropriation. Appreciation is when someone seeks to understand and learn about another culture in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others cross-culturally. Appropriation on the other hand, is simply taking one aspect of a culture that is not your own and using it for your own personal interest. Appropriation could mean of purchasing a piece of jewelry or clothing that may have important cultural significance to that culture, but simply using it as a fashion statement. It could be taking a photo of a ritual ceremony simply for the sake of getting as many likes on Facebook as possible. Regardless, taking a part of another culture without understanding what it truly means can be harmful not only to those whose culture you are using but also to those with whom you share it.

So, how can you explore and take part in a culture without exploiting it for your own use? Here are a few great ways!

Still unsure? Use the infographic below to check yourself and make sure that you are respecting and appreciating other cultures in an appropriate way!

At Greenheart Club, our participants are actively engaged in mutual exchange and cultural appreciation. What are some ways that you show your appreciation of other cultures?

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Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation: Why it Matters

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By Kelsey Holmes, Greenheart Club Program Assistant Cultural exchange and appreciation are the core values of Greenheart Club. Learning to understand a culture that is different than your own is ...

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On 9/11 anniversary, blame the terrorists, not Muslims - Sahan Journal

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We should never forget the horror of 9/11. But, 18 years later, we must find a way to stop blaming all Muslims, writes Ashalul Aden of Rochester, Minnesota. "Sadly, I am not sure many people know how to do that."

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What Black Lives Matter Means (and Why It's Problematic to Say "All Lives Matter")

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What Black Lives Matter Means (and Why It's Problematic to Say "All Lives Matter")

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Saying That “Black Lives Matter” Doesn’t Mean That Other Lives Do Not

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If you’re saying “all lives matter,” here’s why it doesn’t advocate for equality in the way you might think.

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Numbers do not lie.

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On average, there are 463,634 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States.¹

Younger People Are at the Highest Risk of Sexual Violence

Ages 12-34 are the highest risk years for rape and sexual assault.³

Those age 65 and older are 92% less likely than 12-24 year olds to be a victim of rape or sexual assault, and 83% less likely than 25-49 year olds.⁴

Read more statistics about about child sexual abuse.
Women and Girls Experience Sexual Violence at High Rates

Millions of women in the United States have experienced rape.

As of 1998, an estimated 17.7 million American women had been victims of attempted or completed rape.⁵

Young women are especially at risk.

82% of all juvenile victims are female. 90% of adult rape victims are female.⁶

Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.³

Women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Females of the same age who are not enrolled in college are 4 times more likely.⁷

Read more statistics about campus sexual violence.

Men and Boys Are Also Affected by Sexual Violence

Millions of men in the United States have been victims of rape.

As of 1998, 2.78 million men in the U.S. had been victims of attempted or completed rape.⁵

About 3% of American men-or 1 in 33-have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.⁵

1 out of every 10 rape victims are male.

Transgender Students Are at Higher Risk for Sexual Violence

21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted, compared to 18% of non-TGQN females, and 4% of non-TGQN males.

Sexual Violence Can Have Long-Term Effects on Victims

The likelihood that a person suffers suicidal or depressive thoughts increases after sexual violence.

94% of women who are raped experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the two weeks following the rape.⁹

30% of women report symptoms of PTSD 9 months after the rape.10

33% of women who are raped contemplate suicide.¹¹

13% of women who are raped attempt suicide.¹¹

Approximately 70% of rape or sexual assault victims experience moderate to severe distress, a larger percentage than for any other violent crime.¹²

People who have been sexually assaulted are more likely to use drugs than the general public.

3.4 times more likely to use marijuana

6 times more likely to use cocaine

10 times more likely to use other major drugs

Sexual violence also affects victims' relationships with their family, friends, and co-workers. ¹²

38% of victims of sexual violence experience work or school problems, which can include significant problems with a boss, coworker, or peer.

37% experience family/friend problems, including getting into arguments more frequently than before, not feeling able to trust their family/friends, or not feeling as close to them as before the crime.

84% of survivors who were victimized by an intimate partner experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.

79% of survivors who were victimized by a family member, close friend or acquaintance experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.

67% of survivors who were victimized by a stranger experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.

Victims are at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Studies suggest that the chance of getting pregnant from one-time, unprotected intercourse is between 3.1-5%¹³, depending on a multitude of factors, including the time of month intercourse occurs, whether contraceptives are used, and the age of the female. The average number of rapes and sexual assaults against females of childbearing age is approximately 250,000. Thus, the number of children conceived from rape each year in the United States might range from 7,750-12,500.¹² This is a very general estimate, and the actual number may differ. This statistic presents information from a number of different studies. Further, this information may not take into account factors which increase or decrease the likelihood of pregnancy, including, but not limited to: impact of birth control or condom use at the time of attack or infertility. RAINN presents this data for educational purposes only, and strongly recommends using the citations to review sources for more information and detail.

Native Americans Are at the Greatest Risk of Sexual Violence

On average, American Indians ages 12 and older experience 5,900 sexual assaults per year.¹⁴

American Indians are twice as likely to experience a rape/sexual assault compared to all races.

41% of sexual assaults against American Indians are committed by a stranger; 34% by an acquaintance; and 25% by an intimate or family member.

Sexual Violence Affects Thousands of Prisoners Across the Country

An estimated 80,600 inmates each year experience sexual violence while in prison or jail. ¹⁵

60% of all sexual violence against inmates is perpetrated by jail or prison staff.¹⁵

More than 50% of the sexual contact between inmate and staff member-all of which is illegal-is nonconsensual.¹⁵

Sexual Violence in the Military Often Goes Unreported

6,053 military members reported experiencing sexual assault during military service in FY 2018. DoD estimates about 20,500 service members experienced sexual assault that year. ¹⁶

DoD estimates 6.2% of active duty women and 0.7% of active duty men experienced sexual assault in FY 2018.

Understanding RAINN's statistics

Sexual violence is notoriously difficult to measure, and there is no single source of data that provides a complete picture of the crime. On RAINN's website, we have tried to select the most reliable source of statistics for each topic. The primary data source we use is the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which is an annual study conducted by the Justice Department. To conduct NCVS, researchers interview tens of thousands of Americans each year to learn about crimes that they've experienced. Based on those interviews, the study provides estimates of the total number of crimes, including those that were not reported to police. While NCVS has a number of limitations (most importantly, children under age 12 are not included), overall, it is the most reliable source of crime statistics in the U.S.

We have also relied on other Justice Department studies, as well as data from the Department of Health and Human Services and other government and academic sources. When assembling these statistics, we have generally retained the wording used by the authors. Statistics are presented for educational purposes only. Each statistic includes a footnote citation for the original source, where you can find information about the methodology and a definition of terms.

Learn more about RAINN's statistics.

Sources:​

1. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2019 (2020). Note: RAINN applies a 5-year rolling average to adjust for changes in the year-to-year NCVS survey data.

2. i. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sex Offenses and Offenders (1997); ii. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Crimes Against the Elderly, 2003-2013 (2014).

3. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sex Offenses and Offenders (1997).

4. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Crimes Against the Elderly, 2003-2013 (2014).

5. National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women Survey (1998). (Statistic presents information on the total number of male and female victims in the United States, using a study from 1998. Because the U.S. population has increased substantially since then, it is probable that the number of victims has, as well. RAINN presents this data for educational purposes only, and strongly recommends using the citations to review any and all sources for more information and detail.)

6. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement (2000).

7. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Rape and Sexual Victimization Among College-Aged Females, 1995-2013 (2014).

8. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010 (2013).

9. D.S. Riggs, T. Murdock, W. Walsh, A prospective examination of post-traumatic stress disorder in rape victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress 455-475 (1992).

10. J. R. T. Davidson & E. B. Foa (Eds.) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: DSM-IV and Beyond. American Psychiatric Press: Washington, DC. (pp. 23-36).

11. DG Kilpatrick, CN Edumuds, AK Seymour. Rape in America: A Report to the Nation. Arlington, VA: National Victim Center and Medical University of South Carolina (1992).

12. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Socio-emotional Impact of Violent Crime (2014).

13. Allen J. Wilcox, David B. Dunson, Clarice R. Weinberg, James Trussell, and Donna Day Baird, Likelihood of Contraception with a Single Act of Intercourse: Providing Benchmark Rates for Assessment of Post-Coital Contraceptives, Contraception Journal, (2001).

14. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, American Indians and Crime, 1992-2002 (2004).

15. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by Inmates, 2011-2012 (2013).

16. Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, (2020).

17. David Cantor, Bonnie Fisher, Susan Chibnall, Reanna Townsend, et. al. Association of American Universities (AAU), Report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct (September 21, 2015). (" Victim services agency" is defined in this study as a "public or privately funded organization that provides victims with support and services to aid their recovery, offer protection, guide them through the criminal justice process, and assist with obtaining restitution." RAINN presents this data for educational purposes only, and strongly recommends using the citations to review any and all sources for more information and detail.)

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1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.

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If you're at all tuned in to the news or social media, you're aware of what's going on in America. If you're not, Minneapolis police officer Derick Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck for eight minutes, leading to his death, while three other officers looked on. This shouldn't come as a surprise to you, since getting killed by police is a leading cause of death for black men. Protesters quickly took to the streets in civil disobedience, white bodies put themselves on the line for black bodies, and we made our voices heard. Property can be replaced; human life can not.

Social media is the enemy of American police. When smartphones became the norm, something that black people knew was happening for centuries suddenly confronted people who would never experience this reality. With proof comes the demand of accountability.

Something is very, very wrong in American police culture. This is why the saying "ACAB" - or "All cops are b*****ds" - has become a popular rallying cry. It doesn't actually mean every single cop is a bad cop, just like saying Black Lives Matter doesn't mean white lives don't. "ACAB" means every single police officer is complicit in a system that actively devalues the lives of people of color. Bad cops are encouraged in their harm by the silence of the ones who see themselves as "good."

Holding one police officer accountable every time a black person is killed by police is not enough. The issue isn't "a few bad apples"; it's a tree that is rotting from the inside out, spreading its poison.

Many ask where black police stand in all of this. To quote Cornel West, we must "understand the black freedom struggle not as an affair of skin pigmentation and racial phenotype but rather as a matter of ethical principles and wise politics." Black police officers are currently choosing to prioritize their own financial wellbeing and stability over the collective black struggle. They exist in a separate class, free of the risks that black men without a badge carry. They ignore, and thus perpetuate, racial violence to protect themselves and their income.

The fraternity culture of the American police force - where the bad ones lead and the good ones stay silent - has got to go. We don't need to end police brutality; we need to end policing, period.

We are told the police are designed to serve and protect, and to some degree, that is true. They serve their own interests and protect the white and wealthy. Racism is written into the American criminal justice system, well exemplified by the sentencing guidelines for powder cocaine compared to crack cocaine: the same drug, except one is more prevalent among the white and wealthy, and another is more prevalent among the poor and black.

If the goal of the police is to protect lives and property from unsafe people, they are objectively failing as they continue to kill black men and women at disproportionate rates.

There are concerns about the idea of abolishing the police force - some worry women would be less safe, for instance, and would have no one to call if they were subject to domestic violence or rape. But police are already failing domestic violence and rape victims. With 40 percent of American police officers involved in domestic violence at home, can we trust them to protect victims if they perpetuate the same violence? There are community initiatives to protect domestic violence victims that are safer and more trustworthy, like shelters, hotlines, and individuals within the community. Beyond that, 60 percent of DV victims didn't want police involved in the first place, and police presence makes one in three survivors feel less safe. Add to that the disgracefully low conviction rate for rape victims, and it's clear that the police fail all women every day as well.

People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed by the police. Black men face a one in 1,000 chance of dying at the hands of a cop. The wives of abused police are forced to live with abusers who have access to guns in fear of their lives. If police aren't protecting women, people in mental duress, and black people, who exactly are they protecting?

It's time to end, or at the very least, completely reform the American police. Use your voice and your body and demand change and accountability. No amount of property can quantify how much a single life is worth. Live in the moment, and let it radicalize you.

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What I mean when I say I want to abolish the police

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If you're at all tuned in to the news or social media, you're aware of what's going on in America. If you're not, Minneapolis police officer Derick Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck for eight minutes, leading to his death, while three other officers looked on.

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0 have signed. Let's get to 6,000,000!

August 24th, 2019, 23-year-old Elijah McClain was walking home after buying some tea at a local convenience store. According to Elijah's family, Elijah, who was anemic, preferred to wear a ski mask to keep his face warm while he was walking. The Aurora Police Department received a call of a "suspicious man". This call resulted in Elijah's death. After the McClain family requested the bodycam footage from the officers on scene it was reported that in the footage,

"He is laying on the ground vomiting, he is begging, he is saying, 'I can't breathe.' One of the officers says, 'Don't move again. If you move again, I'm calling in a dog to bite you,'" -Mari Newman (the McClain's lawyer)

When the paramedics arrived they administered a dose of Ketamine to the already unconscious Elijah to "sedate" him. He was pronounced dead August 27th, 2019, at only 23 years old of a heart attack. Denver 7 News stated, "...they couldn't determine whether McClain's death was an accident, was due to natural causes, or is a homicide related to the police department's use of a carotid hold". The officers on the scene were placed on temporary leave, however, they are back in the field with no charges.

Sign this petition to bring justice for Elijah. Demand that these officers are held accountable.

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August 24th, 2019, 23-year-old Elijah McClain was walking home after buying some tea at a local convenience store. According to Elijah's family, Elijah, who was anemic, preferred to wear a ski mask to keep his face warm while he was walking. The Aurora Police Department received a call of a "suspicious man".

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transcript

<i>[device beeps]</i> <i>911 OPERATOR: 911, what is your emergency?</i> <i>911 OPERATOR: Okay.</i> <i>911 OPERATOR: Kenneth, can you hear me?</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> [birds chirping] - I was in bed, sleeping, and about sometime after 12:00, Kenny called me. He was crying, and he was yelling her name and said that somebody kicked in the door and he think Breonna was shot. And I kind of- I dropped the phone. <i>[tense music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>[device beeps]</i> <i>911 OPERATOR: 911, what's your emergency?</i> <i>SUMMER: I immediately called 911.</i> I mean, it was just, like... [blows raspberry] Just tons of gun- bullets going everywhere. <i>♪ ♪</i> - So I started calling him, and he wasn't answering the phone, so I started calling Breonna, and she wasn't answering. NEIGHBOR: I'm roughly 100 feet from her apartment. My apartment does physically touch hers in the top right corner. So all that was between me and the outside was the, uh, screen door. And I'm sitting there watching TV. I mean, it was little past midnight or whatever, and I hear a pop-pop-pop. Immediately after that, I heard two more pops, and that's when I pulled my blinds open to see what was happening outside. It sounded like the O.K. Corral. - I heard about-maybe about 20 to 25 shots ring out. <i>♪ ♪</i> At that time, I cut on my radio, <i>and then I started to hear, you know, "Officer down."</i> <i>DONAVIS: I knew right away</i> <i>that it was an officer-involved situation.</i> <i>And then I was listening to hear the address.</i> <i>DONAVIS: I then immediately put on my uniform</i> <i>and ran down to the scene.</i> <i>NEIGHBOR: Police just shot. The police just shot.</i> - This morning, we had a-a critical incident involving one of our officers, who was shot, and another person at the scene who was killed. I wanna say that, uh, we're extremely fortunate, uh, that our officer, Sergeant Jon Mattingly, was not more seriously injured. <i>[unsettling music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>AMANDA: This is Sergeant Amanda Seelye</i> <i>of the Louisville Metro Police Department's</i> <i>Public Integrity Unit.</i> <i>Today's date is Wednesday, March 25, 2020.</i> <i>Uh, Sergeant, in your own words,</i> <i>the incident that occurred at 3003 Springfield Drive,</i> <i>apartment number four?</i> - At this point, I can see police cars, and I can see the commotion. <i>And at that point, I hear them calling him out of the house.</i> <i>DONAVIS: And him saying, "I'm trying, I'm trying."</i> <i>DONAVIS: After that point, they secure him</i> <i>and take him away.</i> <i>DONAVIS: At that point in time,</i> <i>I knew that Kenneth Walker was in custody.</i> <i>[suspenseful music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - I get dressed and head over there to the apartment. <i>When I got to the street,</i> <i>it was flooded with police cars.</i> <i>It looked like a parade or something.</i> <i>There was an officer at end of the road.</i> <i>I explained to her that I needed to get through there,</i> <i>that something was going on with my daughter.</i> And she told me to get to the hospital. <i>[tense music]</i> <i>So I did. I went to the hospital.</i> <i>And they said, "She's not here."</i> And so I waited for about two hours. <i>She came back and said, "Well, ma'am,</i> "we don't have anything saying that this person is even on the way here." So I knew that I needed to get back to the apartment. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>When I got there, the detective,</i> <i>he told me to hold on, that he would be back.</i> <i>So it was another hour or so before he comes back.</i> <i>I said, "Where is Kenny?</i> <i>Because you're not telling me anything."</i> And he said, "Kenny's at one of our offices, helping us piece together what happened here tonight." <i>POLICE OFFICER: Today's date's March 13, 2020.</i> <i>I am here with...</i> <i>POLICE OFFICER: Kenneth.</i> <i>KENNETH: [sobbing and sniffling]</i> <i>[somber music]</i> - We stood out there till about almost 5:00 in the morning. It just made no sense, like, there's all these police out there, <i>and nobody's telling me anything.</i> <i>I don't know why any of this is happening.</i> I said, "Well, where's Breonna? I need to see Breonna." - I told them, "Just hold on one second. <i>I'm not at liberty to say anything that happened."</i> <i>And then I went to go get a detective,</i> <i>and they went and spoke to</i> <i>Breonna's family at that point in time.</i> <i>TAMIKA: It was about 11:00 in the morning</i> <i>when he comes back over</i> <i>and says they were almost done.</i> And I said, "Okay, that's fine, but where is Breonna?" And that's when he said, uh, "Well, ma'am, she's still in the apartment." So...I knew then what that meant. [birds chirping] [sighs] Yeah. <i>[melancholy music]</i> <i>Then we finally,</i> <i>about 2:00, was able to get into the apartment.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>I saw where she laid on the floor and died.</i> <i>It was bullet holes everywhere:</i> <i>in the ceiling, into the upstairs apartments,</i> <i>the walls, the clock,</i> <i>the stove, the bed,</i> <i>soap dish.</i> <i>I just...</i> I was sorry that I wasn't there. [sobbing] <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>No one ever told me really what happened there, though.</i> I didn't find out that she was shot by a police officer till I saw it on the news. <i>NEWSCASTER: Louisville police say three officers</i> <i>executed a search warrant at Taylor's apartment,</i> <i>an address police believed was used</i> <i>by a suspected drug dealer to traffic narcotics.</i> - To hear that, sounds like- it just made no sense. <i>♪ ♪</i> - I didn't. I called, but they never called back. It was a couple days later. I called an attorney because nobody's telling me anything. <i>[dramatic music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> SAM: I first heard from Breonna Taylor's family the Saturday following Breonna's death. And immediately, there were red flags. <i>Because this case had been presented</i> <i>initially to the media as if officers came in,</i> <i>they were immediately confronted with gunfire,</i> <i>and they fired back, and a girl died.</i> You know that that is a smidgeon of the actual story. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>[gentle piano music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>TAMIKA: Breonna was born in 1993.</i> <i>I was in disbelief.</i> <i>I was 16 years old.</i> <i>I feel like we grew up together.</i> <i>Mostly everything I knew,</i> <i>I learned through being her mother,</i> <i>and she learned everything through me.</i> She was a better version of me, though. She was-yeah. [chuckles] Just full of life, just easy to love. <i>She had a smile, out of this world.</i> <i>[hip-hop music playing]</i> - Hey, if you ain't got you a Breonna... - Or a Preonia. - You losing! PREONIA: Our relationship was more like sisters. Instead of being twin sisters, we were twin cousins. Pre and Bre. <i>[melancholy music]</i> <i>We always had a bond as kids.</i> <i>I didn't have a lot of support or motivation growing up,</i> and just seeing how she was wanting to be successful... <i>She drove that into my head.</i> <i>Like, "This is what we're gonna do.</i> <i>This is how you're gonna do it."</i> And I probably learned more from her than my own mother. <i>♪ ♪</i> - I was more like the older sister cousin. <i>I just loved, uh, who she was.</i> She always had, like, a problem solver attitude. It never mattered how big the problem was. She knew that she could solve it. <i>TAMIKA: She started saying, "Yeah, I'm gonna be a nurse."</i> <i>I knew she'd help people, though.</i> Even as a kid, I can remember her being seven years old, saying to my mother, "Let me check your blood sugar." Like, leave her alone. But she-my mother will let her stick her finger in, and she was, like-she was so pumped up to do it and help her do her insulin. I'm like, "Oh, my God." <i>She was one of those people.</i> <i>She made a plan, and she went.</i> <i>That was it.</i> <i>JESSICA: I liked her as a worker.</i> <i>She would get to work early.</i> Was just a go-getter. She was ready to go, to learn. <i>She had previously been an EMT.</i> <i>She's like, "I wanna be a nurse."</i> <i>So she worked as an ER tech,</i> <i>and that was, like, her first step to becoming a nurse.</i> BREONNA: Hey! What! [laughter] KATRINA: When you're around her, you're gonna enjoy it. - Exactly. KATRINA: You're gonna have the time of your life, even if it's just riding to Chick-fil-A and getting macaroni and cheese, you know? Like, you're really gonna have a good time. PREONIA: Literally. - Literally, like- PREONIA: You go-she gonna turn her music up, she's gonna put the pedal to the metal, and we gonna ride to Chick-fil-A and get some- KATRINA: Yes. Macaroni and cheese. And it's- [laughter] <i>PREONIA: And that's just what it's gonna be.</i> <i>KATRINA: Yeah.</i> - ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, dog ♪ [laughter] - I went to school with her. Even when she went to college, she'll come back home, and she'll come pick me up. I'll go spend the night with her on weekdays, and she'd be like, "Get up, you gotta go to school. I gotta take you to school." And she'll take me around to school. - That's just who she was, and it's like, we don't have that no more. PREONIA: Right. <i>[melancholy music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - Yeah. ELYSIA: I've cried every day since March the 13th. Like, I thought maybe it'll get a little easy on us. It's actually, like, hurting more. I never knew I was capable of hurting like this. You know? Like, I think I need psychological help out- at this point about the situation. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>And I'm a strong person.</i> It's got me so weak. <i>♪ ♪</i> I'm sorry. <i>♪ ♪</i> [insects chirring] <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>KENNETH: Breonna was a great person,</i> <i>and she didn't deserve what happened to her.</i> <i>She was more than a girlfriend.</i> <i>More than that, was my best friend for sure.</i> <i>[dramatic music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> We met, I guess, on Twitter. [laughs] <i>Kinda, like, flirting all the time on there.</i> <i>She went to University of Kentucky.</i> <i>I went to Western Kentucky.</i> <i>But Twitter was the big thing at the time.</i> So...yes. Yeah, about that time. Mm. <i>I kept on telling her,</i> <i>"I don't wanna be friends no more."</i> [laughs] "But we can be if we have to be, but I don't wanna be." <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>Even off, we was always on.</i> There was no way we was ever gonna leave each other alone, no matter what was going on. No matter how it started, we was always gonna come back together. <i>There was a million times where I said,</i> <i>"I'm not messing with her anymore ever again."</i> And I'm sure she said the same thing several times, but somehow we always ended up back together. Love you too. Let me show you some love. [smooching] [laughter] Come here, girl. BREONNA: Ooh. FRIEND: [groans] [laughter] <i>KENNETH: We had baby names and everything.</i> Kenbre-just for the record, that was the girl name. It's Kenny and Bre mixed. I like that. But, um, yeah, like, everything was going really good. We was-our friendship was at an all-time high, and then we were both getting everything together that we wanted to do individually, so it was about time for everything to work together. <i>[delicate music]</i> - It was happening for her. <i>♪ ♪</i> I was proud. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>[tense music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>PREONIA: After the killing and when the media</i> <i>tried to assassinate Breonna's character,</i> it was just like, "Nah, we gotta do something about this. We can't keep quiet." <i>KATRINA: It was important,</i> <i>because they were spreading a false narrative</i> <i>that she was a drug dealer and Kenny was a cop killer.</i> <i>PREONIA: We calling each other like, "What is going on?</i> <i>This is crazy." KATRINA: Why'd this happen?</i> <i>PREONIA: Yeah. What was the reason?</i> The real reason. KATRINA: The real reason. <i>♪ ♪</i> - I still don't have any real answers. - I think what Tamika and everybody else out there is looking for is the truth, uh, and some form of action. <i>♪ ♪</i> - After the raid that killed Breonna Taylor, Metro council members say it's time to speed up certain investigations and release more info to the public faster. <i>DAVID: Unfortunately, many of the things</i> <i>that we've learned about the shooting</i> have come from, um, the attorneys involved in the case and from the media and-and not from, uh, the mayor or the police chief. <i>♪ ♪</i> We as the metro council were demanding from the mayor any and all documents and information related to Breonna Taylor and police actions. <i>The Office of the Attorney General</i> <i>for the state of Kentucky</i> <i>is conducting a separate but independent investigation.</i> - The Louisville Police Department issued this statement about the internal investigation <i>into Breonna Taylor's case:</i> <i>"The investigation will go</i> <i>"to Attorney General Daniel Cameron,</i> <i>"whose office will review it</i> <i>since Commonwealth Attorney Tom Wine has recused himself."</i> <i>DANIEL: And also the FBI is conducting</i> <i>a separate investigation.</i> <i>NEWSCASTER: As we understand it,</i> <i>the FBI is focusing its investigation primarily</i> <i>on potential civil rights violations</i> <i>and how police went about getting and executing</i> <i>that no-knock warrant.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - On March the-the 12th, uh, there were warrants signed by one of our circuit judges. Included in that warrant- those warrants, excuse me, was the home of Ms. Breonna Taylor. <i>[suspenseful music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>DAVID: The reason the judge signed the warrant</i> for Breonna Taylor, I'm not sure. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>THOMAS: There's a paragraph in those warrants</i> <i>called a no-knock provision, which means the officers,</i> they simply knock in the door, uh, using a battering ram or whatever device they have. <i>ANNOUNCER: It takes a team to search for the truth.</i> <i>We are Louisville Metro Police.</i> <i>[uplifting music]</i> <i>DAVID: Police often look at no-knock search warrants</i> <i>as a tool they can use in the war on drugs.</i> <i>A no-knock warrant is used</i> <i>to try and catch a suspect off guard.</i> <i>The downside is, if things don't go well,</i> <i>then people get hurt and people get killed.</i> <i>SAM: When we look at the day of March 12th,</i> <i>the early morning of March 13th,</i> <i>it was a series of catastrophic failures.</i> A single one of them doesn't happen, and Breonna Taylor is alive. <i>We've got five no-knock warrants.</i> They're being issued to hit five different residences, <i>three of which are for properties on Elliott.</i> <i>Then you have the fourth one for West Muhammad Ali,</i> <i>and the fifth no-knock warrant</i> <i>is for 3003 Springfield Drive, apartment four,</i> <i>which is in a totally different area of Louisville.</i> <i>It is a nice apartment complex,</i> <i>and it's Breonna Taylor's home.</i> <i>And one house in particular, 2424 Elliott,</i> <i>happens to be their primary target,</i> <i>Breonna Taylor's ex-boyfriend Jamarcus Glover.</i> <i>[tense music]</i> <i>THOMAS: Jamarcus Glover was convicted</i> in about 2008 in Mississippi for trafficking in cocaine, <i>and subsequently in Kentucky, I believe it was 2014,</i> <i>he picked up a second conviction</i> <i>for illegal possession of controlled substances.</i> To the best of my knowledge, there are no convictions for violent crimes. Of course, now we have him up here in Jefferson County. There was certainly evidence that would suggest that there was a connection between Breonna Taylor and Jamarcus Glover. <i>OPERATOR: Hello, this is a free call</i> <i>from an inmate at</i> <i>Louisville Metropolitan Corrections Department.</i> <i>BREONNA: Yo.</i> <i>[inquisitive music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>LONITA: Sam and I got to work on investigating.</i> We connected the Elliott Street search warrants <i>and the search warrant on Breonna's house.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - One of the allegations against Ms. Taylor <i>was that he may have kept</i> <i>money and/or drugs at her home.</i> <i>The officer who had drafted the warrant</i> <i>saw Mr. Glover go to Breonna Taylor's home</i> <i>and saw him leave with packages</i> <i>sometime in January of 2020</i> <i>and were able to confirm that Jamarcus Glover</i> <i>was using Breonna Taylor's address for his own address</i> <i>as late as February 2020.</i> So those were just some of the things that were in that warrant, the affidavit. <i>[light dramatic music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>LONITA: I take issue with the information</i> <i>in the search warrant; it was old.</i> <i>Um, a narcotics detective would tell you,</i> you wanna corroborate any activity within 48 hours of getting that warrant to say, "We've seen this behavior within the last 48 hours." <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>DAVID: I have some questions about</i> <i>whether that was a valid search warrant or not.</i> <i>[tense music]</i> <i>There's a matrix that the police department</i> <i>uses for every search warrant.</i> <i>It would ask questions such as,</i> "Is the facility- does it have reinforced doors? "Does it have steel bars? "Are there cameras for surveillance? "Is the person that you're looking for <i>armed or known to be armed in the past?"</i> <i>And so in this particular incident,</i> <i>where it lists the reasons for the no-knock search warrant,</i> those reasons appear to be for some other location, <i>because there was no security doors</i> <i>on Breonna Taylor's home.</i> <i>There was no surveillance cameras.</i> There's no criminal history of Breonna Taylor having a weapon or anything like that. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>SAM: What we know is that these warrants get obtained</i> <i>between 12:25 and 12:37 in the afternoon on March 12th.</i> When you fast-forward about eight to nine hours, we've got the officer schedules, and we see <i>that between these five houses,</i> <i>you have more than 70 LMPD members.</i> It's like a raid on a terrorist. <i>There is a whiteboard that shows the officers assigned</i> <i>to different homes that were getting warrants</i> <i>executed on them that night.</i> <i>What you see is lots of folks assigned to Elliott.</i> <i>Then you see what appears to be</i> <i>lots of folks assigned to Springfield.</i> <i>We know from Officer Mattingly's own statement</i> <i>that it was a makeshift crew.</i> That's a recipe for disaster, 'cause you're about to beat down doors and quick, fast-paced decision-making process with folks that you've never done it with before. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>SAM: They knew nothing about Breonna.</i> <i>They knew nothing about Breonna's house.</i> <i>They did not know that Breonna lived</i> <i>with her 20-year-old sister or that a two-year-old child</i> <i>spent several nights a week there.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>PREONIA: We actually were on FaceTime</i> two or three hours before the actual <i>situation that had happened.</i> We was trying on our outfits for our girls' trip that was supposed to be April 1st to Biloxi, Mississippi, for Black Beach. So she was just showing me her outfits that came in the mail. And that was about 10:00, 10:15, March 12th, and we hung up. Mm... never heard from her again. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>LONITA: They located one of the primary targets, Jamarcus.</i> <i>He had just dropped his child off</i> at the child's mother's house and then went to the Elliott address, <i>and he was apprehended there.</i> <i>SAM: They hit Elliott at right around midnight.</i> <i>Springfield, we know, was hit about 12:40.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>They get to Breonna Taylor's house.</i> <i>[soft dramatic music]</i> <i>KENNETH: It was late.</i> <i>It was in between watch a movie and play Uno.</i> <i>And we decided to do both.</i> <i>We didn't make it halfway through the Uno game</i> <i>before she was falling asleep.</i> <i>The last thing she said was, "Turn off the TV."</i> <i>Next thing I remember is...</i> <i>a loud bang at the door.</i> <i>THOMAS: They approached the door, lined up.</i> <i>Sergeant Mattingly was the first officer in line.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - One of my duties when I was working for the police department and training officers <i>to do dynamic search warrants.</i> <i>One of the things we always told people</i> <i>is that when you're yelling,</i> <i>"Police! We have a search warrant!"</i> <i>they should say that loud enough</i> so people within a 100-foot diameter know what you're doing. <i>As you notice when you listen to the 911 call,</i> it's silence in the background. <i>[sobbing]</i> - There's not such thing as a knock-and-not-announce search warrant. That is the most dangerous thing you could ever do, especially in a state like Kentucky, where we have <i>stand-your-ground laws, where you as a citizen</i> <i>have a right to defend yourself.</i> Because at 1:00 in the morning and the door comes down and no one has said who it is, <i>that's when the law of stand-your-ground</i> and the public policy of police doing no-knock search warrants come to a collision in the hallway of Breonna Taylor's home. <i>♪ ♪</i> - I never once heard them that night announce themselves. I used to get in a lot of trouble. I've had my house raided before. I know what that sounds like. I didn't hear that at all. <i>NEIGHBOR: There was no identification,</i> no, "We're police officers, and we're blah-blah-blah-blah-blah." No, they're just... [imitates gunfire] - The police are saying they're yelling out, "Police!" And Mr. Walker says, "We don't hear that." <i>[tense music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - Opened the door to come out, and I seen the cops right there and they said, "Go back inside, go back inside!" One of the ladies standing there was another female cop standing right there, and she said, "If you don't wanna be in the investigation, you have to go back inside." So I rushed back in there. I heard them knocking the door, saying, "Police, police!" <i>But I only heard it one time.</i> The next thing, 15 minutes later, I just hear... [imitates gunfire] <i>THOMAS: There is now no question that they knocked,</i> but the question is, did they announce themselves as police before they came in and even after they came in, uh, with the- before the shooting started? <i>DAVID: We would probably have that information</i> <i>if we had body camera footage, but we don't.</i> In 2015, when the police department instituted its cam- body camera policy, uh, the narcotics unit told the police chief that they didn't want to wear body cameras. <i>So as we fast-forward to 2020, March the 13th,</i> <i>there's no video of the shooting.</i> - It won't be the first time we've had a case where one person says A and another person says B. <i>And if the investigation can't reach a conclusion,</i> the jury has to make that determination. <i>[tense music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - I actually got a chance to go to that apartment and walk through it. <i>There were bullet holes everywhere.</i> <i>It was a war zone in there.</i> <i>What in the world happened here?</i> <i>Why the hell were there so many needs</i> <i>for this many bullets?</i> <i>THOMAS: Neither drugs nor money were found</i> at Ms. Breonna Taylor's apartment. <i>Although they were there with the warrant to go in,</i> <i>once the shooting occurred,</i> <i>they never searched the apartment any further.</i> INTERVIEWER: But they were also there for many hours into the next day. Why wouldn't they complete a search the next day or the day after that? - That's an appropriate question for- for the police to-to answer. I-I don't have that answer. <i>♪ ♪</i> - All right, good afternoon, everyone, and thank you very much. <i>[dramatic music]</i> <i>I'm directing that our office file a motion</i> that this case, pending indictment, be dismissed. <i>NEWSCASTER: Charges dropped in the case against</i> <i>Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor.</i> - I made a decision that we should, uh, dismiss the case against Mr. Kenneth Walker. <i>SAM: Thankfully, the public got together</i> and put enough pressure on the commonwealth attorney here to do what should've been done from day one and dismiss those charges. <i>NEWSCASTER: The decision to prosecute police officers</i> <i>in the Breonna Taylor case</i> <i>could come down to a matter of following the bullets.</i> - What bullets came from what gun, what direction those bullets went. Understanding that is critical to this investigation. <i>♪ ♪</i> - This is the stairwell to the second floor. The officers would've been located under this stairwell. That's where the door is into the apartment. That's where they first gained entry. <i>After that, that's of course when</i> <i>there were multiple shots fired,</i> <i>and Ms. Taylor dropped to the floor.</i> I'm going to attempt to draw a diagram of the apartment belonging to Ms. Taylor. The bedroom, uh, that I've drawn, the large bedroom, is where Ms. Taylor and Mr. Walker were located. And I'm just gonna kinda draw a circle in that area where I think them to be located. Sergeant Mattingly explained how he stepped across the threshold, he cleared to the left and to the right, uh, before he was shot. Officer Hankison went from this area to the area somewhere- somewhere around in here outside the apartment. <i>[suspenseful music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> NEIGHBOR: This officer here, I could physically see the gun and him pulling the trigger, shooting over into the apartment. When you're shooting blindly into an apartment that has a neighbor behind and two neighbors beside, you're putting other people's lives in danger. <i>THOMAS: My understanding is that Officer Hankison</i> <i>fired multiple times from outside,</i> <i>at least through the sliding glass door,</i> <i>and maybe through the glass window, yes.</i> <i>INTERVIEWER: My understanding is that that is, uh,</i> <i>against police pro-procedure,</i> <i>to fire and not have a visual ID.</i> - Not only is that my understanding, but the chief of police, Rob Schroeder, wrote a letter citing, uh, that very policy <i>that he had failed to, uh,</i> <i>be able to have an eye on the target, if you will.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - Officer Brett Hankison goes AWOL for more than two hours after the shooting. There are specific policies and procedures that relate to this. You don't go anywhere after an officer-involved shooting. And he goes MIA for two hours. We don't know where the hell he went. We don't know why he left. And we don't know why the hell he still had a job the next day. <i>In terms of Brett Hankison's past history,</i> we've got administrative incident reports <i>documenting use of force for years,</i> <i>more than 20 of them.</i> We have an allegation that was investigated <i>that he took money from suspects.</i> <i>[fast dramatic music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> We've got individuals around town who keep coming forward and saying they filed citizen complaints against him for his conduct. <i>♪ ♪</i> They never even made his personnel file. <i>♪ ♪</i> But yet more and more misconduct keeps being exposed. <i>♪ ♪</i> - I wasn't surprised when I saw that it was Hankison's face on the news about Breonna Taylor's shooting. On the night of September 12, 2019, <i>I had just finished my first quarter of PA school,</i> <i>and a bunch of my classmates,</i> <i>we wanted to go out and celebrate,</i> <i>so we went to a local bar here in Louisville.</i> <i>Hankison, who I didn't know at the time,</i> <i>was working security.</i> <i>I was there for about an hour,</i> and then I decided to go home. <i>I was walking for about ten minutes,</i> <i>and then a car pulled up next to me,</i> <i>and it was Hankison.</i> He was in his police uniform, offered me a ride, and I got in the car. <i>[tense music]</i> <i>He had his hand on my leg</i> <i>and was referring to me as "baby."</i> It was, like, every alarm saying that this was wrong going off in my head at once. I just remember my heart was, like, beating out of my chest. I was scared. Um, I didn't know what to do or how to act. I couldn't get out of the car. He was a police officer. I'm just a grad student. When we pulled into the driveway at my apartment complex, he leaned over and kissed me on the head. I thanked him for the ride and quickly got out and ran around to the back side of my apartment so he couldn't tell which unit was mine. <i>Next morning, I immediately texted my friends</i> <i>and told them about my encounter the night before</i> <i>with a-a creepy police officer.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>And one of my friends typed up a complaint</i> to the Louisville Police Department. <i>I heard about the Breonna Taylor shooting,</i> immediately sent it to my boyfriend and told him that this was the same police officer that picked me up. <i>And he immediately reached out to the former police chief</i> <i>and also called LMPD,</i> <i>which we never heard anything back</i> <i>until I-I posted my story on Instagram.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>Within hours of me posting,</i> <i>there were at least a dozen girls that reached out to me</i> <i>with their own encounters with Hankison.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>NEWSCASTER: Nearly 100 days</i> <i>after Breonna Taylor was shot and killed,</i> <i>one of the officers involved will be fired,</i> <i>Louisville's police chief issuing a scathing rebuke</i> <i>of Officer Brett Hankison's actions.</i> - In a nutshell, what those letters say are, <i>"You fired ten shots blindly and recklessly.</i> <i>You can't articulate why it was necessary."</i> "Your actions were outside of policy. <i>"They're outside of what we've ever trained you to do.</i> <i>We've made the decision to terminate you."</i> INTERVIEWER: So can you comment on if, that's the case and that is the bullets that killed Breonna Taylor, what does that mean for, uh, the possibility of an indictment? - Well, that- respectfully, that's the job of the attorney general. You've also made an assumption, though, and that is that Brett Hankison's projectiles hit Ms. Taylor. I don't know that to be true at this point. Uh, what I do know is that, uh, Sergeant Mattingly was in the best position <i>and, by his description, fired six times,</i> so it's very possible that Sergeant Mattingly fired all five shots that hit, uh, Ms. Taylor. But, uh-but I don't know that either. INTERVIEWER: As far as we understand, those were the only two officers that were shooting. - No, there is a third officer who was shooting. <i>He was, uh, up in front next to Sergeant Mattingly,</i> <i>so there's a possibility that he fired the shot</i> <i>that struck Ms. Taylor as well.</i> <i>[soft dramatic music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - We begin today with shocking news out of Louisville. Local police have released a nearly blank incident report stemming from the night Breonna Taylor was fatally shot in her own apartment by police. <i>Yesterday's report listed Taylor's injuries as "none."</i> <i>TAMIKA: I'm just in disbelief.</i> It's one screwup after another. <i>To see the incident report</i> <i>and you put she had no injuries</i> and that there was no forced entry into the apartment... DAVID: There is absolutely no reason that you would release a incident report that was factually absolutely incorrect. It was a lie. <i>SAM: All of a sudden, you've got to immediately</i> <i>question every single piece</i> of information provided by police, because it clearly looks like a cover-up, and it was the ultimate slap in the face to the community. - Say her name! ALL: Breonna Taylor! ACTIVIST: Say her name! ALL: Breonna Taylor! <i>ACTIVIST: Say her name!</i> <i>ALL: Breonna Taylor!</i> <i>AARON: We are in Breonna's Circle,</i> <i>formerly known as Jefferson Square.</i> <i>Ground zero.</i> A lot of us just started to mobilize in desperation and in anger and in passion and in rage. - I said, no justice... ALL: No peace! Prosecute the police! <i>AARON: The occupation will cease once everybody feels</i> that Breonna's case has been handled in a just manner. <i>ALL: How do you spell racist? L-M-P-D!</i> <i>ACTIVIST: We demand that not only do they get fired,</i> <i>but they get arrested.</i> Not only arrested, but they get prosecuted. Not only prosecuted but convicted. [crowd clamoring] ACTIVIST: They're throwing tear gas back at the cops. ACTIVIST: Throw it back at them. [explosion pops] <i>AARON: The police, they've been super aggressive,</i> <i>and you would think that in light of</i> <i>why we're even out here, that they would kind of chill,</i> <i>but they've antagonized us even more.</i> <i>NEWSCASTER: Meanwhile, in Louisville,</i> <i>demonstrators used, uh, picnic tables for cover</i> <i>in confrontation with police there.</i> <i>Seven people were reportedly shot during the protest.</i> [explosion pops] ACTIVIST: [screams] Oh, my God! They shot [indistinct]. Don't move. Fuck! <i>NEWSCASTER: The victim has been identified</i> <i>as David McAtee.</i> <i>NEWSCASTER: National Guard shot him dead</i> <i>during a protest in honor of Breonna Taylor.</i> - His body laid on the streets, uh, for some 14 hours. Police saying they regret, uh, that he lay there for so long, <i>and then last night, again...</i> <i>AARON: I don't think it's a secret that Kentucky</i> <i>is a historically oppressive state</i> <i>when it comes to Black people.</i> Kentucky has a, um, a history- a rich history in slavery. ACTIVIST: It is our duty to fight for our freedom! ALL: It is our duty to fight for our freedom! - We have nothing to lose but our chains! ALL: We have nothing to lose but our chains! - So back in the day of slavery, if you did not pay your taxes, the government would auction your property. The property was what? It was slaves. So you're protesting in the place where the city made money from auctioning people that looked like me and you. <i>There's been a long, long history of the police,</i> <i>as it relates to blacks, here in this city.</i> <i>You just have to think about the history</i> <i>of policing in America, really,</i> <i>and think about it here in Louisville.</i> <i>[dramatic music]</i> <i>For hundreds of years, the police,</i> <i>they were the ones that went out</i> <i>and catch the escaped slaves.</i> <i>They were the ones that enforced segregation rules</i> <i>and Jim Crow rules within the city.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> Even today, there are still problems. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>In recent years, the chief decided</i> <i>one of the best ways to cut down on the violent crime</i> was to push for the officers to have traffic stops. <i>[tense music]</i> <i>They were doing what Mayor Bloomberg</i> <i>did in New York,</i> <i>except they were doing it with vehicles.</i> <i>It was stop and frisk with the vehicle.</i> - Why are you checking me for? POLICE OFFICER: I didn't say you did anything. - Then why'd you take me out the car? POLICE OFFICER: Do you have any drugs, weapons- - I don't; I told you that when you asked me the first time. POLICE OFFICER: Do you mind if I check? - I do mind. <i>DAVID: The goal of which was to stop a car</i> <i>for a, uh, minor traffic violation</i> <i>and find a way to search that car.</i> <i>POLICE OFFICER: No one said he was.</i> - No reason for him to be out the car handcuffed right now for a traffic tick- POLICE OFFICER: Can you tell me how to pick out violent crime? Can you tell me how? <i>♪ ♪</i> - And so it really created a bounty situation on African Americans. POLICE OFFICER: We deal with violent crime all day, every day. We're gonna stop 30 more people after you. CHARLES: All of those things just breed mistrusts, lack of confidence. And so this has really been, like, boiling for years. <i>NEWSCASTER: State representative Charles Booker.</i> <i>His campaign has been engaging with the reform efforts</i> <i>sparked by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.</i> - Well, you know, it's important now that we listen to the people that are crying out, demanding justice and accountability. And we need to reimagine policing. <i>[dramatic music]</i> <i>I think, after so long,</i> <i>the trauma of it, the reality of it</i> just set in for so many of us that, um, this agency isn't really built for us. <i>[melancholy music]</i> <i>The ways that they were targeting problem areas</i> <i>really created this dynamic</i> <i>where community's being overly criminalized.</i> <i>NEWSCASTER: The attorneys for Taylor's family claimed</i> <i>LMPD more aggressively pursued</i> <i>a drug case against Jamarcus Glover.</i> <i>NEWSCASTER: The lawsuit includes this home</i> <i>as well as this block.</i> <i>NEWSCASTER: Elliott Avenue</i> <i>in the heart of the Russell neighborhood.</i> <i>SAM: I look at this case like a 100-piece puzzle.</i> And it starts way back with a plan to knock down Elliott Avenue. That's puzzle piece number one. <i>[dramatic music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>PAUL: This community</i> <i>is challenged with extreme po-poverty.</i> <i>We're having housing iss- uh, issues,</i> and I was here to work and to be committed and dedicated to make sure that they had a better life. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>The people wanted to eliminate</i> <i>the, uh, drugs and the violence down on Elliott.</i> We do work with, uh- with the, uh, police depart-metro police. They give us-they apprise us of what's going on in the neighborhood criminally. They let us know if- if we have concerns with this piece of property and we have concerns with that piece of property. <i>SAM: The redevelopment plan started out as-</i> as something that we needed to look into more. <i>The Louisville Metro Police Department</i> <i>formed a dedicated, specific squad...</i> <i>NEWSCASTER: Called Place-Based Investigations,</i> <i>tasked with clearing the street.</i> <i>[light tense music]</i> <i>SAM: They are targeting a few addresses on Elliott Avenue.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>There are six plainclothes officers</i> <i>constantly going through unmar-</i> <i>in the neighborhood in un-unmarked vehicles.</i> <i>Warrants in December, warrant in January,</i> <i>warrant in February.</i> We strongly suspect that at that point, aggressive law enforcement tactics were authorized, were encouraged <i>in order to clean up Elliott Avenue.</i> - I was aware that there had been a focus on Elliott Avenue <i>to help get it cleaned up.</i> <i>Was not aware that there was a place-based</i> investigative unit within the police department that had been assigned to do those duties. <i>NEWSCASTER: And now eight metro council members</i> <i>have sent a letter to Mayor Greg Fischer</i> <i>asking for any and all documents regarding</i> <i>a special police unit called Place-Based Investigations.</i> - We're just as anxious as everybody else to understand <i>if anything, uh, related to the lawsuit is true or not.</i> <i>GREG: Elliott Avenue is part</i> <i>of a place-based investigation.</i> <i>When you look around, obviously this is</i> <i>a neighborhood in need of some help.</i> <i>And this is where city government can work with</i> <i>good developers and other investors to make that happen.</i> <i>The people in West Louisville deserve good neighborhoods</i> <i>with good amenities like everybody else.</i> <i>So as it re-relates to the allegations,</i> <i>immediate response was, they were absurd.</i> <i>They were outrageous.</i> <i>Uh, there was no basis in fact to them.</i> <i>[gentle music]</i> <i>CHARLES: Even if the facts determine that there wasn't</i> <i>the connection that's being, um, alleged,</i> we still have a responsibility to acknowledge that areas are targeted and that the areas that are targeted tend to have high concentrations of people that are criminalized because of poverty and that we have to change our approach to development, to engaging communities, to law enforcement. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>I think this is another part of Breonna's legacy</i> <i>of forcing us to grapple with this stuff.</i> <i>I feel like that is an opportunity</i> <i>that we have to seize, uh, so that we can change things.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> [fireworks exploding] <i>[dramatic music]</i> <i>TAMIKA: It's so hard to have faith in the system.</i> It's tiring. <i>DAVID: On March the 13th,</i> the war on drugs landed on Breonna Taylor. <i>If Breonna Taylor was actually involved in drug trafficking,</i> <i>which we don't know if it's true or not,</i> <i>but if she was,</i> <i>would that be a reason that she could be killed?</i> <i>My response to that is no.</i> - [sighs] - She was an unarmed person in her home. - Black lives matter. ALL: Black lives matter. <i>DAVID: I know people say all the time,</i> <i>"Charge all three officers with murder."</i> <i>But we don't know who actually shot Breonna Taylor.</i> The importance of ballistics to the attorney general's investigation and the FBI's investigation is critical. <i>THOMAS: My hope is that once</i> the Attorney General's Office finishes their review, the FBI, the civil rights division <i>is reviewing this matter,</i> <i>that we will have the answers that everybody deserves.</i> I don't wanna see this ever occur again. [crowd shouting] <i>No amount of dope,</i> no amount of money is worth a human life. I am deeply sorry that Ms. Breonna Taylor died. <i>I just don't feel that the no-knocks really help us</i> <i>move toward our goal of making this a safer community.</i> - It is the right thing to do to pass the Breonna Taylor Law tonight in Louisville, Kentucky, and be the example for America to follow. <i>NEWSCASTER: The metro council voting unanimously to pass</i> <i>Breonna's Law that will ban no-knock search warrants.</i> - There's nothing nobody could say to me to- no apology would ever be big enough. There's nothing. <i>Doesn't matter. Y'all were wrong.</i> She's gone. My life is changed forever, no matter what. <i>Can never be undone.</i> <i>[somber music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>ACTIVISTS: Breonna Taylor!</i> <i>ACTIVIST: How to you spell racist?</i> <i>ACTIVISTS: L-M-P-D!</i> - We're at a moment now where we're waiting to see what our attorney general is gonna do. ACTIVISTS: You can't stop the revolution! <i>CHARLES: There seems to be a lack of</i> <i>an adequate response from local leadership.</i> <i>This investigation needs to conclude.</i> <i>Justice needs to be rendered.</i> <i>The question is, will that happen?</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> [door creaks] <i>[melancholy music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> - 150 days. Five months. Um... yeah. Every day is still March the 13th. Um... <i>He wants to have the right answer at the end of this,</i> <i>so, for me, I'm trying to-</i> <i>to accept that and be patient with that,</i> <i>'cause I definitely want him to come out</i> <i>with the right answer.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>We've needed police reform for so long.</i> <i>It's long overdue.</i> <i>But it's change that's definitely needed.</i> <i>I know it happens to our communities</i> <i>far more than any other.</i> <i>I know that it's unacceptable.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> It has to stop. <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>NEWSCASTER: For the first time in 20 years,</i> <i>Oprah Winfrey will not be on the cover</i> <i>of her monthly "O" magazine.</i> <i>Instead, the media mogul is using</i> <i>the September issue's cover</i> <i>to pay tribute to Breonna Taylor.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>AL SHARPTON: Say her name! CROWD: Breonna Taylor!</i> - Say her name! CROWD: Breonna Taylor! - Say her name! - I'm marching for George, <i>for Breonna, for Ahmaud,</i> <i>for Jacob, for Pamela Turner,</i> <i>for Michael Brown, Trayvon,</i> <i>and anybody else who lost their lives.</i> [soft laughter] <i>[inquisitive music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i>

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The New York Times Presents, our documentary TV series, investigates recordings, 911 calls and over 1,500 pages of police records to reveal a clearer picture of the botched drug raid by the Louisville police that led to Breonna Taylor's death.

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True Native American/American History And Why The U.S. Government Is Always Hiding It

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True Native American/American History And Why The U.S. Government Is Always Hiding It

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True Native American/American History And Why The U.S. Government Is Always Hiding It

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By One Vote: Woman Suffrage in the South

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By One Vote: Woman Suffrage in the South

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By One Vote: Woman Suffrage in the South | The Citizenship Project | NPT

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Documenting Hate: New American Nazis (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

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Transforming Gender (Transgender Documentary) | Real Stories

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Black Lives Matter explained: The history of a movement

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Black Lives Matter explained: The history of a movement

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Black Lives Matter explained: The history of a movement

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In general, hotlines have three things in common:

1) they are available to call 24/7
2) they are 100% confidential
3) they are free

Here's a list of hotlines that may help you in whatever situation you find yourself in. Check out the bottom for chat and text lines as well!

Feeling Overwhelmed? There are a lot of phone numbers on this page. If you don't know where to start, we suggest dialing on your phone to be connected with the national human service call center. You can learn more about the number here.

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In general, hotlines have three things in common: 1) they are available to call 24/7 2) they are 100% confidential 3) they are free Here's a list of hotlines that may help you in whatever situation you find yourself in. Check out the bottom for chat and text lines as well!

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Contact the President, Vice President, get help with a Federal Agency, or ask a question about WhiteHouse.gov.

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This fund was started for a small community of Black Trans women living on the streets of Atlanta, many of whom are also sex workers. We now are not only able to help this community, but this project has grown into a unique opportunity to alleviate the chronic homelessness that exists among Trans people in Atlanta, especially among Black & brown Trans people. As of August, we have officially established the Trans Housing Coalition.
Through this project, we use the Housing First model to help folks move in and stay in permanent housing and the live the lives they want to lead. We are currently housing nearly 40 trans and non-binary folks. Please visit our website to learn more!
Who I Am
My name is Jesse Pratt López. I am a Trans Latina from Colombia who calls Atlanta home. I use my experiences as a documentary photographer and grassroots activist to help folks from my community use their voices to resist systems of oppression and step into their own power. I am also now the full-time co-director of the Trans Housing Coalition. You can check out my photography at www. jprattlopez .photos.
Where We Started
I started this fund in mid-December 2019 to help a small group of Trans sisters I had met through ReVon Michaels López, my trans daughter.

ReVon is a Sagittarius with a huge smile and laugh, and an even bigger appetite. I first met her when she was strutting down the sidewalk in front of a Publix in downtown Atlanta. She was wrapped in a large blanket; her wig haphazardly placed upon her head and her curls as big as her smile. She asked if I could spare some change. I was about to tell her no, I don't carry cash and I'm broke. But when I took a closer look, I realized at that moment that I was seeing my sister. My Trans sister. One of the Gurlz. A T-Slur as they like to call us on PornHub.com.

I quickly told her that she looked beautiful and that I would be right back with some cash and a sandwich and when I returned, she was so happy to see me. I asked her if I could take her picture; I didn't want to forget her.. The rest is her-story.

I would come back every couple of days to visit ReVon, or she would come to my house. We hung out, shared food, and she introduced me to the other girls who live and work on the Hoe Stroll - Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia.

These girls have been discarded and abandoned by society. They told me stories about getting raped, robbed, shot, and almost killed. Survival sex work has been, historically, the only profession that many Trans women have been able to succeed in. Many girls, especially when they don't "pass" for society's ideal archetype of what a woman should be, are denied jobs, housing, and opportunities. How can you exist in a society that believes that you shouldn't even exist?

I started documenting the lives of the homeless Black trans women of the Hoe Stroll on Piedmont Ave in Atlanta, GA. While creating this body of work, I walked the stroll with them, not only in order to walk in their shoes, but also because as a Trans woman myself who has experienced housing insecurity, I realized that I had never met another Trans woman who hasn't dealt with housing insecurity and who didn't have to do sex work to survive at some point.

Ever since that fateful day I became really close with ReVon-and the circle of my chosen family became a little bit bigger. I came back every couple days and hung out with and took care of ReVon and the other girls who live and work on the Hoe Stroll on Piedmont Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. ReVon calls me Mom, I call her daughter. And sometimes the roles are reversed: in the Trans community, we are each other's elders.
The Fund: Where It Began and Where It's Going
Once we became close, ReVon and the girls would share stories about the violence they experienced on the streets of Atlanta: getting raped, robbed, shot, and almost killed. Survival sex work has historically been the only profession that many Trans women have been able to succeed in. Many girls, especially when they don't pass for society's ideal archetype of what a woman should be, are denied jobs, housing, and other opportunities.

Through my photography and presence in the Atlanta queer and trans arts and organizing community, I saw a chance to get the girls the support and resources they needed. After initially raising $10,000 through this fund, I was able to secure them temporary housing through the winter holidays and assist with getting them necessities such as food, cell phones, clothes, and spending money. Eventually, I was also able to connect some of the girls to Jayme Stegar, the Lead Trans Outreach Specialist at Someone Cares Atlanta Jayme was able to assist in finding two of the girls a room in a rooming house led by Trans people. She has also been instrumental in connecting the girls to STI (sexually-transmitted infections) testing services and ensuring that they have the support to manage their immediate needs.

Unfortunately, by April 2020, we had run out of funds, at a time where the need was more pressing than ever in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through contributions from so many generous people, we were able to raise an additional $10,000.

Shortly after meeting this second goal, as uprisings ignited across the country to protest the murder and injustice faced by Black lives, this campaign received a resurgence of support. With over 70,000 donors, we have been able to raise $2 million and the fund continues to grow. With this renewed support, it became clear that we can achieve positive, sustainable, and permanent changes for the larger community of Black & Brown Trans women in Atlanta.

In June, we created a community advisory board with local Trans-led organizations such as Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative , Southern Fried Queer Pride and the Trans Atlanta Housing Program , as well as service providers such as Someone Cares Atlanta , to begin working on a plan composed of smart goals for this transformed project. Further, I've been talking with the girls about their hopes for the future: what they need to build a stable foundation and what is now possible thanks to your support.

With guidance and assistance from these organizations, we were able to establish the Trans Housing Coalition. We utilize the Pathways Housing First model , based on the idea that "nothing in any person's history or present precludes them from being able to be housed." I have benefited greatly from the wise and kind input of Dr. Sam Tsemberis, the founder of Pathways to Housing in New York and originator of the Housing First model. Whether this project looks like funding for existing Trans-led providers or the creation of a new organization is yet to be determined.

Our goal is and always will be to establish permanent housing in Atlanta for Trans people, particularly Black Trans women who are experiencing chronic homelessness and to ensure they have the wraparound services necessary to thrive.

If you want to support this, you can also donate directly to us, and avoid the GoFundMe transaction fee:

Cashapp: $TransHousingCo

PayPal: [email redacted]

Venmo: @PaegeTurner (last 4 #s: 6509)

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Homeless Black Trans women fund, organized by Jesse Pratt López

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This fund was started for a small community of Black Trans women living on the streets of Atlanta, many of whom are also sex workers. We now are not only able to help this community, but this project has grown into a unique opportunity to alleviate the chronic homelessness that exists among Trans people in Atlanta, especially among Black & brown Trans people.

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In Native culture, Elders are the keepers of all the wisdom and knowledge of the people. Without them, we lose some of the very things that make us who we are.

Right now we are responding to a crisis. It threatens those who are most vulnerable and precious. This virus could decimate a generation of Native Elders and destroy a rich culture that has been passed down for countless generations.

Native Americans are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in across America.

Lack of running water, infrastructure, and health risk factors make the situation even more difficult. Given the higher health status enjoyed by most Americans, the lingering health disparities of American Indians and Alaska Natives are troubling.

Protect Native Elders remains focused to support tribes across the United States. As COVID-19 devastates Indian country, new requests for unmet needs keep coming in daily: from the Pacific Northwest groups such as the Spokane Tribe of Indians to Southwestern nations such as Navajo and Zuni, to the Sioux nations in the Dakotas and the tribal groups in New York and New Jersey.

Please help us preserve the native elders, native wisdom, and support us in providing PPE essentials and supplies to these and other indigenous communities!

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Crowd Sourced COVID Response

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Protect Native Elders, organized by Crowd Sourced COVID Response

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In Native culture, Elders are the keepers of all the wisdom and knowledge of the people. Without them, we lose some of the very things that make us who we are. Right now we are responding to a crisis. It threatens those who are most vulnerable and precious.

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Donate to the Navajo and Hopi Relief Fund

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Donate to the Navajo and Hopi Relief Fund

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On April 20, 2020, four Registered Nurses stood in silent counter-protest outside the Arizona state capitol. Our names are Lauren, Brittany, Jasmine and Jade. In the face of misinformation and fear, we stood as a voice of reason and compassion. We stood in place of our patients and the vulnerable populations we serve. We stood for the health of all.

Some areas in the U.S. may be seeing a "flattening of the curve," but for minority groups, like the Navajo people, the struggles of this pandemic are just beginning. For the Navajo community, they face exponential suffering and loss. Navajo individuals are extremely vulnerable, for one in five has diabetes and one in three suffers from obesity. Both underlying conditions make COVID-19 particularly dangerous. The Navajo and other surrounding tribes experience infection rates higher than big cities across the country.

I (Lauren) am a Critical Care RN working full-time on the COVID-19 Unit at Banner University in Phoenix, AZ, and I can tell you that a majority of our patients are Native American.

We have seen entire Navajo families airlifted to our facility in critical condition. Many Navajo hospitals are not equipped to care for ventilated patients. Almost all COVID-19 patients are flown to facilities in Phoenix and surrounding states, away from their families and homeland.

Many have to use FaceTime to say goodbye to their loved ones in their final moments. Many are loaded onto medical helicopters knowing they may never see their family or homeland again. Many awaken from medically induced comas to learn multiple family members have died.
· Navajo Nation has been hit the #1 worst per capita in the ENTIRE country

· Native American people have 4x the mortality rate than all other minority groups combined.

· 20% of COVID 19 deaths in Arizona to date are Native Americans.

· 30% of homes in Navajo communities do not have running water, making frequent hand washing nearly impossible.

· Many Navajo families live under the same roof, making social distancing nearly impossible.

· Navajo Nation sprawls across 27,000 square miles with large deserts and many miles between them and access to health care, food and running water.

50% of the donations to this GoFundMe will support the relief efforts of Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief- a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that purchases, packages and delivers food, water and supplies directly to the doorsteps of Navajo and Hopi families. Find their link here: https://www.navajohopisolidarity.org/

50% of the donations to this GoFundMe will provide PPE, medical supplies, equipment and compassion fatigue relief to COVID-19 frontline health care workers in hospitals across the Navajo community.

Following #StayHome orders, social distancing, and using personal masks are acts of solidarity to offer protection to the vulnerable and #flattenthecurve.
Let's find our humanity in this COVID-19 crisis and together, stand up for our brothers and sisters who need us now more than ever before.

Yours Truly,

Lauren Leander, BSN, RN, CCRN
Brittany Schilling, BSN, RN, CCRN
Jasmine Bhatti, PhD(c), MS, BSN
Jade Juriansz, BSN, RN

Facts from: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/navajo-nation-hit-hard-by-covid-19-comes-together-to-protect-its-most-vulnerable

Photo Credit: Kristin Murphy/Deseret News

This campaign is not associated with the official Navajo Nation fundraising campaign. The official Navajo Nation COVID-19 fundraising campaign can be located at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/official-navajo-nation-covid19-relief-fund.

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Raised $80,209 from 1657 donations

Raised $3,555 from 54 donations

Raised $1,300 from 17 donations

Raised $930 from 15 donations

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Navajo and Hopi Community Relief Fund, organized by Lauren Leander

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On April 20, 2020, four Registered Nurses stood in silent counter-protest outside the Arizona state capitol. Our names are Lauren, Brittany, Jasmine and Jade. In the face of misinformation and fear, we stood as a voice of reason and compassion. We stood in place of our patients and the vulnerable populations we serve.

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Donate to Trans People Experiencing Homelessness

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Donate to Trans People Experiencing Homelessness

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House of Tulip is a Community Land Trust launching in the summer of 2020 to create housing solutions for trans and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) people in Louisiana.

1 in 3 trans people in Louisiana report experiencing homelessness at some point in their life.* With your help, we will break that cycle for good in the New Orleans area.

Who We Are:
Our Founders Circle is a multicultural and multigenerational leadership body of 11 individuals in the New Orleans area. We are majority-Black and majority-women, and a majority of us have our family roots in Louisiana for several generations. Together, we have over 100 years of experience as community organizers and activists serving the transgender community in Louisiana. We are Milan Nicole Sherry, Mariah Moore, Jai Celestial, Sultana Isham, Camilla Marchena, Dylan Waguespack, Ben Collongues, Wendi Cooper, Toni Jones, Zahair Martinez, and Spirit McIntyre.
Our Short-Term Vision:
We're raising funds to buy and restore a 6-unit property on N. Claiborne Ave, currently unoccupied and blighted. This will be our pilot campus, and it will house up to 9 TGNC people. If for any reason, we're unable to purchase this property (if it's sold or taken off the market before we raise the funds we need), the funds raised by this campaign will still go directly toward providing housing to TGNC people in New Orleans, in line with the long-term vision below.
Our Long-Term Vision:
Housing Solutions.
According to the US Trans Survey, 1 in 3 trans people in Louisiana reports experiencing homelessness at some point in their lives. House of Tulip will provide zero-barrier housing to trans and gender-nonconforming people in need of a safe place to stay while growing the supply of affordable housing in New Orleans.

Citywide Benefits.
By operating as a Community Land Trust, the entire city of New Orleans (as well as anywhere we expand beyond our pilot campus) will benefit from the increase in affordable housing supply and safeguards against exclusionary development and gentrification.

Paths to Home-Ownership.
House of Tulip isn't an emergency shelter or a transitional living house. It's a long-term investment in housing solutions. As members of our community gain stability through housing, they'll have a path to homeownership. Meanwhile, House of Tulip will continue to own the land, ensuring our housing stays affordable forever.

Self-Sustaining.
While initially our funding will be entirely donation-based, our model will grow to include sustainable sources of income so that we can invest strategically.

We have $50,000 in seed funding--12.5 percent of the way to our goal--but we need your investment to get to $400,000 by August 31, 2020.

If you'd prefer to write a check, please make it out to "House of Tulip" and mail it to our treasurer:
Dylan Waguespack
1203 Trinidad Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002

If you would like to give monthly, you can become a sustaining donor on our website at https://houseoftulip.org/make-a-donation. Becoming a sustaining donor helps us budget wisely knowing how much money will be coming in. It's such an easy way to invest in our community.
*See the Louisiana breakout report from the 2015 US Trans Survey for more information about the experiences of transgender Louisianans: https://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTSLAStateReport%281017%29.pdf

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Housing for trans people experiencing homelessness, organized by Milan Nicole Sherry

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House of Tulip is a Community Land Trust launching in the summer of 2020 to create housing solutions for trans and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) people in Louisiana. 1 in 3 trans people in Louisiana report experiencing homelessness at some point in their life.* With your help, we will break that cycle for good in the New Orleans area.

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In May 2020, events across America brought the injustice and deep-rooted racism that has long plagued the Black community to the forefront of the national discussion. These discussions continue to take place, from our dinner tables, during protests, and by our elected officials.

We are witnessing history in the making-the time for change is now. We all must do our part to take action and make our voices heard.

The Justice + Equality Fund aims to do just that, addressing both urgent needs as well as broader, systemic issues tied to systemic racism. GoFundMe.org will be granting the donation received for this cause to organizations working to rectify the racial inequalities in our society.

Who benefits from your donation?
At launch, donations will support organizations focused on pretrial system reform, racial justice, and law enforcement reform. Initial benefiting nonprofits will include The Bail Project, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Center for Policing Equity. As we grant to new organizations, we will include them below.:

- The Bail Project
- The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Center for Policing Equity
- RAHEEM
- Equal Justice Initiative
- Advancement Project

These organizations were chosen for the leadership they've demonstrated and the meaningful impact they have had on the causes that the Justice + Equality Fund will initially benefit. This is just the first step. We'll keep donors updated as we expand the reach of the Fund by adding additional individuals, organizations, and benefiting causes.

Racial inequality and injustice have no place in our society. It's time to come together, keep this important conversation going, and help enact real change.

Learn more about GoFundMe's commitment to supporting justice and equality .

Am I eligible for a grant?
To qualify for this Justice and Equality grant, your GoFundMe fundraiser must benefit organizations building programs and communities around anti-racism and equity.

To learn more about how GoFundMe Causes work, visit our FAQ.
GoFundMe.org is an independent, registered 501(c)(3) public charity. It works closely with GoFundMe®, the world's largest and most trusted online fundraising platform, to provide a transparent way to support your favorite causes and urgent needs. GoFundMe.org distributes your tax-deductible donation to verified charities related to your cause.

This cause has been selected to be part of our holiday Joy of Giving campaign. To learn more about each cause, check out our Joy of Giving page: gofundme.com/holiday

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Justice and Equality Cause Fund, organized by GoFundMe.org

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In May 2020, events across America brought the injustice and deep-rooted racism that has long plagued the Black community to the forefront of the national discussion. These discussions continue to take place, from our dinner tables, during protests, and by our elected officials. We are witnessing history in the making-the time for change is now.

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#BlackLivesMatter #WeDoHeal

In the wake of George Floyd's murder is a long, painful month that's an extension of a year that's challenged us to our core.

We need healing. We need justice. And that requires action.

Systemic change requires prolonged effort, but we can also make an immediate difference for frontline communities.

The Black Resilience Fund was launched on June 1st, 2020 to foster healing and resilience by providing immediate financial relief to Black Portlanders. Over $700,000 has been distributed to Black Portlanders since our launch, and we've also established a mutual aid network of over 300 active volunteers, delivering food boxes, performing yard work, providing emotional support, and more.

The Black Resilience Fund is co-founded by Cameron Whitten and Salomé Chimuku. Cameron is a local Portlander who has more than 5 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and donation accountability. Cameron has served as the Executive Director of local nonprofits such as Know Your City, Brown Hope, and Q Center. Salomé has over a decade of experience in public sector work, working with organizations such as Portland State University, the Urban League of Portland, and Unite Oregon. She has served on many local social justice and advocacy boards and has worked for many statewide elected officials in the Oregon Legislature.

We're proud of everything the BRF team has accomplished with 100% volunteer energy. Through passion, grit, and collaboration, we've established a solid infrastructure that can benefit our entire community over the long term.

In order to make this lasting impact, we know we'll need stable leadership that we can't attain with volunteer time alone. Thus, we will begin encouraging folks to donate to Brown Hope, the nonprofit that is sponsoring the Black Resilience Fund. A portion of all new donations made to Brown Hope for the BRF will be dedicated to the Black Resilient Futures Fund, with a goal of bringing paid staff to help sustain the work.

We will continue to keep our GoFundMe campaign live as it's linked to several newspaper articles and websites, and is a great way to communicate with the 13,000 people who have donated so far.

You can make a tax-deductible donation to the Black Resilience Fund through Brown Hope, here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/brown-hope/black-resilience-fund

You can also donate via check: write a check to BROWN HOPE and mail to 2037 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97227. Write BRF in the memo to designate to the Black Resilience Fund.

If you would like to volunteer, please use this sign up form: https://forms.gle/6x7mnbw9FMsz7paQA

The funding report will be updated every other day.

#BlackLivesMatter #WeDoHeal

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The Black Resilience Fund, organized by Cameron Whitten

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BlackLivesMatter #WeDoHeal In the wake of George Floyd's murder is a long, painful month that's an extension of a year that's challenged us to our core. We need healing. We need justice. And that requires action. Systemic change requires prolonged effort, but we can also make an immediate difference for frontline communities.

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Donate to the Black Trans Lives Matter Youth Fund

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Donate to the Black Trans Lives Matter Youth Fund

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In 2015 Joshua Allen and CeCe McDonald came together to form the Black Excellence Collective. A grassroots organizing collective for and by Black trans/queer youth to organize for our collective liberation using art, direct action & political education.

For 5 years we have operated as a volunteer collective. We've organized rally's and vigils to uplift trans and gender non conforming folks lost to state or interpersonal violence. Hosted countless workshops and trainings to educate our community. And coordinated direct support to folks experiencing housing/food insecurity, incarceration and immigration detention. We have done all of this work without exceeding a budget of $50,000 a year.

Now we find ourselves called to rise up and take action like never before. Our Black trans and queer communities have been disproportionately impacted by the issues that are ravaging our society today. Racism, transphobia, COVID-19, rising rates of unemployment and job loss, housing insecurity, police and interpersonal violence and so much more.

We are asking for your help to make a major investment in our youth led, Black trans/queer organizing work that is vital to the health and well being of our communities. We are raising $100,000 so that we can stand up and fight back! We aim to expand our mutual aid work, coordinate direct actions that center and uplift Black trans lives, to increase our educational capacity to train the next generation of youth activists, and increase our support for incarcerated trans folks fighting to survive in U.S prisons, jails & detention centers.

The funds will be used as follows:
--$50,000 for bail funds, legal fees and food/ride share support for Black trans/queer youth in NYC (50%)
--$20,000 to build out organizing and arts mentorship program for Black trans/queer youth in NYC (20%)
--$15,000 to send commissary funds to incarcerated or detained Black trans/queer young folks nationally (15%)
--$15,000 to continue mutual aid micro grants program to Black trans folks impacted by COVID-19 nationally (15%)

To create a world where #BlackTransLivesMatter we need to organize around the issues that impact our communities while we are still here! We need to create the conditions for our communities to THRIVE, not just survive.

Young people, particularly young Black trans/queer people have been some of the world's most valuable contributors to movements for racial and gender justice across human history. Unfortunately, for far too long our work has gone under-resourced and overlooked.

During this moment of reckoning in our country the Black Excellence Collective is answering the call to fight for our freedom. We humbly ask you to donate to and share our campaign widely! Now is our moment to change the world!

**all donations to this campaign will be 100% tax deductible through our 501c3 fiscal sponsor Gallery Aferro**

Check out the work that we have been leading at the link below:

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Raised $41,548 from 581 donations

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Raised $1,256 from 31 donations

Raised $959 from 31 donations

Raised $495 from 5 donations

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Black Trans Lives Matter Youth Fund, organized by Joshua Allen

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In 2015 Joshua Allen and CeCe McDonald came together to form the Black Excellence Collective. A grassroots organizing collective for and by Black trans/queer youth to organize for our collective liberation using art, direct action & political education. For 5 years we have operated as a volunteer collective.

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ማሳሰቢያ !!!!!!!!!!! እርዳታ በሚያደርጉበት ጊዜ ጎ-ፈንድ-ሚ የሚጠይቅዎትን ተጨማሪ ችሮታ (ቲፕ) መክፈል አይኖርብዎትም። ተጨማሪ ችሮታው (ቲፕ) ወደ ግሎባል አላያንስ አካውንት ገቢ አይሆንም። ቲፕ ሳይጨምሩ እርዳታዎን ለመስጠት የሚከተለውን ያድርጉ፤ 'TIP' ከሚለው መስመር 'OTHER' የሚለውን ከመረጡ በኋላ በቲፑ ሳጥን ውስጥ ዜሮ (0.0) ከሞሉ በኋላ የእርዳታውን ገንዘብ በእርዳታው ቦታ ብቻ ይሙሉ።
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የሰብአዊ መብት ድርጅቶች እንዳረጋገጡት በዐማራነታቸው ብቻ ተመርጠው ከስድስት መቶ በላይ ወገኖቻችን ተጨፍጭፈዋል፤ ብዙ ሽህዎች ወገኖቻችን ተሰደዋል። የእነዚህን ወገኖቻችንን ቤተሰቦችና የተሰደዱትን የመርዳት ሃላፊነት ግዴታችንን እንወጣ። ለወገን ደራሹ ወገን ነው።

Amnesty, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission confirm that more than 600 innocent civilians have been massacred in Mai Kadra, Ethiopia; tens of thousands have been forced to flee. They need our help.

More information about GARE Global Alliance for the Rights of Ethiopians: GARE is a 501 c company based in the United States established to defend the rights of Ethiopians around the globe, raising funds from grassroots groups in support of distressed Ethiopians.

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Global Alliance for the Rights of Ethiopians

GARE Global Alliance for the Rights of Ethiopians

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Let's help war victims in northern Ethiopia, organized by Global Alliance for the Rights of Ethiopians

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Donate to Survivors of Gender Based Violence

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Donate to Survivors of Gender Based Violence

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Yesterday 2429 survivors of gender-based violence applied to us for cash assistance. Today we need your help.
On Thursday November 19th, we released our second round of our Safety Fund Grants for survivors of gender-based violence who need cash to make ends meet and stay safe right now. Our priority in this round is to support survivors who are Black, Latinx, Native/Indigenous, Queer and/or Trans as our data shows that they are at greater risk physically and financially during COVID-19.

In just 12 hours, we received over 2429 requests for support and had to close our application. This speaks to how much survivors are impacted by COVID-19 and all the events of this year, in addition to the financial insecurity and harm they were already facing.

We only have the funds to support 1800 survivors but we know that, with your support, we'll be able to close the gap. Our donors have made miracles happen over the years with everyone giving what they can even if it is just $10.
Anything you can give will go directly to survivors. FreeFrom does not keep a fee. And your donation is 100% tax deductible. "I'm struggling to not sleep in my car with my two children. I don't have anyone to turn to who hasn't been affected by COVID-19. I am staying away [from my harmdoer], but I am worried that it will mean sleeping in my car with my babies indefinitely just to stay away from my abuser."

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Get cash directly to survivors who need it, organized by Sonya Passi

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Yesterday 2429 survivors of gender-based violence applied to us for cash assistance. Today we need your help. On Thursday November 19th, we released our second round of our Safety Fund Grants for survivors of gender-based violence who need cash to make ends meet and stay safe right now.

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Conduct a large-scale shut down of accounts that tweet rape threats at women!

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Conduct a large-scale shut down of accounts that tweet rape threats at women!

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This is one of many messages sent to women worldwide on social media every day. I know because I've received plenty of these threats.

These intolerable comments are traumatic for me because I've been raped. I was drugged and brutally gang-raped by four men nearly 20 years ago. I still remember the fear and torment of being unable to take control of my own body or scream for help. I remember the intense pain I felt the next morning when I regained full consciousness. Not just physical pain, but intense mental and emotional pain that made me want to commit suicide. I would never wish that pain on anyone. Not even on my rapists.

In 2014, I went public with my story. As a public rape survivor and activist, I use Twitter as a platform to spread my anti-violence message, but that same platform is being used by others to bully, terrorize, and threaten me. Unfortunately, Twitter does not take threats of rape seriously. Women receive the same response over and over when they reach out to Twitter for help:
"Thank you for letting us know about your issue... the content doesn't violate Twitter rules."
This is unacceptable. Threats of rape are used intentionally to terrorize women into submission and silence. Twitter bullies use rape threats because they know it instills a level of fear in women that can only rival the threat of murder. We cannot as a global society accept this kind of behavior.

Twitter has block and mute features, but they're not enough. They don't stop the threats, and they do nothing to stop Twitter from being a platform that fosters violence against women. We know that there are hundreds of thousands of users who have made these threats. I'm all for free speech, but threatening rape and the brutal violation of another's body is NOT something we should protect.

Please stand with me and urge Twitter to begin a large scale shutdown of accounts that tweet rape threats. It's time for Twitter to send the message to their users that the platform will not be used to promote threats of rape. It's time for Twitter to listen and care about the requests of their female user base. NO ONE "needs to be raped..."

Thank you to Chinmayi Sripada, whose petition in India inspired me to stand with her in solidarity and start the same petition in the United States. Join us and this global movement for this important change now.

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"You need to be raped..." This is one of many messages sent to women worldwide on social media every day. I know because I've received plenty of these threats. These intolerable comments are traumatic for me because I've been raped. I was drugged and brutally gang-raped by four men nearly 20 years ago.

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"On Monday morning, just as we set out for our daily walk, my mother told me the story of Noura Hussein : At 16, Noura was forcibly married off by her father. She refused, and in protest left her family home on the outskirts of Khartoum to stay with her aunt in Sinnar, a city almost 250 kilometers away. Noura lived with her relative for three years before her father called to say that the wedding was cancelled, and that she should come home. Upon her arrival, Noura found that she had been tricked, that the wedding to which she had never agreed was still happening, and shortly after was given away to her unchosen husband. According to her testimony, Noura refused to consummate the marriage, resisting him for the first four days. On the fifth, she says her husband raped her, with the help of a number of his male relatives (cousins and some people said the husband's brothers aswell), pinned her down while he was raping her right before their eyes.The following day, when her husband attempted to rape her again, she stabbed him in self defence and it killed him. When she told her family, her father delivered her to the police, and then disowned her. That was in 2017. On Sunday, April 29, 2018, Noura was found guilty in court of premeditated murder, the punishment for which is death by hanging. My mother received this article about Noura on WhatsApp, a platform that has grown to be a main "news" source for Sudanese across the world. I say "news" because much of the information shared over WhatsApp should be taken with a grain of salt, as many of the topics shared take on an exaggerated quality. But the platform does prove useful, occasionally exposing us to issues that either don't make it on international newsdesks (nobody wants to hear about anything from Sudan that isn't war or terrorism), or provide a look into the corners of our lives that folks (read: government/society) prefer to stay hidden. My reaction to Noura's story should have been that of many of my compatriots, of healthy - and sometimes unhealthy - skepticism, to loosely quote @Osochil on Instagram. Except that I wasn't blessed with the bliss of ignorance (or denial). Except that I know that Noura's story isn't new, that it isn't even uncommon. Except that I personally know women who had been married off against their will, who suffered in silence at the hands of their husbands, whose families had all but abandoned them and/or who tacitly or actively supported their husbands' (and their families') abuse. Because the truth that we hate to admit is that the only thing that makes Noura's story extraordinary is that she killed him. Her circumstance is a daily occurrence that the openminded and "enlightened" of us might not approve of, but will put up with because "that's just an unfortunate part of our culture". We will put up with it because the enduring silence of the women who suffer this fate allows our feathers to remain unruffled, it keeps our delicate sensibilities unaffected, it allows us to stay complacent. Noura's story is extraordinary because she killed her abuser, and that is what she is being faulted for in the court of law and public opinion (and from which all of the following throughout this article are real quotes). "She should have reasoned with him", "she should have told her family", "she should have gone to court, she should have found another way". The last four days have been a flood of should-haves, each one more patronizing than the last, each one ignoring the facts of her case, of her circumstance, of her culture. How could she have reasoned with a man who wasn't reasonable enough to accept her adamant rejection of him? How could she seek refuge in her family, the same people who put her in this position in the first place? The same people who, when she *did* seek refuge, abandoned her? What other way was there for her to find? How does a 19 year old with no family support gain the access and tools needed to navigate her way through the legal system to get autonomy from her husband? And how long does that take? And how many are successful? The last four days have exposed our ignorance, our callousness, our violent misogyny. "She's guilty, it's his right, she can't refuse him", "He's not a man for getting his cousins to help..... he should have just drugged her", "Tf you talking about, [she's] his wife he can f*ck her daily if he wants, Allah said that." One news article read, "Bride Kills Husband on Their Honeymoon [...] She stabbed him repeatedly after he tried to take his religious right [حقه الشرعي] from her by force." Our society does not recognize marital rape and uses hadith (narrations) and other religious texts to justify it. Our society holds women accountable for the heinous actions of men, and then tells them to grin and bear it. "She didn't choose to marry him, but her father chose for her, what can she do?" "Yes, he raped her, but she shouldn't have killed him." "Yes, he raped her, but she killed him in an inappropriate way." (yes, that is the word-for-word quote) Our society does not recognize a woman's right to her body, to choice, to life. Our society does not want to come to terms with the heinous acts that it practices and values it holds. Our society thinks its ignorance is "fringe", and hides behind the pristine image of "culture and tradition" that it has painstakingly curated. It digs its head in the sand and shows its ass to the world. "Our men don't involve other men in rape, and not family. It's not our culture. There must be more to the story." To preserve this image, it will tell us to put faith in a justice system that it bashes on a daily basis. Noura was painted by the prosecution as a woman who, unprovoked, "brutally" murdered her husband in cold blood. They denied the rape. They did not provide a counter-motive. Even without cause or motive, they never questioned her mental state or theorized on what drove her to commit such a crime - and the justice system did not ask them to. It was content to cast a quick and dirty guilty verdict. Our country protects the perpetrators and demonizes the victims. It sentences a teenager to death, and gives a convicted rapist a presidential pardon (look it up)."
Source : ALUCAN.

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That's when I read this blogpost that I decided to start this petition. I had to do something and not let this happen like it did for Asifa, and Zainab, two little girls that have been recently raped and killed in Pakistan. I am, too, a teenager and i could have faced the same thing as Noura if I was born in Sudan. I'm really emotional and Noura's story touched me.. I can't let her be executed, i can't. Please, help me save her !
On the 10th of May (The Day of Decision) the family of the deceased husband decided if they wanted her alive or not, for literally using self defence, against a man who was neither religiously and neither legally her 'husband', she never agreed to that marriage, and he raped her with the help of his cousins and brothers, what a shame, that you have to bring your male relatives to pin down a woman who refused to get married to and you have the gut to rape her, and some people have the atrocity to defend the man. This shows how patriachy and misogyny keep on ruling upon women in a horrible manner, and how Culture is killing innocent people, Islam condems forced marriage aswell as rape, the man had no rights to do this, not one single right! I bet if the man was alive they'd still probably punish Noura.

This just show how women are treated so inferiorly, discriminately and with pure misogyny, and inequality and patriarchy, this just show how women are supposed to be only men's sex objects, and women are expected to be quiet baby dolls who never raise their voices, and stand up against which is wrong.

"Noura is a Hero and standing up to your oppressor is not a crime. Rape is." -- @ShahdBatal

Justice should be served, God is the Most Just, and indeed Justice shall be established, for everyone, every single people who've been oppressed.

Let's get this petition a loooot of signatures so that these can be printed, please share this petition, Noura mental's state is really serious, she was forced to get married, she was raped, her family disowned her, and reported her to the police, and now here she is, waiting for her death sentence, subhanaAllah, i urge you all my brothers and sisters in humanity, please share this petition, let's raise our voice against oppression, against injustice, against any form of injustice,whether is misogyny, whether it's about discrimination, racism, and any form of injustice that violates Human rights.
Noura may have less than a month to live as from now, please help share this petition, and let's raise our voice for Noura using the hashtag " #JusticeForNoura" to get more attention!
We want justice for Noura, against this injustice, and for all the rest of women living this nightmare, and we want them free.
Let's show how the voice of the public matters, let's all sign against the death penalty of Noura Hussein, and let's all sign for her Justice to be established!
#JusticeForNoura #HumanRights #MaritalRape #Rape #Sudan #Justice

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FR / ES / DE / RU #JusticeForNoura "On Monday morning, just as we set out for our daily walk, my mother told me the story of Noura Hussein : At 16, Noura was forcibly married off by her father.

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0 have signed. Let's get to 3,000,000!

The Trump administration is trying to indefinitely imprison immigrant families and children in cages. If he is successful, we're going to see babies celebrating birthday after birthday from behind a chain link fence - all because their families tried to escape unspeakable violence in their home countries.
Join our campaign to end long-term, indefinite detention of immigrant children.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration enacted a "zero tolerance" policy, prosecuting and detaining immigrant adults for the "crime" of crossing the U.S. border. Because of a 1997 settlement called Flores, children are not allowed to be detained in prison-like environments such as adult detention facilities for more than 20 days. But now Trump's new Executive Order would allow for immigrant children to be held in detention indefinitely.
The separation of families fleeing violence is cruel and inhumane - but keeping babies in cages indefinitely is much worse.
Immigrant detention centers are unsafe for any human being. In the past few years several allegations have surfaced of abuse and sexual assault against detention center guards and we know that people in detention are denied access to basic healthcare services. Already adults are held in these facilities for months on end; it is unimaginable that children would find themselves growing up in these prison-like facilities.

If we want to keep families together we should stop prosecuting their parents for making the same decision we would all make: fleeing to the U.S. border to keep our children safe from violence at home.
Children don't belong in cages. Sign our petition to keep them out of long-term detention.

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The Trump administration is trying to indefinitely imprison immigrant families and children in cages. If he is successful, we're going to see babies celebrating birthday after birthday from behind a chain link fence - all because their families tried to escape unspeakable violence in their home countries.

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0 have signed. Let's get to 3,000,000!

The Trump administration is trying to indefinitely imprison immigrant families and children in cages. If he is successful, we're going to see babies celebrating birthday after birthday from behind a chain link fence - all because their families tried to escape unspeakable violence in their home countries.
Join our campaign to end long-term, indefinite detention of immigrant children.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration enacted a "zero tolerance" policy, prosecuting and detaining immigrant adults for the "crime" of crossing the U.S. border. Because of a 1997 settlement called Flores, children are not allowed to be detained in prison-like environments such as adult detention facilities for more than 20 days. But now Trump's new Executive Order would allow for immigrant children to be held in detention indefinitely.
The separation of families fleeing violence is cruel and inhumane - but keeping babies in cages indefinitely is much worse.
Immigrant detention centers are unsafe for any human being. In the past few years several allegations have surfaced of abuse and sexual assault against detention center guards and we know that people in detention are denied access to basic healthcare services. Already adults are held in these facilities for months on end; it is unimaginable that children would find themselves growing up in these prison-like facilities.

If we want to keep families together we should stop prosecuting their parents for making the same decision we would all make: fleeing to the U.S. border to keep our children safe from violence at home.
Children don't belong in cages. Sign our petition to keep them out of long-term detention.

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The Trump administration is trying to indefinitely imprison immigrant families and children in cages. If he is successful, we're going to see babies celebrating birthday after birthday from behind a chain link fence - all because their families tried to escape unspeakable violence in their home countries.

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Remove Holocaust Denial Pages from Facebook

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Remove Holocaust Denial Pages from Facebook

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0 have signed. Let's get to 500,000!

We call on Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook to cease hosting Holocaust Denial pages on their site. When these pages spread lies and untruths, it is veiled hatred and anti-semitism designed to cast doubt on facts.

The Holocaust happened. This can not be disputed. Period.

There is a difference between providing a platform for free expression and knowingly spreading false information and lies. Denying the Holocaust causes harm.

These sites foster hatred, division and racism. We call on Facebook to take action and help stop this dissemination of hate.

Created by Holocaust Learning and Education Fund, Inc ( HLEF), Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect and the Association of Holocaust Organizations.

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We call on Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook to cease hosting Holocaust Denial pages on their site. When these pages spread lies and untruths, it is veiled hatred and anti-semitism designed to cast doubt on facts. The Holocaust happened. This can not be disputed. Period.

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Stop Terrorist Violence Spreading on Facebook

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Stop Terrorist Violence Spreading on Facebook

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On Friday, a man walked into a mosque, killed 50 people as they prayed, and live-streamed it from his phone. He is a terrorist and Facebook was his tool to send his message to the world.

Social media is used as a platform to inspire attacks. His live-stream wasn't the end. The video emerged, and re-emerged over and over again. Why did a multi-billion dollar company not have the technology to stop it from spreading? The company say it removed 1.5 million videos of the attack worldwide in the 24 hours after the shootings, 1.2 million of which were blocked at upload. That's still 300,000 uploads that made it on to the platform.

I've started this petition calling on Facebook to increase its efforts and publish a statement on what it will do to stop the re-emergence of violent content which is live streamed.

There needs to be a pro-active response with detecting terrorist violence. Not a single person reported the video of the Christchurch terror attack while it was being streamed live, Facebook says. It allowed it to be viewed thousands of times and reposted to filesharing websites.

Families of the victims have been subjected to others seeing their loved ones brutally killed.

As the founder of hate-crime monitoring group TellMama, we see everyday how violent content inspires others to attack. For seven years, we've been putting pressure on companies to understand the consequences of the platforms. This is frankly not good enough when they make enormous profits and when hate and violent extremism is streamed through their platform.

We've heard of vows to do more - but this is not good enough.

Please help us to stop this by signing this petition and by letting Facebook see that they must take action, whether this is through artificial intelligence assets or manual resources to ensure that this does not ever happen again. They owe it to the families of these victims and in ensuring that no-one has to go through this in the future. Enough is enough!

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On Friday, a man walked into a mosque, killed 50 people as they prayed, and live-streamed it from his phone. He is a terrorist and Facebook was his tool to send his message to the world. Social media is used as a platform to inspire attacks. His live-stream wasn't the end.

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Taylor Swift organized this!

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0 have signed. Let's get to 1,000,000!

Last year, the House has passed the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations. The next step is that the bill will go before the Senate.

While there's no information yet as to when the Equality Act will go before the Senate for a vote, we do know this: Politicians need votes to stay in office. Votes come from the people. Pressure from massive amounts of people is a major way to push politicians towards positive change. That's why I've created this petition to urge the Senate to support the Equality Act.

Our country's lack of protection for its own citizens ensures that LGBTQ people must live in fear that their lives could be turned upside down by an employer or landlord who is homophobic or transphobic. The fact that, legally, some people are completely at the mercy of the hatred and bigotry of others is disgusting and unacceptable.

Let's show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally.

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Last year, the House has passed the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations. The next step is that the bill will go before the Senate.

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Rodney Reed is innocent. Exonerate and send him home.

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Rodney Reed is innocent. Exonerate and send him home.

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Update: On November 15, 2019, with 5 days before Rodney Reed was scheduled to die, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals unanimously blocked his execution, and remanded his case back to the 21st District Court of Bastrop, Texas for a new hearing to examine new evidence, new witnesses, Brady violations, and Rodney's claims of actual innocence, which is a chance for him to clear his name and be exonerated. Our work is just beginning and we must keep pressure on those with the power to continue doing the right thing.

Dear Governor Greg Abbott:

1. Rodney Reed is innocent.

2. The State relied on expert testimony to convict Rodney Reed that has since been recanted BY THE EXPERTS who put forth the testimony.
Three renown medical examiners have concluded it is "medically impossible" for Stacey Stites to have been killed at the time the state says she died. This alone exonerates Rodney Reed. Reed was convicted based on forensic expert testimony that has now been recanted by the scientists and agencies that offered the evidence on behalf of the State. In fact, leading forensic pathologists have concluded that it would be "medically and scientifically impossible" for Reed to have murdered Stites. This new forensic evidence (which the State hasn't contradicted) indicates that Stites was murdered at a time that her fiance, local police officer Jimmy Fennell, testified that he was alone with Stites in their apartment. Fennell recently completed a ten-year prison sentence after he plead guilty to felony charges arising out of the kidnapping and sexual assault of a women he encountered while on patrol as a Georgetown, Texas police officer. Rodney Reed is innocent and should be exonerated, not executed.
3. We hate to say it, but, Rodney Reed is the victim of racism and was framed for a crime he didn't commit.

4. ALL OF THE EVIDENCE implicates *somebody else* was the real killer. And that somebody else failed two polygraph exams about his role in the murder, and he has continued to be a violent offender and assaulted others in the same way - kidnapping, sexual assault and choking with a belt.

5. Rodney Reed, and the Reed family, have suffered enough.

6. Sometimes our court system makes mistakes, and this case is a prime example of those injustices of what happens when the system fails.

7. Due to these mistakes, there's been no justice for the victim, Stacey Stites, and the real killer has continued to be a serial violent offender.

8. We need you to hear us, review this case, and find it in your heart to do what's right.

9. You promised Texas wouldn't ever kill an innocent person. You're the only person who can keep this promise by stopping the execution of Rodney Reed.

10. If prosecutors followed the evidence, and the evidence only, Rodney Reed wouldn't even be a suspect in this case, let alone become indicted. There's absolutely no evidence that indicts Rodney Reed. Please exonerate Rodney Reed.

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Update: On November 15, 2019, with 5 days before Rodney Reed was scheduled to die, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals unanimously blocked his execution, and remanded his case back to the 21st District Court of Bastrop, Texas for a new hearing to examine new evidence, new witnesses, Brady violations, and Rodney's claims of actual innocence, which is a chance for him to clear his name and be exoner

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Due to domestic violence, I recently lost a wonderful friend, Dr. Amie Harwick. She was murdered as a result of poorly written laws that do not protect the victims and properly punish the offenders. I refuse to let her death be in vain. She was a Doctor in the Mental Health Field and advocate in the community. We need to do the same and advocate for Amie. So I am launching JUSTICE 4 AMIE!

Amie had a restraining order in place against a violent ex boyfriend she dated over a decade ago. The restraining order had expired before her untimely death. In the last week of January 2020, this ex boyfriend attended an event, at which she was making an appearance, and continued his harassment of her. He began to stalk her thereafter and on late Valentine's night decided to attack her in her own home. This man clearly needed treatment, incarceration and/or punishment for years prior to this attack. She should have never been in this situation like so many other victims. The process to get a restraining order is very difficult, traumatizing and must be repeated when the restraining order expires. With this in mind I believe the laws and statues need to be re-written as follows:

1. No expiration date or a longer protection term and to not be lifted until victim requests it to be cancelled.

2. Mandatory affirmative obligation for long term counseling for the stalker/abuser if a restraining order is violated even a minor offense. If they are deemed a harm to the victim or society, then institutionalization may be ordered.

3. Victims should not have to testify in a courtroom close to their abuser/stalker. There should be an option to live stream in a safe space in a satellite location for the hearing with the judge. It's a traumatic experience that the victim is already dealing with and should not be subjected to it again if they do not feel they can. That is why many abusers get away with their actions: many victims back out of trial due to fear of facing their perpetrator.

4. Just like sex offenders, a National Restraining Order Registry should be made to warn others of offenders that have restraining orders. There can be levels just like Sex Offender Registry. A national database so that you can look up an individual and see if they have multiple restraining orders out on them. It is very difficult to search an individual now to determine if they have had more than one Restraining Order without knowing the Victim etc.

5. Financial Abuse by Abusers is very serious and is another major reason why most victims find it difficult to leave their abuser. Identity Theft since the abuser may have all the personal and financial information of the victim. Their Credit Scores ruined by partners running up charges and not paying their debts to hurt the victim. Coercive Abuse.
UPDATE for 5. - SUPPORT SENATE BILL 1141 by Senator Rubio who is currently pushing for Legislation on this matter in California.
6. Free access to Attorneys just like criminals have free access to public defenders. A victim should not have to bear the legal fees that are incurred when seeking protection.

7. The personal addresses of anyone should be blocked from public access and remain private per individuals request. Voter Registration and Business Registration is an easy way to access someone's personal home information which gives Stalkers and Abusers access to the victim's home address. Privacy matters!

UPDATE for 7. = https://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home/

8. Supporting Current Bills to pass like

SACRAMENTO, CA - Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) has introduced Senate Bill 1141, which will expand legal protections for survivors of domestic violence by criminalizing threats, humiliation, intimidation, and other coercive actions that are used to frighten and control a victim.

SB 1141 makes coercive control a crime punishable by imprisonment in jail not to exceed one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison, or by a fine not exceeding $1,000. The bill defines coercive control as the deprivation or violation of the victim's personal liberty, which can be established through a course of conduct including force, duress, isolation, or economic abuse. Examples of coercive control include controlling a person's finances; isolating a person from family and friends; and monitoring a person's day-to-day activities.

"Current domestic violence laws do not reflect how domestic violence is practiced in reality," Sen. Rubio said. "The new crime of coercive control recognizes that domestic violence encompasses more than just physical abuse. This change protects survivors of domestic violence by making their cases harder to dismiss and easier to prosecute."

"SB 1141 authored by Sen. Rubio recognizes that domestic violence is not limited to physical violence," said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, the bill's sponsor. "This legislation addresses the very real harm of coercive control and strengthens the State's protections for domestic violence survivors."

England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland have had coercive control laws for several years, encouraging changes in how their societies view individual acts of violence as part of a broader pattern of abuse. The unique harms suffered by domestic violence survivors occurs as much from the deprivation of liberty achieved through a pattern of power and control as it does from discrete physical acts of violence.

If anyone has any other ideas, we would love to hear them.

People shouldn't have to die to make changes. As she helped countless numbers of other people in life, we need to use Amie's passing as a catalyst for change. So her family, friends, and loved ones' pain from her death is not in vain.

Enough is Enough.

1 in 4 will experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

1 in 3 women will experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

3 women a day are killed by domestic violence.

#Justice4Amie

Lets get a Million Signatures & More

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Due to domestic violence, I recently lost a wonderful friend, Dr. Amie Harwick. She was murdered as a result of poorly written laws that do not protect the victims and properly punish the offenders. I refuse to let her death be in vain. She was a Doctor in the Mental Health Field and advocate in the community.

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0 have signed. Let's get to 4,500,000!

On February 23, 2020, 25 year-old Ahmaud Arbery was chased and gunned down by Travis McMichael, son of retired Brunswick investigator Greg McMichael, under the father's and son's pretenses of witnessing a burglary in Satilla Shores of Glynn County.

McMichael's account of the deadly encounter with Arbery was not released until nearly 6 weeks following the shooting.

In addition; McMichael's questionable account of events and the police department's poor communication efforts following Arbery's death leads us to believe that Arbery was a victim of racial profiling.

No one has the right to pursue, attack and kill an unarmed, non-threatening individual. Ahmaud's voice will be heard.

In an effort to seek justice, please sign the petition expressing your concern.
#JusticeforAhmaudArbery #iRunWithMaud

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On February 23, 2020, 25 year-old Ahmaud Arbery was chased and gunned down by Travis McMichael, son of retired Brunswick investigator Greg McMichael, under the father's and son's pretenses of witnessing a burglary in Satilla Shores of Glynn County. McMichael's account of the deadly encounter with Arbery was not released until nearly 6 weeks following the shooting.

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Rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge after Rep John Lewis

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Rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge after Rep John Lewis

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0 have signed. Let's get to 1,000,000!

"It's far past time to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge after Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon that nearly gave his life on that bridge," said Michael Starr Hopkins. "Edmund Pettus was a bitter racist, undeserving of the honor bestowed upon him. As we wipe away this country's long stain of bigotry, we must also wipe away the names of men like Edmund Pettus."

The Edmund Pettus Bridge, now a National Historic Landmark, was the site of the brutal Bloody Sunday beatings of civil rights marchers during the first march for voting rights. The televised attacks were seen all over the nation, prompting public support for the civil rights activists in Selma and for the voting rights campaign. After Bloody Sunday, protestors were granted the right to continue marching, and two more marches for voting rights followed.

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"It's far past time to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge after Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon that nearly gave his life on that bridge," said Michael Starr Hopkins. "Edmund Pettus was a bitter racist, undeserving of the honor bestowed upon him.

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0 have signed. Let's get to 1,500,000!

DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE FAMILY:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/justiceforjacobblake

Jacob Blake, 29, was shot by Kenosha, Wisconsin police officers in the back 7 times on August 23, 2020. Officers were on the scene due to a fight, which Jacob Blake was trying to break up. He was unarmed and his kids were right there and saw everything. Fortunately, Jacob was not killed but he is in serious condition. The cops who shot him need to be charged with at least attempted murder. Jacob Blake needs our help fighting for justice. Please sign this petition and share with friends and family to help him and his family. All love to you guys.

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DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE FAMILY:https://www.gofundme.com/f/justiceforjacobblakeJacob Blake, 29, was shot by Kenosha, Wisconsin police officers in the back 7 times on August 23, 2020. Officers were on the scene due to a fight, which Jacob Blake was trying to break up. He was unarmed and his kids were right there and saw everything.

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Breonna Taylor was an award-winning EMT and model citizen. She loved her family and community, working at two hospitals as an essential worker during the pandemic.

Over six months ago, a division of the Louisville Police Department performed an illegal, unannounced drug raid on her home, executing a discriminatory, botched no-knock warrant. Not a single officer announced themselves before ramming down her door and firing 22 shots, shooting Breonna 6 times, killing her, according to her lawyer, boyfriend, neighbors, and relatives.

Also named on the warrant was Jamarcus Glover, who had already been arrested earlier that day. Officer Joshua Jaynes lied to obtain a no-knock warrant on Breonna's residence, citing that the US Postmaster had claimed that Breonna was receiving illegal packages at her home - the US Postmaster later testified that he had never verified these claims.

Police were dressed in plainclothes when they knocked Breonna's door down in the middle of the night; Kenneth Walker, her boyfriend, fired a single shot, believing that someone had broken in. In response, the officers fired multiple rounds, killing Breonna.

No one has been held accountable for the systemic failure that caused Breonna's death.

1. Charges must be filed immediately. The officers involved, specifically John Mattingly, Brett Hankison, Myles Cosgrove, Joshua Jaynes, and any other law enforcement officer involved in the death and coverup of the death of Breonna Taylor must be fired, charged, and arrested immediately. There have been no charges thus far (it has been over 7 months). Their pensions must be revoked.

2. Her family must be paid in damages for wrongful death and the negligence of the LMPD.

3. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear must speak up on behalf of Breonna, and Governor Beshear or Attorney General Daniel Cameron must appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Louisville Police Department immediately. An in-house investigation is unacceptable.

4. The "no-knock" warrant that police had used in Breonna's murder completely violates the constitutional rights to reasonable search and seizure. By law, police must be legally obligated to announce themselves before breaking and entering into a home privately owned by American civilians. Legislation to federally ban no-knock warrants must be passed in Congress and signed by the President; what happened to Breonna was a complete violation of her constitutional rights, and threatens the rights of all American citizens. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has voiced similar concerns. A special session must be intervened by Congress to discuss the constitutionality of no-knock warrants immediately.

5. WE DEMAND A NEW PROSECUTOR AND A NEW GRAND JURY HEARING.Recent testimonies released by the brave jurors involved in the grand jury hearing have revealed, quite clearly, the conflict of interest involved in allowing Daniel Cameron to serve as the prosecutor on this case. His partisan interests and position within the GOP have clearly influenced his ability to fulfill his responsibilities as an Attorney General and officer of the law. His conduct in the case, and his complete disregard for the injustice and tragedy that occurred to Breonna Taylor, is completely unacceptable.
This has carried on for over seven months. For weeks, the city treated Breonna like she was a criminal, calling her a "suspect" before finally admitting that she was an innocent, crimeless victim. She had no drugs. She committed no crime. Yet, she is dead, and the perpetrators are facing no charges.
She was not only an exemplary citizen, but an essential one. She was a daughter, a friend, an American hero, and most importantly, a person. She deserved to be treated as such.

In what world is it fair, just, or legal, to kill a crimeless victim in their own home, and call it an accident? You cannot kill an innocent woman and chalk it up to a clerical error. At the very least, we must hold the system that killed Breonna Taylor accountable.
Let's get justice for Breonna. Say her name.
PLEASE help me get the word out, and share this campaign on your social media platforms. Thank you to everyone who is helping in our fight to get justice for Breonna.

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Breonna Taylor was an award-winning EMT and model citizen. She loved her family and community, working at two hospitals as an essential worker during the pandemic. Over six months ago, a division of the Louisville Police Department performed an illegal, unannounced drug raid on her home, executing a discriminatory, botched no-knock warrant.

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Select a Native American to run the Department of the Interior

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Select a Native American to run the Department of the Interior

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0 have signed. Let's get to 50,000!

We would like to formally request that incoming U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris name the Department of the Interior to be filled now, and ideally in perpetuity, by a Native American.

We need a leader who will strengthen our country and not give in to corporations looking to exploit our shared resources. The Native tribes of this land have centuries-long traditions of doing just that: caring for the land, living in harmony with it, and using its resources in balance and with reverence.

Let's not forget that nearly all Americans reside on land that was mostly stolen from Native tribes. Despite this injustice, Native American communities actively participate in our democracy and were essential to the coalition-building that led to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's historic win in this year's presidential election. For example, some tribes in Arizona voted 97% for Biden-Harris. We owe it to our Native American communities to give them a seat at the table.

Ideally, we would like to see a panel of tribal leaders weigh in on the selection process for this cabinet position, using criteria important to them for such an appointment. This process would demonstrate deference to these groups suffering at the U.S. government's hands since the founding of our country.

Naming a Native American to lead the Department of the Interior honors the sacrifice Native tribes have made for the growth of our country, as well as rewards them for their participation in our democracy. Most importantly, it provides this important leadership role to a group that culturally is best suited to protect our natural resources in a sustainable and honorable manner.

Sign this petition to ask the Biden-Harris administration to appoint a Native American leader as the next Secretary of the Interior.

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We would like to formally request that incoming U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris name the Department of the Interior to be filled now, and ideally in perpetuity, by a Native American. We need a leader who will strengthen our country and not give in to corporations looking to exploit our shared resources.

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Native American Reparation Act - Land, Minerals, Genocide, and Oppression

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Native American Reparation Act - Land, Minerals, Genocide, and Oppression

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Natives had their land stolen, their people slaughtered, their resources taken, their homes ruined, their heritage broken, and their people destroyed. 577 Million Native Americans would be alive today if not for the genocide of their people.
U.S. Stats on Native Americans

1. 2,430,000,000 acres of land stolen from Native Americans.

2. Genocide of Native Americans range from 95,000,000 to 114,000,000 slaughtered. Each life is priceless.

3. $48,355,153,052,264 of resources (gold, silver, platinum, iron, copper, palladium, coal, lumber, oil, natural gasses, and 24 other resources) have been stolen from Native Americans (estimate based on pillage of U.S. territories from 1492 to present and adjusted for inflation averaging $92.8 billion dollars per year.)

4. The average cost of an acre of land in the United States is $3,160. Native Americans have been given (forced to live) and paid for 125 million acres of land. 2,215,000,000 acres of land still have not been paid for. The cost per acre multiplied by the land stolen equals $6,999,400,000,000 ($6.9 trillion.)

5. The sites of millions of Native American resting grounds have been excavated, and still to this day are being unearthed.

6. The EPA set the price for human life at $9.1 million dollars. The mean number from the Native American genocide is 104,500,000‬ people. According to the EPA, the total cost of life lost from the American genocide of Native Americans is $950,950,000,000,000 ($950 trillion dollars)

7. The U.S. collected $526 billion dollars in property taxes from stolen land in 2017. The total amount of taxes collected in the U.S. for properties and adjusted for inflation is $63,002,197,877,244.60 ($63 trillion dollars)

Total Damages: $1,069,306,750,929,509.60 USD (1 quadrillion dollars) This amount of money doesn't exist, but it's to illustrate that reparations are needed for the Native American people. This doesn't include:

1. The lives that would have been (there won't be 10 million Native Americans living in total until 2060.)

2. The damages for damaging burial sites, artifacts, and cultural sites.

3. The mental health issues that stem from children being taken from their families and put into conversion schools, or family members being murdered or beaten just for being Native American.

4. The oppression of Native American people and the effects it had on its people including stigma, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, unemployment, suicide, disease, rape, and violence.

Native Americans Today:

1. Native Americans own 272k businesses in the U.S.

2. Native Americans employ 96k people in Oklahoma, 41k in Minnesota, and 27k people in Washington.

3. There about 5.2 million people who have above 12.5% indigenous blood.

4. 26.8% live in poverty (compared to the national average of 4.6%)

5. A Native American is 1.7x more likely to commit suicide than any other race.

6. A Native American Youth is 2.5x more likely to commit suicide than other races.

7. Native Americans are 3.2x more likely to develop diabetes because of the extreme poverty rate they live in.

8. Home lives are stressful because of poverty, and from the abuse, violence, and judgment from other races.

9. Native American children were still taken from their homes to force them to speak English and forget their heritage as soon as the 1970s.

10. A Native American is 2x more likely to be raped than any other race.

11. Native American Women are 3.5x more likely to be human trafficked in the U.S. than any other race. Possible reasons are because of bad home lives and luring girls off of the reservation. Another possible reason is that police enforcement is small on reservations, and state and federal cops take Native American calls less seriously than others.

12. The Bureau of Indian Affairs enforces a little over 1% of the entire nation with only 0.17% of the entire nation's police force. Citizens off the reservation will see 1 cop for every 291 people, on the reservation, that number is 1 in 768. These officers are usually responsible for maintaining order at Native American casinos, which skyrockets the density of officers to people.

13. Only 17% of Native Americans attend post-secondary institutes because of the lack of education funding, funding that disappears from the reserves, can't afford to attend, sexual assault, targeting, and many take care of other family members. The national average is 60%.

The lives of Native Americans have been devastated and destroyed by American settlers, the American government, and it's people, which had led to the downfall of an entire race and needs to be repatriated.
Repayment Option:
This land was sold by the government to settlers, and the government has been collecting property tax on these properties for its entire existence.

WHO QUALIFIES: Any person registered with a Native American Federally Registered Tribe, and has a Native American blood content of at least 25%. The majority of Native Americans who are alive today fall between 20% and 30%. Those who are 20% can receive 1/6 share. Those who are 12.5% can receive 1/8 share.

WHO BENEFITS: The Native American people directly. There is too much corruption in Native American governments for the funds to be sent to each nation. Native Americans are given a registration number with enrollment. The government will need to make a site to process payments and to ensure validity. The site will work similarly to unemployment, where beneficiaries must request their payment once per month. Those under the age of 17 will not qualify for the payment. When the beneficiary becomes the age of 17, they will start to earn repayments.
HOW WILL THIS BE FUNDED:

1. 18% of all property tax collected in the U.S. will go to fund the program. The account will be funded based on the prior year's property tax income divided by 12 months and then distributed amongst those who request their monthly payment. This will give each Native American $1,517.30 per month.

2. An added sales tax of 1.025% applied across the board in the U.S. This will give each Native American a direct payment of $1,757.61 per month.

Collected Yearly: $204,355,000,000.00
Estimated Monthly Recipients: 5,200,000
Estimated Yearly Payouts: $39,299.03
Estimated Monthly Payouts: $3,274.91
ADDITIONAL:

1. This must be paid directly to Native Americans

2. The entire amount will be repaid within 5,232 years, we suggest this payment be indefinite.

3. This must be an umbrella payment. It is unfair to those in states with low populations to receive lower payments because of their geographic location. The U.S. must be taxed as a whole and distributed to people as a whole.

4. It must be divided by people, not by tribe. This would create massive inequality.

Ways you can help:
1. Share this campaign on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever social media comes from. Share to groups.

3. Text START to:
1-833-735-0500
To opt-in for updates on who supports/opposes this act

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References 1. U.S. Census Bureau. (2012, January). C2010BR-10: 2010 Census Briefs: The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2010. 2. U.S. Census Bureau; (2018). Table PEPASR5H: Population Estimates, 2018 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau; (2018). Table PEPAGESEX: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Selected Age Groups by Sex, 2018 Population Estimates. 3. U.S. Census Bureau; (2018). Table PEPASR5H: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Age, Race Alone or in Combination, 2018 Population Estimates. 4. U.S. Census Bureau; (2018). Table PEPASR5H: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Age, Race Alone or in Combination, 2018 Population Estimates. 5. U.S. Census Bureau; (2018). Table PEPASR5H: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Age, Race Alone or in Combination, 2018 Population Estimates. 6. U.S. Census Bureau. (2012, January). C2010BR-10: 2010 Census Briefs: The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2010. 7. Indian Health Service. (2019, October). Disparities. Retrieved from https://www.ihs.gov/newsroom/factsheets/disparities/ 8. Indian Health Service. (2019, October). Disparities. Retrieved from https://www.ihs.gov/newsroom/factsheets/disparities/ 9. National Indian Council on Aging. (2019, September 9). American Indian Suicide Rate Increase. Retrieved from https://www.nicoa.org/national-american-indian-and-alaska-native-hope-for-life-day/ 10. U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. (2018). The World Factbook: Country Comparison. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/335rank.html 11. Minority Business Development Agency. (2016). Honoring 2016 National Native American Heritage Month. Retrieved https://www.mbda.gov/news/blog/2016/11/honoring-2016-national-native-american-heritage-month 12. Dean, K. D. (2017). The economic Impact of Tribal Nations in Oklahoma Fiscal Year 2017. Retrieved from https://www.tribalselfgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Alltribe-2019-Impact-Report.pdf 13. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2019). 2017 Census of Agriculture. (Report No. AC-17-A-51). Retrieved from https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_US/usv1.pdf 14. Reaves, B. (2011). Tribal law enforcement, 2008. (U.S. Department of Justice Report No. NCJ, 234217). Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/tle08.pdf 15. Reaves, B. (2011). Tribal law enforcement, 2008. (U.S. Department of Justice Report No. NCJ, 234217). Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/tle08.pdf 16. U.S. Department of Justice. (2019, July). Tribal Crime Data-Collection Activities, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/tcdca19.pdf 17. Indian Health Service. (2019, October). Disparities. Retrieved from https://www.ihs.gov/newsroom/factsheets/disparities/ 18. Association on American Indian Affairs. (n.d.). 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How much revenue do state and local governments raise from property taxes?
https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/projects/state-and-local-backgrounders/property-taxes
National Sources of Law Enforcement Employment Data
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/nsleed.pdf

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Natives had their land stolen, their people slaughtered, their resources taken, their homes ruined, their heritage broken, and their people destroyed. 577 Million Native Americans would be alive today if not for the genocide of their people. U.S. Stats on Native Americans 2,430,000,000 acres of land stolen from Native Americans.

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The issue that we have decided to address is the voting ID issue that currently is making it extremely hard for Native Americans to vote. As for the Native Americans who live on reservations, they are both part of their own democracy as well as citizens of the USA, meaning that they are legally allowed to vote. However, certain states have created new regulations for the voters ID which in their words helps, "prevent voters fraud." Indirectly, though, the new regulations takes the right to vote away from many minorities, one of the most significant being the Native Americans. A ticket allowing one to vote, is a permanent address. Since the Native Americans who live on reservations do not have an address, they are the ones who suffer. This issue denies them the right to vote which takes away their representation in the United States government.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The issue that we have decided to address is the voting ID issue that currently is making it extremely hard for Native Americans to vote. As for the Native Americans who live on reservations, they are both part of their own democracy as well as citizens of the USA, meaning that they are legally allowed to vote.