No One Was Sentenced to Die by a Virus: A SAFER Plan for COVID-19 in US Jails & Prisons

The most dangerous place to be during a pandemic is inside a prison. Today, even a minor arrest could cost more than your liberty; it could cost you your life.

Behind bars, people are packed like sardines. In correctional institutions, it is impossible to follow CDC guidelines and “socially distance.” To make matters worse, most jails and prisons are notoriously filthy. Soap is hard to come by, running water is not guaranteed, and hand sanitizer– because of its alcohol content– is considered contraband.

Changing America: Why 2020 Can Be a Turning Point For Police Reform, Social Justice

Great social movements are marked by clear turning points, when major shifts in attitude and understanding spur people to act with new urgency.

We are in one such moment now. Covid-19’s devastation of minority communities and the horrific deaths of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other Black Americans have created an opportunity for change that, if sustained, could yield the kind of lasting action on racial equity, social justice and police reform that we have deferred for way too long.

United We Stand: Building a Better Future for All

On behalf of the National Urban League’s Board of Trustees, I am proud to present this year’s edition of the State of Black America®: Unmasked. The report takes a look behind the headlines and examines the alarming spread and tragic consequences of the coronavirus on Black American life.

Pandemic Precautions: How to Protect the 2020 Election Inside and Outside Polling Places

	Lawrence Norden Director, Brennan Center for Justice Election Reform Program
	Gowri Ramachandran Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice

Four years ago, the Russian government interfered in American elections. They stole information from campaigns, posed as Americans spreading divisive rhetoric, and attacked election infrastructure. Black voters were heavily targeted, not just as part of the American electorate, but as a specific focus of the interference.[1] In fact, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference “found that no single group of Americans was targeted by IRA information operatives more than African-Americans.”[2]

The Vote and the Virus: Inoculating the Election From Disease and Disinformation

		Bret Schafer Media & Digital Disinformation Fellow, Alliance for Securing Democracy
		David Levine Elections Integrity Fellow, Alliance for Securing Democracy

The memes circulated around Facebook and Twitter, promising voters a more streamlined option to participate in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. “Avoid the line – vote from home. Text ‘Hillary’ to 59925,” read one post, seemingly aimed at Black and Latino voters. It bore all the hallmarks of an official Clinton campaign ad.

The Pandemic, Police & Protests: Marking a New Chapter in the Story of American Life

We have long known it to be true that it is dangerous to be Black in America. We have all watched the cell phone video and body cam footage of unarmed Black men—with hands raised in surrender—shot and killed by police. We have seen people of color shot in the back by officers while running away and police officers taking on the role of executioner at routine traffic stops.

Study after study has shown that unarmed Black Americans are far more likely to be killed by police than whites.

America Will Have Its First Woman President Sooner Than We Think

In 2019, women across the country watched with immense pride as, for the first time in history, six women stepped into the ring and made their case for why they should be the next president of the United States.

Confronting the Rising Tide in Racially Motivated Hate Online

Kristen Clarke
President & Executive Director
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Twitter: @KristenClarkeJD

As the country remains focused on the ways in which Russia interfered with the integrity of the recent 2016 election, we must not forget to focus equal attention to the ongoing threat of voter suppression. Voter suppression and ongoing voting discrimination stand as grave threats to American democracy. Across the country, we are witnessing state and local officials take action to make it harder for African Americans and other minority communities to vote. From restrictive voter ID requirements to purges of the registration rolls, and from racial gerrymandering to the disenfranchisement of people with criminal histories, officials in some states are working hard to restrict access to the franchise for African Americans and other minority communities. Through community vigilance and impact litigation, we can push back against voter suppression.

Bridging the Digital Divide

Rhonda Crichlow
Senior Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer
Charter Communications

The internet is at the core of every aspect of modern society, yet there are a disproportionate number of communities of color who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide.

The internet is the bridge to academic achievement, applying for and excelling in many types of jobs, managing finances and participating fully in the civic life of our nation. For the millions of Americans—especially those living in marginalized communities—who work to provide a brighter future for themselves and their families, lack of access to high-speed internet shouldn’t put success out of reach. But the truth is it does—and we have to change that.

Digital Inclusion is Essential to America's Digital Revolution

David L. Cohen
Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer
Comcast Corporation

Twitter: @comcast

Back in 1968, the digital revolution that now permeates the lives of most Americans was unimaginable. Today, giving all Americans full access to the benefits of the Internet is an essential part of delivering on Dr. Martin Luther King's still unrealized vision of a "beloved community" founded on economic and social justice.

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