Statement: Ana Maria Archila Responds to Biden Sexual Assault Allegations
05.01.2020
In the early fall of 2018, the Center for Popular Democracy joined with partner...
05.01.2020
In the early fall of 2018, the Center for Popular Democracy joined with partner organizations in the nation’s capital to protest the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, who was poised to be confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States, despite allegations of sexual assault in his past. As a part of those protests, Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, had what was to become a viral confrontation with Senator Jeff Flake in an elevator, in which she and a fellow activist shared their stories of sexual assault and asked Flake to vote against the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh.
Below is a statement from Archila, addressing how she, as a survivor, an organizer, and the co-executive director of CPD is responding to Tara Reade’s allegations against Joe Biden and his appearance in MSNBC’s Morning Joe:
“As someone who helped organize the protests against Brett Kavanaugh, I know that what initially animated me, and the many thousands who joined, was an understanding that Kavanaugh’s presence on the Supreme Court posed a grave threat to the rights of women, LGBTQ families, workers, communities of color and our democracy. When Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s story surfaced, we also understood that if Kavanaugh were confirmed to the highest court of the land, it would reaffirm a culture that enables sexual violence by minimizing the experiences women, and especially of survivors, and prioritizing the interests and life story of the men accused.
“Now Joe Biden stands accused. This morning he spoke for the first time about the allegations by Tara Reade, and issued yet another blanket denial of the assault, without any reflections on how women, and survivors of all genders, are treated in our society. As someone seeking to govern the country, he has a responsibility to model how to hold the pain of survivors and speak about the reality of our collective experience, even as he denies the allegations against him. That is the role of a leader.
“When thousands of survivors told their stories in solidarity with Dr. Blasey Ford, we did so to help our leaders understand that this was not about the experience of just one woman, but a collective story of who we are as a country. In order to transform our society into one where women and gender non-conforming people are treated as equals, the stories of survivors must be taken seriously and received with empathy, not a collective shrug. That’s what “believe survivors” means.
“Those who are accused of perpetuating or enabling violence have a role to play in the effort to transform our society. They can model how to receive with empathy and circumspection the stories of individuals or communities who speak about the harm they have endured. They can model how to tease out from the story of one person the elements of our collective experience, and they can model willingness to take responsibility. This approach is necessary not just to end sexual violence, but to adress the collective and generational harm of racism, xenophobia and more.
“Our country is at a moment of grave danger. President Trump’s racism and xenophobia has caused serious harm to millions of people, and his administration’s inept handling of the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in the deaths of thousands. We cannot afford to have four more years of Trump, and we will do everything necessary to defeat him in November.
“Demanding more of Joe Biden’s leadership is not in contradiction with our commitment to defeat Trump. It is, in fact, central to that effort.”
# # #
Media Contact: Lia Weintraub, lweintraub@populardemocracy.org, 202-618-2482
House Leadership Commits to Progressive Relief Package
04.24.2020
WASHINGTON -- In a call with members of over a dozen progressive...
04.24.2020
WASHINGTON -- In a call with members of over a dozen progressive organizations, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) and U.S. Reps. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) committed to passing legislation through the House that puts people first. They listened as immigrant small business owners spoke about having to close up shop, frontline workers told stories of showing up at work without protective equipment, and people who lost their jobs spoke about being unable to pay rent.
Link to the full forum is available here.
When asked about the timeline for introduction for the next package, Clyburn said: “I can’t tell you when the bill will head to the floor, but I can tell you what we are working on to get in the bill. I will tell you that the bill is already written.”
He indicated a number of priorities for the spending package, including: $65 billion for community health centers and $82 billion for 100 percent broadband across the country. He said that the $400 million for election protection from the CARES Act was insufficient, and that he would advocate for $1.8 billion for vote by mail in the next package, citing “I don’t think this President plans to have an election at all. He will do everything he can to circumvent people going to the polls in November.” He discussed resources to “restructure the health care system” and provide for widespread testing.
Jeffries said that the scale of the response should be directed to the people who have been hit the hardest, and noted that was the priority for “CARES 2.0,” which would originate in the House.
Ayanna Pressley said that we need a bill that puts people first, but noted the importance for public pressure for legislation to truly bail out the people. She committed to legislation that cancels student debt; cancels rent and mortgage for residential and commercial properties; provides direct cash assistance; and includes people regardless of immigration status. She added: “This is a matter of life and death and we need to act like it.”
Tlaib discussed the disconnect between many of her peers in Congress and people who are living paycheck to paycheck, citing “our children don’t have lobbyists.” Tlaib discussed getting $2,000 per month to all people through a debit card, regardless of age and immigration status and for the duration of the crisis, and ensure that water is a human right. “We do more for corporations every single day. It’s time for us to do more for people.”
García acknowledged that he “reluctantly voted” for the bill yesterday because it provides money for small businesses and hospitals, and provides useful data, but admitted that it was not enough to provide support for the people who need it most. He noted the importance of funding for democracy in the next package, saying that funding for vote by mail should be expanded nationwide.
Democrats have received criticism from progressive groups for the most recent spending package, indicating that the relief packages thus far have left the country’s most vulnerable out. Despite the widespread pain across the country, Black and Latinx people are suffering and dying disproportionately. Immigrants, despite holding many frontline jobs, were cut out of all previous relief packages.
The dozen progressive groups sponsoring the event held Clyburn, García, Jeffries, Tlaib and House Democrats to the following priorities:
1. Health is the top priority, for all people, with no exceptions
2. Economic relief must be provided directly to the people
3. Rescue workers and communities, not corporate executives.
4. Make a downpayment on a regenerative economy while preventing future crises
5. Protect our democratic process while protecting each other
Speakers shared their stories and made the case for each portion of the agenda.
Provide economic relief directly to people
Julissa Bisono, associate director of organizing at Make the Road New York
“My neighbors are dying. I get daily calls from neighbors and our members who have lost loved ones. Our organization, Make the Road New York, has lost more than 30 of our members, clients, and adult education students. Two weeks ago, I lost my uncle. The stimulus bills so far have excluded most of our members and my family members and neighbors. Because they’re undocumented, they cannot get the cash assistance, and they cannot get Unemployment Insurance. And the government has done nothing to cancel the rent or provide debt relief for anyone in our community.”
Jonny, a housekeeper and member of the National Domestic Workers Alliance
"As a housecleaner, I am an essential worker and have always been an essential worker. All domestic workers have always been essential, even before this pandemic. Our work makes all other work possible. We need direct cash assistance now."
Tabatha Yelós, People’s Action member and organizer with Ground Game Los Angeles
“I was one of the millions of Americans that did not pay rent in April and will be one of the millions of Americans that will not pay rent in May. My story, and the story of many of my neighbors, proves that by choosing to offer aid to employers and large corporations, the government has chosen to leave out too many Americans, including its own employees.”
Sara Castro, an organizer with Student Action’s Student Debt Campaign
“The full cancellation of student debt is not just a student issue, for the 43 million of us who need the relief now and is necessary for us to get through and recover from this crisis.”
Rescue workers and communities, not corporate executives
Zaid Consuegra Sauza, a DACA recipient and restaurant owner in Kansas City, Missouri
“COVID-19 came right before the spring, as most restaurants are dependent on strong earnings from Spring and Summer to secure a good fiscal year. Right now, our rent has been suspended, and we’re paying minimum payments on our utility bills to keep the accounts open. Unfortunately, I had to make the difficult decision to temporarily close, due to the loss of traffic. I'm personally not taking in any income, and I wasn’t able to keep my crew on payroll. We gave out the perishable food to our employees. Now a month later I’m relying on friends, family and strangers to cover my necessities. Congress must pass federal aid that helps all people, including undocumented people like me, such as the Paycheck Guarantee Act. Programs like this would allow small businesses like mine to keep our employees on payroll, with 100% of the costs covered by grants from the federal government.”
Melissa Love, a Walmart warehouse worker and member of United for Respect
“Like so many other people who work on the frontlines at grocery stores, retail and warehouses, staying home and not working is not an option for me. I have to be face to face with the virus, by being around customers or associates who are unknowingly a carrier of the virus. This increases fear in not only me, but also in my associates,” said. “If change is going to happen it needs to come from the company and from Congress, and above all, from all of us coming together to fight for it.”
Ramona DeLoera, a farmworker and member of Justice for Migrant Women
“The farmworkers in my community are lining up at food banks and are being turned away because there is not enough food for everyone. But we see in the news and hear about farms throwing food away or letting them rot in the fields because they don’t have businesses to sell them to. I want Congress to include support for farmworkers in the next relief bill. We are risking our health and our lives to keep food on the tables and in grocery stores for other families across this country. And yet, we are struggling to feed our own families.”
Health is a top priority for all people, with no exceptions
Robert Laurence, an independent contractor and member of the Texas Organizing Project
“I don't know how I'll be able to pay my rent, car payment, my school debt, or the many other bills I have coming up. I am also considered high risk since I don't have money to be vaccinated or have treatment. We need healthcare coverage, cancelation of rent, debt, and an economic bailout for all the working families in America.”
Noemi Romero, member of Puente Arizona and Mijente
“In 2013, I was detained at one of Arpaio’s work raids. I was detained in the county jail for two months and then transferred to Eloy Detention Center, where I was detained for another month. For this reason today I advocate for others still incarcerated and more than ever now with this pandemic going on. I’ve experienced the non-living conditions inside the old moldy walls, the cheap soap smaller than a travel size that does not lather. That is why today I ask our elected officials to take action and release our loved ones from these cages, they are one of the vulnerable communities.”
Dalia Cruz, laboratory essential worker and member of CASA Pennsylvania
“Both my undocumented husband and myself are essential workers. We are both thankful to this land and the opportunity that we have been given in working and raising our children here but it is hard to keep working knowing that our lives are not being valued, nor respected. Every day, my husband and I have to decide to put not just our lives at risk but also our children’s. Every day we have to decide between our lives or food on our table. Every day we have to decide if all this effort is worth it when the message that we keep hearing from this administration is that we don’t belong here.”
Protect our democratic process, while protecting each other
Joe Maldonado, Councilmember from Fitchburg, Wisconsin and a member of the Working Families Party
“This should not be on the city of Fitchburg to look under the couch to find the resources to administer elections safely. We need the government to step in and make sure that cities and municipalities have fair elections.”
Make a downpayment on a regenerative economy while preventing future crises
Dallas Goldtooth, a climate organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network
“The Navajo nation is one of the places hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. Congress needs to recognize that climate change and climate justice are central to this crisis. We need a regenerative economy in indigenous communities. We have to stop ignoring that the climate crisis is fueling the inequities in our society.”
Rev. Mike Atty, executive director of United Congregations of Metro-East, a partner of the Sierra Club
“The COVID-19 crisis has hurt our efforts to address climate change and the economic crises that worsen it. We need the federal government to invest in clean, green, equitable job creation in our communities.”
Ezra Levin, Co-Executive Director of the Indivisible Project
"We are living through a time of national trauma that demands empathy and expertise and rapid response. We’ve got one party that controls the Presidency and Senate, with no compassion for human suffering and no basic competence. That’s why we need Democrats to fight back against this like they fought back against TrumpCare and the Trump Tax Scam in 2017. We helped build the largest midterm margins in American history in 2018 precisely to give Democrats power to negotiate in times like this."
The forum was sponsored by Be a Hero, Center for Popular Democracy, Community Change, Dream Defenders, Indivisible, Main Street Alliance, Mijente, MoveOn, National Domestic Workers Alliance, People’s Action, She the People, United for Respect, United We Dream and the Working Families Party.
###
Media Contact: Lia Weintraub, lweintraub@populardemocracy.org, 202-618-2482
Progressives Outraged with Latest Coronavirus Relief Bill
04.21.2020
WASHINGTON -- In response to the Senate passing a relief bill today, Ana...
04.21.2020
WASHINGTON -- In response to the Senate passing a relief bill today, Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, released the following statement:
"Today, the Senate passed a relief bill that falls woefully short of what our country needs. People are waiting in line for hours at food banks, tens of millions of people have lost their health care and source of income. They have less than two weeks to get the help they need before the rent is due. Yet instead of prioritizing relief for the people who need it the most, and the communities and workers that are hardest hit by this crisis, Republicans and Democrats passed a bill that falls short of addressing the scope of the problem.
“We need Democrats to fight for people and communities, and meet the magnitude of people’s suffering with a vigorous and urgent effort to put money in people’s hands right now. They need to call out Trump's scapegoating of immigrants for what it is: an effort to distract the American public from his inept management of this crisis. It is more important than ever for Democrats to build a response that centers the needs of Black and Brown communities who are disproportionately suffering and dying, essential workers who are risking their lives unprotected, unemployed people and the uninsured, unhoused people and renters, immigrants, and people surviving paycheck to paycheck and foodbank to foodbank. Democrats must be the party of the people and demand the relief on a scale that reaches and takes care of the most vulnerable communities. We will only get out of this crisis when essential workers have what they need, and when every family can access health care, food and shelter.
“Today’s deal fails on every measure, and we oppose these kinds of half-measures. People deserve, and desperately need, real relief right now. Congress must fulfill its critical role in bringing a recovery for all.”
###
Media Contact: Lia Weintraub, lweintraub@populardemocracy.org, 202-618-2482
Wisconsin Elections Nothing Short of Devastation
04.07.2020
MILWAUKEE -- In response to Wisconsin holding elections today amidst a...
04.07.2020
MILWAUKEE -- In response to Wisconsin holding elections today amidst a global pandemic, Emma Greenman, Director of Voting Rights and Democracy at the Center for Popular Democracy released the following statement:
“Today’s primary election in Wisconsin is a reflection of what happens when state lawmakers refuse to act to protect the basic function of our democracy during a pandemic. This is not a partisan issue -- in a functioning democracy, no voter should have to choose between casting a ballot and their personal safety.
“But that is exactly what is happening today in Wisconsin. In defiance of public health and voting rights experts, the Republican-controled state legislature refused common sense measures to keep people safe during this election.They refused to ensure every registered voter got access to a ballot. They refused to ensure that every voter who requested a ballot would receive and be able to safely cast that ballot. And they refused to allow the state the time it needed to make voting safe in the midst of a global pandemic.
“This democracy crisis will impact every voter and every community, but as with COVID-19, the crisis of democracy exacerbates existing racial inequality in our system. In Milwaukee county, where Black people make up 26 percent of the population and 81 percent of the deaths from the virus, there were only five polling places open. Black voters in Wisconsin who were already disproportionately impacted by Wisconsin’s voter ID law were further disenfranchised today. For communities of color and other vulnerable communities, the failure to protect voters from the impacts of COVID-19 compounds the existing barriers to the ballot.
“There are countless stories on the ground of voters and election volunteers making the agonizing choice between the virus and the vote. Today, it’s Wisconsin. But come November, this is what Election Day in states across the country could look like if lawmakers -- of both parties -- do not urgently act to ensure state voting laws, election administration practices, and local resources meet the needs to protect every vote while keeping voters and communities safe during this pandemic. Congress must act to provide states the additional $2.6 billion in funding they need to protect voters and run safe elections in November. Our democracy depends on it.”
# # #
Media Contact: Lia Weintraub, lweintraub@populardemocracy.org, 202-618-2482
Housing Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Cancel Rent and Mortgages
03.31.2020
NATIONWIDE -- Tomorrow, millions of families across the...
03.31.2020
NATIONWIDE -- Tomorrow, millions of families across the United States will be unable to make their rent and mortgage payments due to unemployment and illness. The economic and public health crises caused by coronavirus have compounded for families that were already feeling the strain of mounting rent and insignificant wages.
As they scramble today to pull together enough money for April’s rent and mortgage payments, 200 housing advocates from across the Center for Popular Democracy network came together with Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) to share their stories and call for federal action to cancel rent and mortgages for the extent of the coronavirus crisis.
New estimates hold that the unemployment rate in the United States could reach as high as 32 percent and 67 million people across the country work jobs that are at high risk of layoffs. Already, over three million have filed for unemployment insurance and 5.5 percent of the country is estimated to be unemployed.
“Housing is health care right now. I am urging Congress to work for the 99 percent. We don’t need bail outs. We, the 99 percent, need to survive,” said Ruby Gordillo, a member of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. “My family and I have been underhoused for six years. We paid nearly $1,000 rent for a studio apartment. Before that, we were homeless. My husband used to sleep in the back of his vehicle. It will be two weeks tomorrow that we will have been in this house that we reclaimed in El Sereno. It sat empty. With the coronavirus crisis, it was urgent for us to take this action. Community members furnished the home for us, have been helping with child care for my children, and have been helping with groceries. This has made such a difference for me and my family during this COVID-19 crisis. In California, we are asking the Governor to allow people to stay in vacant homes during this crisis.”
“I have been out of work for two weeks. My wife is a bus driver and got laid off when she came back from spring break. We have all payments coming up -- car insurance, utilities, rent. I am a cancer survivor and transplant patient. I am immunocompromised and cannot drive Uber anymore. I know if I get this virus, it will be devastating for me,” said Roberto Rodriguez, a member of Organize Florida. “We are struggling right now. We need the federal government to step up and help us. We need to cancel rent.”
Though the federal government passed a relief package, it does not include the protections that housing insecure and houseless individuals need to survive this crisis. While there is a freeze on evictions and foreclosures for people who live in federal properties or have federally-backed loans, this only applies to half of the people who need housing assistance. Advocates on the call noted that future relief packages must include rent and mortgage cancellation for all people. Their further demands include a freeze on utility shut-offs, a moratorium on work requirements for public housing, and a housing emergency fund for people who need assistance.
“We know that many families were struggling to keep roofs over their heads and food on the table. And now they are left with little to no option. As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we know things are becoming even more dire for people and their families,” said Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). “Tomorrow, on April 1st, things will become even more painful for millions if we do not cancel rent and cancel mortgages. This is a public health crisis and every aspect of our lives should be treated as such. Cancelling rent and mortgage payments for the duration of the COVID-19 virus pandemic would relieve financial pressure, allow residents to stay home from work without the added concern of losing their housing and limit the spread of the virus.”
“It is always communities of color, working class families and immigrants that are hit the hardest in crises. Many of my constituents are worried about how they are going to pay their rent. They are worried about whether they will lose their jobs and their homes and if their children are going to be able to continue learning,” said Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (D-MI). “I introduced a bill before this big relief package to forbid evictions and foreclosures during the crisis. A more modest version got passed in the recent package, which prevents evictions and foreclosures for 60 percent of people. But it is not enough. What about the other 40 percent? We need to keep fighting. Please keep up the fight with me so that everyone can keep their home and their job. Now, more than ever, we need to have each others’ backs.”
“If the federal government will propose a half a trillion dollar slush fund for corporations, why won’t they cancel rent and mortgages for the people who need it the most?” said Jennifer Epps-Addison, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy. “The White House is busy trying to bail out big corporations. The last stimulus package is not nearly what our families need and deserve. Working people, especially our immigrant brothers and sisters, are left out of that bill. It is the duty of the federal government to cancel rent and mortgages so that people can stay in their homes.”
Tele-townhall recording is available at this link
###
Media Contact: Lia Weintraub, lweintraub@populardemocracy.org, 202-618-2482
Center for Popular Democracy Responds to Passage of CARES Act
03.27.2020
WASHINGTON -- In response to passage of the CARES Act, the Center for Popular...
03.27.2020
WASHINGTON -- In response to passage of the CARES Act, the Center for Popular Democracy released the following statement:
“Today, Congress passed a $2.2 trillion package to respond to the coronavirus crisis. In the weeks before, our communities fought tooth and nail for the protections we desperately need -- health care and cash payments for all people, regardless of immigration status. A moratorium on evictions. Election protection. A dramatic reduction of the number of people detained in jails, prisons and immigrant detention facilities. Cancellation of student debt. We called our elected representatives. We told our stories.
“But the forces that we are up against are great. President Trump, right wing Republicans and their billionaire funders used the urgency of response to COVID-19 to do what they always do: protect the wealthiest families in the nation, while working to transfer wealth and rights from the most marginalized Americans to those who have marginalized us.
“The vast inequality in the United States means that Black and Brown people, working people, immigrants and people who are immuno-compromised will bear the worst effects of COVID-19 and the economic recession it has caused. This bill is nowhere near what we need.
“The relief cannot stop here. We need more for our communities and not one more dollar for corporations.
“The priority of our government needs to be solely focused on helping people survive the pandemic and the economic suffering unleashed by this crisis. This is not the time to send people back to work, risking their lives in the process. That will only prolong the pandemic and result in more deaths. Now, Congress must now advance a package to support workers, save lives and put in place measures that will make everyone less vulnerable to health, economic and climate catastrophes. In order to do that, we need to put in place measures that meet the needs of those most vulnerable: gig economy workers, immigrants, people who are incarcerated, domestic workers, healthcare workers, and small business owners.
“In every corner of this country, families are suffering. What this crisis has shown is our society is as strong as the most vulnerable. As long as millions of people continue to live paycheck to paycheck, and millions more are without healthcare or paid sick days, we will be at the mercy of a virus and other disasters. As long as we continue to put billions of dollars in jails and detention centers, instead of hospitals and schools, we will be vulnerable. This crisis offers an opportunity to invest in people so that we not only survive, but thrive. Congress has a historic opportunity to use its power to build a better country out of this crisis. We will push them to meet that challenge.”
# # #
Media Contact: Lia Weintraub, lweintraub@populardemocracy.org, 202-618-2482
Center for Popular Democracy Network Reacts to Senate Stimulus Package
03.26.2020
WASHINGTON -- Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed a $2.2 trillion...
03.26.2020
WASHINGTON -- Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus package to respond to the coronavirus crisis.
Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, reacted to the legislation and the needs still unmet with the following statement:
“In this time of crisis, the Senate has taken a needed step in responding to the biggest public health and economic emergency our country has faced in more than a generation. Senate Democrats led the change and proved their ability to act, amidst obfuscation from President Trump and Republicans who care more about corporate profits than human life. This bill is a start, but our communities need and deserve more. We are disappointed that corporations get $500 billion, while immigrants get cut out of health provisions or economic relief. We are disappointed that hospitals got bail outs, but hospital workers are left in the dark.
“In this bill, House Democrats need to fight for debt cancellation, a moratorium on evictions, foreclosures and shut offs. We need to ensure that everyone in our country, regardless of immigration status, gets financial relief for the duration of this crisis.
“The relief cannot stop here. In the next stimulus plan, we want to see funding for us, for the people. Not for corporations. We want to see a package that supports a dramatic reduction in the number of people detained in jails, prisons and immigration detention facilities, and financial resources to protect the health of those who remain incarcerated. We want to see healthcare, cash payments, and unemployment benefits that all people, regardless of immigration status, can benefit from. We want to see billions in additional funding for states to prepare for the 2020 elections to ensure safety, fairness, and inclusion. The next government intervention must focus on the vital resources that we all need to live -- paid sick and family leave, free treatment for anyone impacted by COVID-19, and election protection mechanisms so we can have access to our elections.
“We need a massive investment into a healthcare system that is not driven by profit. We need to enroll COVID-19 patients into Medicare. We need to create medicine at home at the NIH to protect us from the shortages that we are now facing.
“We need to center the voices of gig economy workers, of immigrants and people who are incarcerated, of domestic workers and small business owners in conversations about a just recovery. Our families are suffering. We will not allow Congress to sit idly by.”
# # #
Media Contact: Lia Weintraub, lweintraub@populardemocracy.org, 202-618-2482
Youth Leaders and Allies React to NYPD’s Latest School Safety Data
Youth leaders have won significant reductions in arrests and summons in NYC schools, but Black...
Youth leaders have won significant reductions in arrests and summons in NYC schools, but Black and Latinx students continue to face the brunt of racially discriminatory school policing.
NEW YORK, NY -- Last week, the NYPD released their most recent data on school safety. The report, which is the first full quarter of school year data since the new school climate reforms were announced last year, shows that overall numbers of school arrests and summons have gone down significantly, but racial disparities in policing action remain high.
Key analysis of the data:
The overall number of arrests decreased by 54.4% and summons decreased by nearly 59% as compared to last year’s data at this time.
Black students represent 25.5% of district enrollment, yet were 54.8% of all students arrested. While this proportion is lower than corresponding data from 2018 (in which Black students were 60% of those arrested), it is still more than twice the representation of Black students in the district.
In addition to the racial disparities remaining high, the number of juvenile reports increased by 34% in the past year and by 82.3% in the past three years. In addition, 90.2% of students who received juvenile reports last quarter were Black or Latinx, a proportion which has not reduced since 2018.
The data validates calls by youth-led organizations and allies across the city for the Mayor to end arrests, summons, and juvenile reports in schools for non-criminal violations and misdemeanors.
In response to the data, representatives from Urban Youth Collaborative and the Center for Popular Democracy released the following statements:
“These decreases in arrests and summons are a direct result of years of organizing by Black and Latinx youth, including leaders of Urban Youth Collaborative, who have called for the city to end arrests and summons in schools and stop the mass criminalization of youth of color,” said Kesi Foster, Organizer, Make the Road New York & The Urban Youth Collaborative.
"This data is only scratching the surface of what Black students and other students of color go through on the daily. Normal youthful behavior of Black and Brown students is still being criminalized. School is a place to learn and should be a place for all students to feel safe but we don’t feel safe with metal detectors and police. The city is trying to normalize police being involved in every part of our lives, but that’s not right, and it’s not what we need. We need to remove police and metal detectors and invest more funding in social, emotional, and mental health support and staff,” said Keneisha Buckley, a 15-year old youth leader at the Rockaway Youth Task Force.
"The reduction in the number of arrests and summonses in schools is a welcome change, driven by the work and vision of Black and Brown young people," said Kate Terenzi, Staff Attorney for Education Justice Campaigns, Center for Popular Democracy. "While arrests and summonses have gone down, we have seen a dramatic increase in juvenile reports and essentially no change in the racial disparities. The progress on arrests and summons that we see today must be followed by truly dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline which will mean creating police-free schools, and a complete end to arrests, summonses, and juvenile reports for misdemeanors and violations in schools."
###
Media Contact: Trisa Taro, ttaro@populardemocracy.org
Photo via Brooklyn Ink
Before Humphrey-Hawkins Hearings, Fed Up Speaks Out for Full Employment, High Wages
02.11.2020
WASHINGTON -- Today, ahead of the Humphrey-Hawkins...
02.11.2020
WASHINGTON -- Today, ahead of the Humphrey-Hawkins Hearings on Capitol Hill, over a dozen activists with Fed Up spoke out for full employment and high wages. The activists, decked out in bright green shirts plastered with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s face, shared their stories of wage stagnation and income insecurity ahead of the House Financial Services committee hearing.
Photos from the event are available here.
During the speak out, Fed Up activists said the following:
Arthur Blair
“The Federal Reserve should represent all of the American people, not just the economic elite.”
Jessica Moreno
“I am the daughter of immigrants. My mom raised my sister and me on a low wage warehouse job. Her wages did not grow in over ten years, just like many members of my community. Many more cannot secure a full time job with a living wage.”
LaDon Love
“The federal reserve needs to focus on wage growth in their review. They need to take into account that wages are not going up. People are working multiple jobs and not making ends meet. To not focus on this problem is to do a disservice to our country.”
Antonia Reynolds
“I have a 44 year old son who lives at home because he can’t afford to live in the District of Columbia on his wages. The Federal Reserve must recognize that this is a reality for many Black and Brown communities.”
###
Media Contact: Lia Weintraub, lweintraub@populardemocracy.org, 202-618-2482
Puerto Rico’s Earthquakes; This is About Austerity
01.13.2020
SAN JUAN...
01.13.2020
SAN JUAN, PR -- Following the recent series of earthquakes since the start of the new year in Puerto Rico, causing an island-wide blackout, leaving thousands homeless, and causing structural damage to hundreds of buildings, schools, and main roads, an estimated two thousand people have been housed in shelters, and thousands more have pitched tents in their backyards. The Center for Popular Democracy - a national network of community organizations - and the Maria Fund - created after the historic 2017 hurricane - made a call to funnel resources to community groups on the ground and address the real issue at hand.
“From the Hurricanes of 2017 to the earthquakes of this year, Puerto Rico continues to grasp for recovery under decades of political mismanagement and budget cuts that have crippled its infrastructure and driven hundreds of thousands out. In order to ensure that Puerto Ricans achieve a just recovery, we must address the root of the issue,” added Julio Lopez Varona, co-director of community dignity campaigns of the Center for Popular Democracy. “The debt is a burden to the recovery of the island and it must be canceled to put the needs of the people first, not Wall Street. Long-term investments in infrastructure, including building schools and shelters up to code, solidifying the power and water grids, securing hospitals and roads, protecting pensions, and providing safe housing alternatives for low-income families, are just a few of the basic needs that should be immediately championed. Anything less is placing a band-aid on an open wound, expecting it to just go away.”
The Maria Fund plans to move rapid response funding to the network of social justice initiatives and grassroots community organizing groups that are supporting the people most impacted by the recent earthquakes that have devastated areas of the south of Puerto Rico. Here is more detailed information of the immediate needs of the organizations located in these areas.
“The disastrous response of the local and federal governments are connected to an agenda that doesn’t center the lives of the people of Puerto Rico. This agenda has created a crippling debt, promoted budget cuts, poor maintenance of infrastructure, privatization, and displacement. The frontline groups who are stepping up at this moment know this, and the relief response they are organizing is part of a commitment to demanding structural changes for the long-term”, added Xiomara Caro, Executive Director of the María Fund.
These rapid response funds will also be made available to the network of 49 organizations, many of which have already decided to step up and organize needs assessments, delivery of emergency supplies, service brigades to refugee camps, legal education, emotional support, and demanding equitable and systemic changes to improve their immediate and long-term reality, among other strategies. See here this broader list of organizations.
###
Media Contact: Inarú Melendez, imelendez@populardemocracy.org, 413-331-9530
11 months ago
19 hours ago