Racial Justice Action Center

12/08/2020

“We want to see [Atlanta City Detention Center] demolished,” says Marilynn Winn, Women On The Rise...

A big movement is working to dismantle the criminal justice system, and it’s powered by women.

12/07/2020

2020 is coming to a close, why hasn't the jail?! CALL TO ACTION! Tweet Councilmembers to demand they keep their promise and demolish ACDC today! Click to tweet: http://bit.ly/3mSGipk

12/04/2020

Shouts out to Georgia STAND-UP & all the powerful organizations part of the Campaign who are getting Black voters registered & mobilized for January!

Georgia Democrats are working overtime to convince Black voters to turn out for the state's Jan. 5 runoffs as the party angles to unseat incumbent Republican senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Black voters turned out in record numbers to support Joe Biden last month, but turnout historically....

12/01/2020

As 2020 comes to a close in just under a month, so too will the Racial Justice Action Center.

As we announced at the end of 2019, we believe that this is the right next step for generating the new growth and new ideas we need for a radically transformed Atlanta, nation, and world.

Our legacy will live on through the work of the organizations we helped incubate: Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative - SNaP Co., Women On The Rise and the Atlanta/Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative. (Consider making a gift to them this !)

Read more about our sunset & watch the video at the link below!

It’s with mountains of pride & gratitude that we’re writing to update you on upcoming organizational shifts. As 2020 comes to a close in just a couple months, so too will the Racial Justice Action Center. As part of our commitment to collective liberation, we are closing up shop as a nonprofit c...

11/30/2020

Yes, an alternative is possible. Here’s a roadmap.

11/18/2020

The 2020 presidential election outcome in Georgia is important. Building a movement for liberation, however, requires a longer-term vision and view.

11/09/2020

Did you get the latest email from the Campaign? We need YOU to take action today!

TWEET COUNCILMEMBERS WHO VOTED TO ROLL BACK BAIL REFORM AT: bit.ly/32qZ26Q

We must keep the pressure on our City Council and let them know: there is a new electorate in town and we are watching. We will NOT forget that all but 3 City Council members voted last Monday to disregard the 230 people who called in for public comment and pass a bill that will lock more Black and Brown people in cages for longer.

We also want to thank everyone who quickly mobilized to defend our communities - in the midst of rising Coronavirus cases, a looming housing crisis, and a volatile national election! We know it's heartbreaking to have to defend our victories when we were already in a fight for our lives, but your efforts forced Buckhead Betties to have to put up a fight!

11/05/2020

The 287g program has been defeated in TWO counties COBB and GWINNETT! This is a people's VICTORY. Es la VICTORIA de nuestras comunidades. 'lCambio se hizo una realidad despues de 13 años de LUCHA! Hemos Ganado!

11/03/2020

Despite 230 calls urging Atlanta City Council not to roll back bail reform and criminalize more Black young people in Atlanta (in the midst of a pandemic, insecure housing, unstable jobs - and ALL while trying to get out the vote!), Atlanta City Council Member Carla Smith and Councilman Antonio Brown were the only ones to hold it down last night.

“'It is really trying to turn back the clock. It’s going backwards,' said Xochitl Bervera, the director of the Atlanta-based Racial Justice Action Center, referencing the city’s 2018 elimination of the cash bond requirement for some low-level offenders who otherwise would sit in jail because they can’t afford bail. Activists like Bervera would prefer a more community-oriented approach, like helping the drivers find a sanctioned space where they could safely gather."

Thanks to everyone who called in and made this an actual fight where Councilmembers had to show their true colors. Today we rock the vote for the presidential election... and then all eyes are back on you, Atlanta City Council. The times are changing and the lock 'em up crowd is seeing its last days.

Anyone arrested on charges related to street racing will no longer be able to immediately bond out of jail, under an ordinance passed by the Atlanta City Council on Monday.

11/03/2020

11/01/2020

🚨THE LINES ARE OPEN, ATLANTA!🚨Call 404-330-6001 before 7pm to tell Atlanta City Council they were only supposed to roll the clocks back *an hour* for daylight savings- don’t roll the clock back on years of progressive reforms!

Call script below, more info & talking points at https://www.schr.org/help-us-protect-bail-reform-in-atlanta/

☎️ CALL SCRIPT:

Hello, my name is ____. [If you live or work in Atlanta, say where you live or work – this is important!]

I’m calling to demand that the City Council vote NO on proposed ordinance 20-O-1653, which attempts to roll back bail reform and jail more people. We of course all want solutions, but this ordinance does not provide any. In fact, there’s been no evidence offered to suggest that increased jail time will have any proven deterrent effect on car events. We shouldn’t prioritize the voices of North Atlantans over the rest of the city –– we all deserve to feel safe, and a policy that caters to one community while harming another is unacceptable. It’s crucial that the City Council show some real leadership and work with the community in finding non-punitive and lasting solutions. Please vote no on this ordinance.