We've committed to volunteering our team's time to activism. Each employee gets paid to spend a minimum of two hours per week on activism.
This week we're addressing a variety of issues that have a high impact on marginalized communities. We're contacting government to demand accountability for police brutality and ICE detention. We're also writing and calling to demand safe access to voting rights, communications services, food security and PPE for individuals who need it the most.
Below is a list of what we're doing this week - it's organized so you can easily join us in enacting change. We've also complied a section of ongoing resources that have come in handy throughout this process.
At the bottom of this post, you can find some thoughts from us about the activism work we did this week.
Government
→ Read this, then write to Senate to support the passing of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
→ Call your local representative (find them here) to ask to block Trump’s Secret Federal Police Force.
Police Brutality
→ Sign petition to hold Detroit Police accountable for police brutality
→ Call to demand an investigation on the murder of DJ Henry by Police officer Aaron Hess
→ Call to demand justice for the murder of Muhammad Mhayim by Phoenix Police Department
COVID-19
→ Write to Congress to show support for the COVID-19 Compassion and Martha Wright Prison Phone Justice Act (part of the HEROES act) to allow for affordable access to communication for incarcerated people
→ Call your representative to make sure healthcare workers have proper access to PPE
→ Sign petition to waive COBRA fees to help protect the most at-risk groups from medical bankruptcy
→ Call your local representative (find them here) to demand that lawmakers provide robust guidelines to ensure schools are safe to reopen
ICE
→ Call Congress to demand that we end the zero tolerance policy at the border, and fight back against ICE detention
→ Read RAICES letter to Daniel Bible, ICE San Antonio Field Office Director, and then use this form to send a message to ICE to demand the release of all immigrants at risk of COVID-19
→ Use this form to email Congress to demand families be released from detention together
→ Use this form to email Congress to support the Coronavirus Immigration Family Protection Act
Community support
→ Phone Bank for #FreeThemAll by Raices (The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service)
→ Email Congress to maintain funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which feeds families struggling with food insecurity
→ Call the FCC to advocate against the discontinuation of the Lifeline program which provides accessible phone services for poor people, people of color, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.
