Bernie Sanders OVERWHELMINGLY won California. We need a state delegation chair to the national convention that reflects that victory and Bernie's platform. We want Rep. Ro Khanna! Rep. Khanna is a bold progressive who, along with the MAJORITY of Californians and Americans, supports Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, the dire need for racial justice, and a compassionate, PEACEFUL foreign policy platform that prioritizes diplomacy over militarization and warfare. Please sign on to support Rep. Ro Khanna as the CA State Delegation Chair to the Democratic National Convention. The State Delegation Chair represents the entire California delegation at the National Convention.

We - Students, Parents, Family Members, Teachers, & Community Members demand our children see a brighter future - one where they are supported, not criminalized. Time and time again, children in the Kingston City School District have fallen victim to racial profiling, violence, sexual harassment, and trauma at the hands of the police. Due to the lack of Police Accountability, no justice has been served for most of the children who have been harmed. We do not understand why we have police in our schools. The narrative that Police make things safer has been disproved numerous times, An SRO at Marjory Stoneman Douglas never even entered the school during the shooting. Police contact can also hinder children’s educational performance through negative health consequences related to stress, fear, trauma, and anxiety (Geller et al. 2014; Golembeski and Fullilove 2005; Sugie and Turney 2017) The Memorandum Of Understanding between the KCSD and The Police Department says: “Under state law, the SRO shall not serve as a school disciplinarian, as an enforcer of school regulations, or in place of school-based mental health providers, and the SRO shall not use police powers to address traditional school discipline issues.” Despite the contract, the SROs in the schools are routinely involved in disciplining the children - criminalizing them at a young age. The $369,368.90 our district committed to spend in the 19-20 school year to criminalize our children should be used for counselors and education, not to feed the School to Prison Pipeline. We demand: 1. An immediate and permanent cancellation of contracts with Kingston Police Department, Ulster Police Department and all law enforcement. 2. A commitment to reinvest those funds into Mental Health and Community Resources for the children in the district. 3. Investigate all complaints of Police Violence and Misconduct that have been reported to the school district. Please sign the petition and contact members of the KCSD School Board and Superintendent Padalino to support the removal of School Resource Officers from KCSD and the reallocation of those funds towards mental health resources. In Solidarity, R!SE UP KINGSTON

It is known and documented that “Kelsey” terrorized the indigenous population of Pomo Indians in Lake County. He mass murdered them and stole their lands from them. It is written and documented and was even “taught” to us in school in 4th grade as “ legends” of Lake County, California. It has been abhorrent to me all my life. I am ashamed that the name of Kelsey lives on in the form of “Kelseyville.” I would respectfully ask the Tribal Elders of Lake County Pomo tribes to rename the town. Mt. Konocti rises above the town. It is a beautiful name that could easily be incorporated into the area.

Livonia has an unfortunate history as one of our country’s largest “Sundown Towns” - “all white” municipalities or neighborhoods that practiced a form of segregation by excluding non-whites through a combination of discriminatory local laws, intimidation, policing and violence. We urge the Livonia Police Department to set a higher standard of policing by strengthening accountability mechanisms and securing critical reforms to end police brutality, biased racial profiling, and policing targeting youth and communities of color. It’s time to not only address the racism and inequality that exists in our own community, but to address it with intention and ambition. Be a part of the Livonia Citizens Caring About Black Lives movement by following us at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1183500345325924 Read about the Campaign Zero initiative - https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision

(Español Abajo) For many years, we have been taught that Christopher Columbus discovered the American continent, and with his great finding, civilization followed. However, this portrayal of history is all wrong. When Europeans invaded the continent, they murdered many of the original residents on this land, destroyed entire cities, and infected entire communities with diseases. Their colonization led to the arrival of enslaved people, who were taken from their native lands on the African continent, and forced to work in this country. As a community, we commemorate the memory of all the indigenous people that were devastated by colonization especially the Quinnipiac, Wapinger, and Paugussett peoples whose land we reside on now. We also celebrate their traditions and our heritage as descendants of the original inhabitants on the continent. Additionally, we want to acknowledge that many immigrants who live in New Haven, are in reality travelers who are walking through stolen land similar to those histories of their own nations and ancestry. Having acknowledged this, we reject any sort of celebration of the individual who brought so much death and destruction to our land: Christopher Columbus. We reject any institution that glorifies this violent history and American colonization. We demand that the school's name be changed in honor of indigenous people and the New Haven immigrant community. Located in the Fair Haven neighborhood, the Christopher Columbus Family Academy is a monument to the genocide of indigenous people that began in 1492 and continues to this day. The neighborhood of Fair Haven is home to a significant number of immigrants. Several of them are directly from indigenous communities whose first languages are not Spanish and are currently in resistance in Latin America. Our community knows that not only is the name inappropriate, but completely offensive to who we are as descendants of genocide survivors- and that we continue to experience violence in the form of racism. For all the aforementioned reasons, we demand that the school be renamed IMMEDIATELY. Both New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and the Board of Education need to do everything in their power to change the name. Durante muchos años, nos han enseñado que Cristóbal Colón descubrió el continente “americano” -Abya Yala- y que con su gran hallazgo llego la civilización. Sin embargo, esta representación de la historia está completamente equivocada. Cuando los europeos invadieron el continente masacraron a los residentes originales, destruyeron ciudades enteras e infectaron a comunidades enteras con sus enfermedades. Su colonización condujo eventualmente a la llegada de personas esclavizadas, que fueron secuestradas de sus tierras nativas en el continente africano y obligadas a trabajar en estas tierras. Como comunidad, conmemoramos la memoria de todos los pueblos aborígenes que fueron devastados por la colonización, específicamente los pueblos Quinnipiac, Wapinger y Paugussett en cuyas tierras vivimos ahora. También celebramos sus tradiciones y nuestra herencia como descendientes de los habitantes originales del continente. Además, queremos reconocer que muchos migrantes que vivimos en New Haven, en realidad, somos viajeros que caminamos por nuestras tierras, tierras llenas de historia de robo y saqueo y lo cual no cesa hasta el día de hoy. Habiendo reconocido esto, rechazamos cualquier tipo de celebración del asesino que trajo tanta muerte y destrucción a nuestra tierra: Cristóbal Colón. Rechazamos cualquier institución que glorifique esta historia violenta y de colonización. Exigimos que se cambie el nombre de la escuela en honor de los pueblos indígenas del norte y del sur del continente. Ubicada en el vecindario de Fair Haven, la Academia de la Familia Cristóbal Colón es un monumento al genocidio de los pueblos indígenas que comenzó en 1492 y continúa hasta nuestros días. El vecindario de Fair Haven es el hogar de miles de migrantes. Muchos de ellos son comunidades aborígenes, cuyo primer idioma no es el español. Provienen de territorios que están en resistencia en el sur de la frontera. Nuestra comunidad sabe que el nombre no solo es inapropiado, sino completamente ofensivo para quienes somos descendientes de los sobrevivientes del genocidio, pero que seguimos experimentando todavía la violencia del saqueo y el racismo. Por todas estas razones, exigimos que la escuela cambie su nombre INMEDIATAMENTE. Tanto el alcalde de New Haven, Justin Elicker, como la Junta de Educación tienen el poder de hacerlo.

As people across the country and the world have taken to the streets to demand racial equality and justice it is time for Illinois to step up to this moment in history. Governor Pritzker, make Juneteenth a statewide paid holiday!

As musicians committed to fighting racial and economic injustice, we will no longer stand idly by and allow police unions to protect police officers who murder Black people and fellow workers. Police unions across the nation largely continue to condone the same policing tactics that led to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Botham Jean, Freddie Gray, and countless more Black lives. Many musicians and AFM members are using social media platforms to listen to the voices of Black activists and amplify them. In addition, many are actively engaging in peaceful protest–using their voices, instruments, and talents to uplift not only the names, but the platforms of anti-racist movements such as Black Lives Matter. This is only the beginning of the work we must do to actively build anti-racist practices within our community. Background: In 2017, Philadelphia Police Union President John McNesby said of Black Lives Matter protesters: “When you go to work each day, you shouldn’t have to worry that a pack of rabid animals will suddenly show up at your home and openly threaten your family,” McNesby said. “These are not activists, they are racist hate groups determined to instigate violence.” This is a prime example of Police Union leadership disrespecting and undermining the values and work of anti-racist activists, many of whom are also members of the AFM. Under the protection of police union bylaws, many predatory officers are able to escalate situations, intimidate, injure, and kill unarmed citizens with impunity. This environment makes it unsafe for Black musicians and members to organize at the workplace, at home, and travel to/from performances. The actions of police officers and their unions have made it clear that they are not treated as traditional workers and thus have no place in the Labor Movement. The history of the AFM includes decades of inaction against racial injustice. Many Union Locals represented by the AFM across the nation were forced to integrate Black and White union musicians by court order, with the signing of Civil Rights Act legislation. Despite this history, the AFM and its members have made considerable amounts of money performing, and–at times–appropriating Black American music and Black culture, especially in its legacy contracts such as Broadway, festivals, club dates, live TV, and film scoring. It is easy to conclude that the AFM’s livelihood depends on Black American Music, therefore it is of the utmost duty for the AFM to defend Black American lives. We appreciate the recent statement by Ray Hair pledging “to continue to confront the ways our union and the music industry have contributed to persistent systemic racism” as well as the work done by the AFL-CIO in support of racial justice, including calling for police reform and the resignations of the Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and President of the Minneapolis Police Union. However, as musicians we must truly come to terms with our own history, ask our Union to do the same, and move forward together by taking direct action. The American Federation of Musicians must show the world that it is invested in the beliefs of its membership and committed to becoming an actively anti-racist union. Calling on the expulsion of police unions in the Labor movement is a essential step to begin this work.

I was born and raised in Glastonbury and received an amazing, world-class education there. All throughout college, I would always wear my Glastonbury Tomahawks sweatshirt because of how proud I was of my home. During college, I befriended a girl who is Native American, and I would find myself pausing every time I wanted to put on my Tomahawks sweatshirt. This sweatshirt was a symbol of a place that I took so much pride in. I thought of my education as progressive and shedding light on the world outside of the four walls of GHS. However, how can a place that I held in such high esteem continue to ignore this offense? What lesson does it teach the students of Glastonbury to continue to use a mascot that trivializes the culture of others? Glastonbury’s community must recognize that their mascot is not appropriate. We cannot use this symbol in good conscience when Native American tribes throughout the country, and here in Connecticut, oppose the use of Native American mascots. We must listen to their opposition, and be good allies by trusting and respecting their stance on the subject. Glastonbury was a wonderful town to grow up in, and I am generally very proud to be from there. Please do the right thing: stop appropriating Native American symbols. “As documented in [...] decades of social science research, derogatory 'Indian' sports mascots have serious psychological, social and cultural consequences for Native Americans, especially Native youth." Change Glastonbury's mascot to one that we can all be proud of. (Link to quote on NCAI's website: http://www.ncai.org/proudtobe)

In the midst of a homeless and COVID 19 crisis Brian Abernathy has failed to house the poor and most vulnerable - homeless people that are the majority black and brown. They remain homeless in a COVID pandemic. Philadelphia's city budget is decreasing housing by 12 million dollars in affordable housing funding increasing Philadelphi4a Police budgets by 14 million. He ordered tear gas and rubber bullets unleashed on peaceful protesters demanding racial justice and police ending the murder of black people. He should immediately resign because in Philadelphia Black lives matter. His actions have displayed a flagrant disregard for Black lives by keeping them homeless and hiring even more police to exacerbate the issue of police violence. Removing a Frank Rizzo statue is not justice. Justice is his resignation.

We, Israeli and American citizens who care deeply about peace between Israelis and Palestinians, stand together in urging the government of Israel to abandon its plan of unilateral West Bank annexation, and to instead pursue negotiations with the Palestinian leadership to reach a conflict-ending peace accord. Annexation is antithetical to our shared values and our commitment to peace. The damage that annexation would inflict is not just a matter of values and vision. Annexation would severely hinder any prospect of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, would jeopardize Israel’s relations with moderate Arab states, particularly with Jordan, further erode Israel’s international standing, and threaten the stability of the US-Israel relationship. Yes, Donald Trump supports annexation. And, yes, some Israeli politicians view his sharp diversion from policies followed by successive past US administrations – both Democratic and Republican – as an opportunity to take actions that would not previously have been possible. But this is an aberration. Trump will leave the White House, if not in months then in several years, and with him will vanish his short-sighted policies that compromise a peaceful future for Israel and Palestine. But the consequences of annexation will be long lasting, if not irreversible. Netanyahu recently stated that Palestinian residents of these unilaterally annexed areas will be considered “subjects” living in “enclaves” and not eligible for Israeli citizenship. What Netanyahu is describing has historical precedent and a name: apartheid. His plan means that two national-ethnic populations will live in the same area, under the sovereignty of an internationally recognized elected government, the government of Israel. One of these groups, Israeli settlers, will enjoy full civil rights, including the right to elect their government. The other population, Palestinian “subjects,” will be deprived of almost any civil right, disenfranchised, governed by a set of military occupation laws. This has been the de facto situation in the West Bank since Israel captured it in 1967. But it was, in theory and in law, a temporary arrangement. Now, Netanyahu and Trump are working ahead of the November presidential elections to turn this travesty into a permanent reality. In perpetuity. Without hope of ending the conflict. Without a horizon of peace and lasting security for Israel. And without a horizon of independence and statehood for Palestinians. Israelis, Americans, and concerned citizens worldwide should not sit idly by as two irresponsible leaders, wielding tremendous power but showing little regard for the future of Israel and its Palestinian neighbors, take measures the Israeli public itself is deeply divided on that would wreck Israeli democracy and condemn Palestinians to perpetual subjugation. A joint US-Israeli committee, armed with maps and aerial photos, is already working to chart the contours of the occupied land that Israel would call its own. But annexation is not a done deal. It can be avoided and, if not, must be reversed. We urge Prime Minister Netanyahu not to take a step that Israelis, their friends in America, and people around the world will regret for years to come. We urge President Trump to maintain the decades of bipartisan US policy that supports a two-state solution and a peaceful end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hadar Susskind President and CEO Americans for Peace Now and Shaqued Morag Executive Director Shalom Achshav

To remove the symbols of the Confederacy which traumatizes people of color. The monuments of an evil leader who fought to continue to enslave African Americans and treat them less than human. This action will give empowerment of true equality to black folks. BLACK LIVES MATTER!!!

Facial recognition technology can't tell the difference between people of color, and that’s a huge problem. In the hands of law enforcement agencies, which are eager to get their hands on and use this technology, facial recognition has an alarming tendency to misidentify people with darker skin. In essence, facial recognition technology codifies racial profiling into advanced AI systems. Last week IBM made the correct and moral decision to abandon their facial recognition technology, but they weren't the only tech players in the game. Amazon announced a pitiful one-year moratorium on selling facial recognition, while Clearview AI, one the more aggressive pushers of facial recognition, continues their ties with alt right-wing extremists.