We must pursue policies to transform this country into a nation that affirms the value of its people of color. That starts with addressing the five central types of violence waged against black, brown and indigenous Americans: physical, political, legal, economic and environmental.
We are far from eradicating racism in this country. Today in America, if you are black, you can be killed for getting a pack of Skittles during a basketball game. Or murdered in your church while you are praying. This violence fills us with outrage, disgust and a deep, deep sadness. These hateful acts of violence amount to acts of terror. They are perpetrated by extremists who want to intimidate and terrorize black, brown and indigenous people in this country.
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x YouTube VideoA growing number of communities do not trust the police. Law enforcement officers have become disconnected from the communities they are sworn to protect. Violence and brutality of any kind, particularly at the hands of the police meant to protect and serve our communities, is unacceptable and must not be tolerated. We need a societal transformation to make it clear that black lives matter and racism will not be accepted in a civilized country.
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x YouTube VideoIn the shameful days of open segregation, literacy laws and poll taxes were used to suppress minority voting. Today, through other laws and actions — such as requiring voters to show photo ID, discriminatory drawing of Congressional districts, restricting same-day registration and early voting and aggressively purging voter rolls — states are taking steps which have a similar effect.
The patterns are unmistakable. 11 percent of eligible voters do not have a photo ID—and they are disproportionately black and Latino. In 2012, African-Americans waited twice as long to vote as whites. Some voters in minority precincts waited upwards of six or seven hours to cast a ballot. Meanwhile, thirteen percent of African-American men have lost the right to vote due to felony convictions.
Yet in 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a key part of the seminal Voting Rights Act, even while saying “voting discrimination still exists; no one doubts that.”
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x YouTube VideoIt is an obscenity that we stigmatize so many young Americans with a criminal record for smoking marijuana, but not one major Wall Street executive has been prosecuted for causing the near collapse of our entire economy. This must change.
If current trends continue, one in four black males born today can expect to spend time in prison during their lifetime. Blacks are imprisoned at six times the rate of whites and a report by the Department of Justice found that blacks were three times more likely to be searched during a traffic stop, compared to white motorists. Together, African-Americans and Latinos comprised 57 percent of all prisoners in 2014, even though African-Americans and Latinos make up approximately one quarter of the US population. These outcomes are not reflective of increased crime by communities of color, but rather a disparity in enforcement and reporting mechanisms. African-Americans are twice as likely to be arrested and almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police. This is an unspeakable tragedy.
It is morally repugnant that we have privatized prisons all over America. Corporations should not be allowed to make a profit by building more jails and keeping more Americans behind bars. We have got to end the private for-profit prison racket in America. Earlier this year, Sen. Sanders introduced legislation that will end the private prison industry.
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Where is Bernie Sanders on the Issues? Where he’s always been. x YouTube Video His positions are not a matter of convenience or getting elected. Bernie’s positions are founded on his sincere beliefs and principles demonstrated by a lifetime of action.Click the links below for more information on Bernie’s positions on the issues.
Income and Wealth InequalityStrengthen and Expand Social SecurityCombating Climate Change to Save the PlanetIt’s Time to Make College Tuition Free and Debt FreeGetting Big Money Out of Politics and Restoring DemocracyCreating Jobs Rebuilding AmericaA Living WageA Fair and Humane Immigration PolicyRacial Justice x YouTube VideoFighting for Women’s RightsWorking to Create an AIDS and HIV-Free GenerationFighting for LGBT EqualityEmpowering Tribal NationsCaring for our VeteransMedicare for AllFighting to Lower Prescription Drug PricesFighting for Disability RightsEnding the Humanitarian Crisis in Puerto RicoSupporting Historically Black Colleges and UniversitiesImproving the Rural EconomyReforming Wall StreetReal Family ValuesWar and PeaceWar Should Be the Last Option: Why I Support the Iran DealMaking the Wealthy, Wall Street, and Large Corporations Pay their Fair ShareHow Bernie pays for his proposals x YouTube Video With Bernie Sanders you know what you are getting. Vote for Bernie! Get Out the Vote! FaceBanking for Bernie.Be a part of something YUGE and Keep Donating! x YouTube Video