Justice for Jacob Blake and Communities of Color
Tax deductible
In the wake of the senseless shooting of Jacob Blake, BikingForJustice401 stands with Blake and his family, as well as those in the streets of Kenosha and the rest of the United States rightfully protesting for justice.
This shooting, like the countless others before it, is a manifestation of the systemic inequities that Black Americans face on a daily basis. Breaking down these extraordinary barriers requires action. Here’s how we’ve decided to act:
On October 31, Conner Hoyt and Alex Bumpers will ride 125 miles from Washington, D.C. to Richmond, VA to not only demand justice for Jacob Blake and the countless others for whom it has not been granted, but to continue calling attention to the racial inequities this country has yet to reconcile. We will ride with three specific demands for our nation’s lawmakers:
Reimagine policing and public safety in America.
We ask that policymakers and citizens alike rethink the current model for policing in America. Safety does not require heavier law enforcement presence. It requires that communities are given the resources they need to thrive. Communities deserve sustained attention and care - not criminalization. In pursuit of this goal, we demand that money be diverted from law enforcement to development-focused initiatives in communities of color.
Abolish Qualified Immunity.
Qualified Immunity shields members of law enforcement who have grossly violated their duties. Police officers, as with any other civil servant, are to be accountable to us - the people. We trust them to protect and serve. Qualified Immunity is a significant barrier to holding law enforcement officials accountable.
Improve unconscious bias training for law enforcement.
Currently state, county, and city-level law enforcement bodies all have different standards for unconscious bias training. Many departments do not take the training serious while others fail to offer such training altogether. A consistent, nationalized standard for law enforcement unconscious bias training would do much to mitigate these inconsistencies.
On Halloween, we will ride 125 miles from DC to Richmond - the furthest distance any of us has ever ridden a bicycle in a single day. In the same vein, we ask that you join us in shattering your own personal record. If you don’t have a bike, we ask that you run. If you cannot run, we ask that you walk.
Once you have completed your personal best, post a picture of yourself and your mileage to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, with the hashtags #JusticeForJacobBlake and #BikingForJustice401, while asking your own networks to donate to the NAACP via this GoFundMe page.
We chose to raise money for the NAACP because we believe that these evils can only be eradicated through policy changes and cultural shifts. Historically, the NAACP has always been an effective organization in pushing for such changes, and we believe that is still the case today. The organization’s current efforts are largely directed at registering voters for the upcoming election. It is through the election of officials who believe in exposing and eliminating systemic racism that we will see necessary policy changes. Having leaders in high places that speak out on these issues helps accelerate the necessary cultural shifts that will help eradicate racism. We ask that you join us on Halloween to demand change, and we look forward to working with you to realize a more equitable society.
Sources:
Qualified Immunity: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/07/qualified-immunity-police-violence-shase-howse-supreme-court
Reimagined public safety: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/how-police-compare-different-democracies
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/reimagining-policing-america-complete-institutional-overhaul
State of implicit bias training: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/racial-bias-training-de-escalation-training-policing-in-america/ http://lapd-assets.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/OIG%20Report%20on%20Best%20Practices.pdf
This shooting, like the countless others before it, is a manifestation of the systemic inequities that Black Americans face on a daily basis. Breaking down these extraordinary barriers requires action. Here’s how we’ve decided to act:
On October 31, Conner Hoyt and Alex Bumpers will ride 125 miles from Washington, D.C. to Richmond, VA to not only demand justice for Jacob Blake and the countless others for whom it has not been granted, but to continue calling attention to the racial inequities this country has yet to reconcile. We will ride with three specific demands for our nation’s lawmakers:
Reimagine policing and public safety in America.
We ask that policymakers and citizens alike rethink the current model for policing in America. Safety does not require heavier law enforcement presence. It requires that communities are given the resources they need to thrive. Communities deserve sustained attention and care - not criminalization. In pursuit of this goal, we demand that money be diverted from law enforcement to development-focused initiatives in communities of color.
Abolish Qualified Immunity.
Qualified Immunity shields members of law enforcement who have grossly violated their duties. Police officers, as with any other civil servant, are to be accountable to us - the people. We trust them to protect and serve. Qualified Immunity is a significant barrier to holding law enforcement officials accountable.
Improve unconscious bias training for law enforcement.
Currently state, county, and city-level law enforcement bodies all have different standards for unconscious bias training. Many departments do not take the training serious while others fail to offer such training altogether. A consistent, nationalized standard for law enforcement unconscious bias training would do much to mitigate these inconsistencies.
On Halloween, we will ride 125 miles from DC to Richmond - the furthest distance any of us has ever ridden a bicycle in a single day. In the same vein, we ask that you join us in shattering your own personal record. If you don’t have a bike, we ask that you run. If you cannot run, we ask that you walk.
Once you have completed your personal best, post a picture of yourself and your mileage to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, with the hashtags #JusticeForJacobBlake and #BikingForJustice401, while asking your own networks to donate to the NAACP via this GoFundMe page.
We chose to raise money for the NAACP because we believe that these evils can only be eradicated through policy changes and cultural shifts. Historically, the NAACP has always been an effective organization in pushing for such changes, and we believe that is still the case today. The organization’s current efforts are largely directed at registering voters for the upcoming election. It is through the election of officials who believe in exposing and eliminating systemic racism that we will see necessary policy changes. Having leaders in high places that speak out on these issues helps accelerate the necessary cultural shifts that will help eradicate racism. We ask that you join us on Halloween to demand change, and we look forward to working with you to realize a more equitable society.
Sources:
Qualified Immunity: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/07/qualified-immunity-police-violence-shase-howse-supreme-court
Reimagined public safety: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/how-police-compare-different-democracies
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/reimagining-policing-america-complete-institutional-overhaul
State of implicit bias training: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/racial-bias-training-de-escalation-training-policing-in-america/ http://lapd-assets.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/OIG%20Report%20on%20Best%20Practices.pdf
Organizer
Conner Hoyt
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
NAACP Foundation
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
