From: "Rashad Robinson" <[email protected]> Date: October 7, 2014 at 2:18:16 PM PDT To:[email protected]Subject:Police killings & Jim Crow era lynchingsReply-To: "Rashad Robinson" <[email protected]> Dear Nelson, The tragic police killing of 18-year-old Mike Brown hit home for millions across the country. The horror of losing a loved one, to senseless, racially-motivated police violence is a daily threat in the lives of Black people in America. In a time when law enforcement kill Black Americans at nearly the same rate as Jim Crow era lynchings,1 discriminatory and violent policing is a national crisis. National leaders are paying more attention to racial profiling and police brutality than they have in years, due to the hard work of Black youth and community leaders in Ferguson and across the country.2 In order to capture the momentum of this moment and secure long-term, systemic reforms that transform policing nationwide, we need the federal government to intervene and set a higher standard of policing. If enough of us demand action, we can change things. Will you join us in calling on the federal government to implement critical reforms to end abusive, militarized, and biased policing targeting Black and brown communities? While we continue to fight for justice for Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Ramarley Graham and so many others whose lives have been taken at the hands of racially-motivated and violent local law enforcement, the federal government has a clear role to play in overturning the conditions that led to these tragedies, and setting a higher standard of policing across the country. In key ways, the standards, policies, and practices of the executive branch set the tone and tactics of local and state law enforcement. Below are just a few reforms within the power of the White House, Department of Justice (DOJ), and other federal agencies that could go a long way in exposing and combating today’s discriminatory policing crisis: · A fully-resourced and rigorous investigation by the Department of Justice into discriminatory policing, excessive force, and death or injury by police in every state in the country. · A public national-level database of police shootings, excessive force, misconduct complaints, traffic and pedestrian stops, and arrests, broken down by race and other demographic data.3 · An end to federal grants and programs that incentivize the militarized and inhumane policing practices of the War on Drugs.4 · An executive order that creates a strong and enforceable prohibition on police brutality and discriminatory policing based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, immigration status, disability, and housing status. For decades, our communities have worked tirelessly to combat the wholesale criminalization of Black Americans and the unimaginable police violence that threatens our children, parents, and friends every day. A walk to the store or drive to ...

1. From: "Rashad Robinson" <[email protected]>
Date: October 7, 2014 at 2:18:16 PM PDT
To:[email protected]Subject:Police killings & Jim Crow era
lynchingsReply-To: "Rashad Robinson" <[email protected]>
Dear Nelson,
The tragic police killing of 18-year-old Mike Brown hit home
for millions across the country. The horror of losing a loved
one, to senseless, racially-motivated police violence is a daily
threat in the lives of Black people in America. In a time when
law enforcement kill Black Americans at nearly the same rate as
Jim Crow era lynchings,1 discriminatory and violent policing is
a national crisis.
National leaders are paying more attention to racial profiling
and police brutality than they have in years, due to the hard
work of Black youth and community leaders in Ferguson and
across the country.2 In order to capture the momentum of this
moment and secure long-term, systemic reforms that transform
policing nationwide, we need the federal government to
intervene and set a higher standard of policing.
If enough of us demand action, we can change things. Will you
join us in calling on the federal government to implement
critical reforms to end abusive, militarized, and biased policing
targeting Black and brown communities?
While we continue to fight for justice for Mike Brown, Eric
Garner, Ramarley Graham and so many others whose lives have
been taken at the hands of racially-motivated and violent local
law enforcement, the federal government has a clear role to play
in overturning the conditions that led to these tragedies, and
setting a higher standard of policing across the country. In key
ways, the standards, policies, and practices of the executive
branch set the tone and tactics of local and state law
enforcement. Below are just a few reforms within the power of
the White House, Department of Justice (DOJ), and other
federal agencies that could go a long way in exposing and

2. combating today’s discriminatory policing crisis:
· A fully-resourced and rigorous investigation by the
Department of Justice into discriminatory policing, excessive
force, and death or injury by police in every state in the
country.
· A public national-level database of police shootings, excessive
force, misconduct complaints, traffic and pedestrian stops, and
arrests, broken down by race and other demographic data.3
· An end to federal grants and programs that incentivize the
militarized and inhumane policing practices of the War on
Drugs.4
· An executive order that creates a strong and enforceable
prohibition on police brutality and discriminatory policing
based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender,
gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, immigration
status, disability, and housing status.
For decades, our communities have worked tirelessly to combat
the wholesale criminalization of Black Americans and the
unimaginable police violence that threatens our children,
parents, and friends every day. A walk to the store or drive to
the mall have long held the risk of an unwarranted search, false
arrest, or death. But we are in a historic time and how we
capture this time will impact generations to come — the kind of
world our children live in, the types of freedoms they have to
fight for.
With Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation approaching,
now is the time to push the Department of Justice to do much
more.5 Widespread public pressure can keep this issue at the
top of the administration’s agenda, and push them to move
forward before this major change in DOJ leadership. Next week,
community members in Ferguson are organizing a Weekend of
Resistance to build momentum for a nationwide movement to
end police brutality.6 We need your support to move federal
officials beyond symbolic actions to systemic reforms that
protect the civil and human rights of all communities.
Join us in calling on the Obama administration, DOJ, and other

3. federal agencies to take immediate action to strengthen police
accountability and end discriminatory policing.
Thanks and Peace,
— Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Lyla, Jamar and the rest of the
ColorOfChange.org team
October 7th, 2014
References
1. "Mike Brown’s shooting and Jim Crow lynchings have too
much in common. It’s time for America to own up," The
Guardian 08-25-14
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/25/mike-
brown-shooting-jim-crow-lynchings-in-common
2. "Justice Dept. opens civil rights inquiry of Ferguson police,"
LA Times 09-04-2014
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-nn-ferguson-civil-rights-
20140904-story.html
3. "Nobody Knows How Many Americans The Police Kill Each
Year," FiveThirtyEight Politics 08-19-14
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-many-americans-the-
police-kill-each-year/
4. "Stop and Seize," Washington Post 09-06-14
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2014/09/06/sto
p-and-seize/?hpid=z3
5. "Eric Holder To Step Down As Attorney General," NPR 09-
25-14
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-
way/2014/09/25/351363171/eric-holder-to-step-down-as-
attorney-general
6. "Join us in Ferguson for a national mobilization,"
ColorOfChange
http://act.colorofchange.org/signup/nationalmobilization/