Breonna Taylor was killed by Louisville, Kentucky, police when they shot her 8 times in her own house while she was asleep. Cops broke into her house in the middle of the night to do it. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, called 911 to report an intruder had killed Breonna. What gave police the right to enter her home with a SWAT team without warning? A no-knock raid.
There's an uprising in this country because of police violence against Black men and women. All over the nation, hundreds of thousands of people are in the streets demanding cities defund the police. We know that police don't keep us safe. As a nation, we spend almost $200 billion on police and jails. The only way to stop the racial profiling, harassment, and terrorizing of Black and Brown communities is to defund the police.
Public safety agencies in Louisville comprise 52% of its budget. By comparison, Louisville spends only 8% of its budget on public services. On one side, we have cops, courts, and jails. On the other, we have affordable housing, job training, and social services.
Resources
Divesting from Policing: Advancement Project National Office’s List of Demands
Advancement Project National Office is committed to supporting grassroots organizations across the country to build the power that will end this system. Our legal, communications and organizing teams were developed for this moment. Through collective action, we are confident that we can build a new society where communities of color can be free and safe. […]
The Price of “Public Safety”
What really makes up a city’s public safety budget? Advancement Project National Office examined the budgets of five cities during Week Against Mass Incarceration last week and found exuberant figures that keep residents criminalized.
The Genius of Ordinary People: How the Ferguson Collaborative Became the Voice of the Community
As the nation marks five years since the police killing of teenager Mike Brown and the series of protests known as the Ferguson Uprisings, a group of residents […]
News
Systemic Change is Within Our Sights Starting with Minneapolis
Advancement Project National Office has long called for systemic change in our criminal legal system and may soon see a win as the Minneapolis City Council is heavily weighing disbandment of the Minneapolis Police Department following the charge of all four police officers involved in the racially motivated killing of George Floyd. True justice will […]
#GeorgeFloyd and COVID-19: We’re fighting two pandemics.
By: Maya Boddie Outside may be closed, but it’s still open season on Black people in the United States. In the past weeks, the nation’s COVID-19 death toll surpassed 100,000 — the majority of deaths falling on Black communities. Though the number of deaths is alarming, our work at Advancement Project National Office over the […]
How You Can Act Now to Address Police Violence
You’ve heard it time and time again: we are living in unprecedented times. The coronavirus has exacerbated every systemic flaw embedded in the American fabric. This pandemic, juxtaposed with the recent police killings of Breonna Taylor (Louisville, KY) and George Floyd (Minneapolis, MN), has lifted the veil on racial injustice for some and reaffirmed what […]
We won! First of its kind Federal order during COVID-19
As you know, our Justice Project team has been working hard to combat the spread of coronavirus in jails nationwide to keep communities #FreeAndSafe – and today, WE WON! Today, civil rights and racial justice groups have won freedom for medically vulnerable people inside the Oakland County Jail in Michigan, and family members will soon welcome home loved ones eligible to […]
Quarantine Week 10: Wins, Setbacks and Hope
“If I fall, I’ll fall five feet four inches in the direction of freedom. I’m not backing off.” -Fannie Lou Hamer By Maya Boddie Over the past few months, life has looked different. Schools have closed their doors. Primary elections were delayed or canceled. What we once knew to be normal is no more. But […]
#FreeBlackMamas with Michigan Liberation this Mother’s Day
Powered by the People #FreeBlackMamas is an annual campaign by National Bail Out seeking to raise awareness about the human and financial costs of money bail and emphasize its impact on Black mothers and caregivers. This year, we’re supporting our partner Michigan Liberation in their goal of raising $60,000 to help free Black mamas throughout […]
JOIN US! A Decarceration Response to COVID-19: Webinar THIS Thursday
Join us this Thursday, April 2, for a webinar on a Decarceration Response to COVID-19. We will discuss the work of Advancement Project National Office and that of our partners to advocate for the decarceration and humane treatment of loved ones and community members inside prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Speakers: Advancement Project National […]
Just For You: Three Virtual Census Day Events
Today, April 1st, is Census Day! It’s a national celebration aimed at encouraging every U.S. resident to complete the Census. The U.S. Census is a count of all individuals living in the United States and determines how $675 billion in federal funding is invested in local communities. If you have not already, complete the short […]
¡Si Se Puede! How Cesar Chavez Inspires Us to Challenge COVID-19 Systemic Inequality
By Shuya Ohno, Managing Director of Campaign Strategy Phoenix, AZ – Dolores Huerta at the protest vigil in front of the AZ State Capital in 2010 Today, we commemorate Cesar Chavez Day under a heavy cloud of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. Here in New York City where I live, make-shift hospital tents are being set […]
9 Greatest Cesar Chavez Quotes
If you ask anyone who’s ever been involved in the fight for racial justice who’s their favorite organizer in the movement, chances are you’ll meet a few who’ll tell you Cesar Chavez. Born near Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, 1927, Chavez grew up watching his family toil on farms for unjust wages. Witnessing injustice first […]
