U.S (Color Of Change) : GUN VIOLENCE is a PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS !

 

 

 

Gun Violence is a public health crisis !           Dear friend,         I’m going to keep it real with you : Black people are living in a state of emergency.    COVID-19 has killed at least 600,000 Americans, while our country’s deadliest public health crisis rages on– gun violence.According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been over 300 mass shootings in the United States this year.       Friend, you've taken action to support our transformative racial justice work in the past, and now we're asking you to power this critical campaign to end gun violence and protect Black people. Can we count on you to contribute $25 to end this public health crisis?       It’s widely recognized that the War On Crime & the War On Drugs were both wildly unsuccessful and caused tremendous damage to Black people. From 1986 to 1988, Congress lengthed sentences and established mandatory minimums for crimes committed with a firearm. Many of the policies that are now synonymous with racial bias in the justice system — Stop & Frisk, 3 strikes laws, the 1994 crime bill — were initially offered as solutions to gun violence.  For the last 50 years, the gun violence epidemic in our communities has been compounded by structural racism and policies rooted in anti-Blackness, criminalization, and policing.    That’s why we can’t talk about gun violence in America without talking about the war police wage against our communities. This moment requires a systemic shift from harm-based, punitive legislation to public health strategies that prioritize harm-reduction, racial equity, and community empowerment.               YES, I CAN CHIP IN $15 TO END GUN VIOLENCE!             If you’re anything like me, you’re concerned, friend. Concerned about federal and statewide initiatives to “stop gun violence” by increasing police funding. That’s why Color Of Change is fighting for federal funding for community-led violence intervention programs. And advocating for policies that recognize the root causes for gun violence can only be understood within larger systems of capitalism, settler-colonialism, white supremacy, and heteropatriarchy.             CHIP IN $10 TO PROTECT BLACK PEOPLE.             At Color Of Change, we don’t take money from corporations. We depend on grassroots fundraising to power our gun violence prevention campaigns to :  Amplify the demands of community organizers on the ground  Put pressure on elected officials to fund community-based programs  Run digital, print, and radio ads  Host public events to mobilize our members and take action     And we know you’re committed to the fight for justice, that’s why we’re asking for your support now— will you power the movement to end gun violence ?              DONATE NOW: $10 DONATE NOW: $25 DONATE NOW: $15 OTHER AMOUNT             The fatal combination of COVID-19, policing, and gun violence in Black communities requires meaningful action at this moment. And it starts with recognizing that the burden of gun violence is more than an individual problem; it's a threat to us all.    Here's what the movement to end gun violence has won this year :  American Jobs Plan : President Biden has pledged $5B to community-led violence prevention programs.  CalVIP : Governor Newsome recently made a historic commitment of $200M that will go directly to critical, evidence-based programs that heal communities to reduce violence and support Californians.   To end gun violence, we must invest in strategies that address state violence and interpersonal violence simultaneously. Many of us have been duped into believing that the state is the only solution for administering “justice”. But in order for our anti-violence movements to be successful, we have to trust in the expertise of communities most impacted by this crisis and invest in the peer-intervention programs that actually keep people safe, instead of failed policing strategies.    If our critique of gun violence focuses solely on individual accountability, without a larger critique of the state, we risk replicating the same systems of oppression. Friend if you’re able, chip in $25 today to support our campaigns!       Another world is possible if we fight for it together.    Until Justice is Real,         Scott, Erika, Malachi, Megan, Ernie, Palika, Madison, Trevor, Ana, McKayla, Ariel, and the rest of the Color Of Change team.                   _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ REFERENCES :           1.Gun violence is an epidemic within the pandemic, Senator Ben Ray Luján and John Feinblatt, June 15, 2021

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change.