Thank You to Those Who are Taking Action
Black Lives Matter.
Black Creativity Matters. Black Artists Matter. Black Breath Matters.
Justice Matters.
It is long past time for a reckoning with the racist foundation of the economy and culture of the United States. White supremacy has systematically discriminated and terrorized our country’s black, brown, indigenous, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities. 500+ years is a long time, and George Floyd is only the latest in a long, terrible list of people who have been murdered because they were not considered equally human by their killers. As artists of many disciplines, we reflect, create culture, and have the opportunity and responsibility to amplify the voices of those who have been left out, to celebrate and support the cultures and peoples that have been ignored and mistreated, and to stand with anyone and any community that has been denied their human rights, indigenous rights, civil rights, and the fundamental opportunities granted in our Constitution.
So, thank you to those who are taking action.
Say their names: Ahmaud Arbery – Breonna Taylor – George Floyd – Rayshard Brooks.
Thank you to those taking action across our country and the world — who continue to put their lives at risk from police brutality and Covid-19 for racial justice, social change, and accountability. Thank you for honoring and remembering all of those from the Black community that have been killed by police violence and all of those who have been victimized and exploited by our country’s criminal justice system.
Black Lives Matter.
The institutional structural racism and the economic, discriminatory, and legal barriers and structures that founded and are embedded in all of our U.S. systems (private and public) must be dismantled. Public workers and governmental officials at all levels are paid with public tax dollars. They work for the public and they must answer to the public. The public has every right to hold them accountable. They work for us. This includes law enforcement. Thank you to those who are taking action.
Protests of all kinds are key tools for change — whether participating in a protest march, signing a petition, participating in a boycott, making phone calls and sending emails — it all helps to make change. Providing funding (no matter what amount) to people, organizations and/or causes that are working for accountability and for racial & social justice helps to make change. Thank you to those who are taking action.
Political organizing and pushing for budgetary, legislative, policy and regulatory action and reforms on all levels — local, state, and federal — are also critical for making change. It is equally important that those who want racial justice and social change run for public office or volunteer to serve on public boards and committees. Those who can’t run for public office or volunteer to serve, should support these candidates and volunteers (by volunteering for their campaigns, donating funds, showing up to public meetings, sending in written testimony, etc). Doing these actions directly support those who are protesting and are working on all levels for needed racial justice, social change, needed reforms, and accountability. Thank you to those who are taking action.
It is of the upmost importance for everyone to fill out the 2020 U.S. Census (https://wp.me/p2W9Iu-2Pi) and for those who are eligible to vote — vote this fall — in the primaries and in the November election. It is imperative that people regularly vote in their local, state, and federal elections. Taking part in voter registration drives and helping people get to the voting polls are critical. Pushing for the ability to vote by mail and stopping voter suppression of all kinds and on all levels is paramount. All of these actions also support those who are protesting and are working on all levels for needed racial justice, social change, needed reforms, and accountability. Thank you to those who are taking action.
Not everyone can do all of these actions, but not doing something is not an option.
Thank you to those who are taking action.
Say their names: Ahmaud Arbery – Breonna Taylor – George Floyd – Rayshard Brooks.
Black Lives Matter.
Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition (MALC), is an all volunteer artist founded and led coalition working to ensure that Massachusetts artists of all disciplines have a voice in public dialogs, decisions, and key public policy initiatives that impact the artists community and the creative economy. MALC works to ensure that artists have a permanent place at the policy making table. Our coalition primarily focuses on state and national matters.
Links & Resources
(Current as of 6/17/20)
Link to the 2020 Census:
https://2020census.gov
Key National Voting Resource
See if you are registered to vote or register to vote, vote by mail, fill out the census, etc.
https://www.vote.org/
Key Massachusetts Resource
How to find out who your federal and state elected officials are and where to vote (also has a link to your local city or town government):
http://www.wheredoivotema.com
See if you are registered to vote in MA, to register to vote in MA, change your address or voting affiliation, etc.
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/
Selected Legislation
Massachusetts Legislation:
Mass. Black and Latino Legislative Caucus Unveil Ten-Point Plan to Address Police Violence, Advance Racial Justice:
https://www.mablacklatinocaucus.com/our-work/mbllc-and-other-elected-officials-of-color-call-for-reforms-in-the-wake-of-anti-police-brutality-protests
Another link to the ten point plan:
https://senatorjasonlewis.com/2020/06/03/mbllc-10-points/
Massachusetts Indigenous Legislative Agenda:
http://maindigenousagenda.org
Recent Federal Legislation:
Massachusetts Senator Warren and Congresswoman Pressley introduce bill to make it a crime for police officers to deny medical care to people in custody:
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/501447-warren-pressley-introduce-bill-to-make-it-a-crime-for-police-officers-to-deny
Massachusetts Congresswoman Presley and Senator Markey Push To End ‘Qualified Immunity’ For Police:
https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/06/04/pressley-markey-seek-end-to-police-immunity-as-protestors-demonstrate-demand-justice-for-george-floyd
Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley propose creating a national database of cops with a record of misconduct:
https://www.businessinsider.com/warren-merkley-propose-creating-national-database-cops-record-misconduct-2020-6
and
https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-to-introduce-legislation-to-investigate-and-hold-police-officers-and-departments-accountable-for-discriminatory-practices
Other State/ Local legislation:
NY Legislature repeals 50A – now requires full disclosure of police disciplinary records:
https://www.innocenceproject.org/in-a-historic-victory-the-new-york-legislature-repeals-50-a-requiring-full-disclosure-of-police-disciplinary-records/
Louisville KY City Council votes to ban no knock warrants:
https://www.wlky.com/article/metro-council-to-vote-thursday-on-changes-to-no-knock-warrants-breonna-taylor/32841311#
National and Massachusetts Organizations
“How to Support Racial Justice in Massachusetts” (including a list of National Organizations):
https://www.boston.com/culture/local-news/2020/06/04/how-to-support-racial-justice-in-massachusetts
Key national organization not listed in the above article:
Committee to Protect Journalists
https://cpj.org
The Marshall Project
https://www.themarshallproject.org
The Sentencing Project
https://www.sentencingproject.org
“Black Lives Matter: Eliminating Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System” (PDF, 14.2MB)
Police Violence Tracking:
Article by Aljazeera that maps the police killings of Black Americans:
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2020/05/mapping-police-killings-black-americans-200531105741757.html
Mapping Police Violence:
https://mappingpoliceviolence.org
Guides to Filming Police in Public
Teen Vogue – “How to Film Police Safely”:
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely
ACLU guidance:
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights/#i-want-to-take-pictures-or-shoot-video-at-a-protest
Additional ACLU resource:
https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/photographers-rights/filming-and-photographing-police
Selected NonViolent Revolution Resources
National:
Beautiful Trouble:
https://beautifultrouble.org
Beautiful Trouble exists to make nonviolent revolution irresistible by providing an ever-growing suite of strategic tools and trainings that inspire movements for a more just, healthy, and equitable world.
Massachusetts-based, but International in reach:
Dr. Gene Sharp (1.21.1928 – 1.28.2018), who lived in East Boston, was the world’s leading expert on nonviolent revolution. His work has influenced numerous anti-government resistance movements and acts of civil disobedience around the world. Jamila Raqib, the executive director of his Albert Einstein Institution, continues to advance this important work. Free resources and publications are on the website:
https://www.aeinstein.org
A link to “How to Start a Revolution”, a 2011 documentary about Dr. Sharp’s work:
https://www.howtostartarevolution.org
How to Run for Elected Office
National:
How to run for Office
https://www.runforoffice.org
Massachusetts Resource:
Massachusetts Secretary of State guide for candidates:
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/Candidates-Guide-generic.pdf
Voting Rights Organizations
National:
The Voting Rights Alliance:
https://www.votingrightsalliance.org
ACLU “Block the Voter Suppression in 2020″:
https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/block-the-vote-voter-suppression-in-2020/
Bustle – 8 voters rights organizations:
https://www.bustle.com/p/8-voting-rights-organizations-to-know-before-the-2020-elections-roll-around-13156367
Voter ID laws by state via Ballotpedia:
https://ballotpedia.org/Voter_identification_laws_by_state
Massachusetts Resource:
MassVote:
https://www.massvote.org
Legal Assistance:
National Lawyers Guild – Mission “To use law for the people, uniting lawyers, law students, legal workers, and jailhouse lawyers to function as an effective force in the service of the people by valuing human rights and ecosystems over property interests.”
www.nlg.org
Mass Bar Association — Among other areas of work they have a Lawyer Referral Assistance. Pro bono legal advice.
www.massbar.org
NOLO provides legal assistance on a wide variety of issues and also has a database which helps individuals find a lawyer, if needed.
www.nolo.com