Many of us are currently engaged in declaring our condemnation of structural racism, institutional discrimination and the brutal attacks and killing of people of color, but there is more to do! We strongly encourage you as individuals as well as organizations to take meaningful and measurable steps to end the horrible racist and discriminatory culture in our society collectively.
There is more than enough work to do to achieve social justice reforms. In light of this, we are providing you with information to advance this fight to the next level. We urge you to use this information as a tool to reshape and redefine the true meaning of equality and social justice for all!
At the core of these current tragedies remains the long-winded conversation about inequities in the basic functioning of the criminal justice system—including police practices, the use of force and aggressive policing, arrest and prosecution policies, and the disparate impact many of these policies have on communities of color. To be pragmatic, undoubtedly there is a deep-seated sentiment within communities of color that the criminal justice system is inherently rigged against them, and that the institutions allegedly intended to protect them continues to fail them, or even worse, targets them. Let’s be clear, the gap between black and white views on law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and race relations in this country only seem to be getting worse despite the trending political rhetoric.
Unequal application of government regulations involves purposeful creative conditions that obstruct, limit, or deny certain groups equitable access to the same opportunities and resources available to the rest of society. These laws can intentionally (explicitly) or unintentionally (implicitly) create the conditions for social injustice. Areas in which government policy often gives rise to social inequality and injustice include:
- Voting Laws (i.e. redistricting and voter ID)
- Policing Laws (i.e. search and seizure, stop and frisk)
- Environmental Laws (i.e. clean water and air, industrial waste disposal)
- Health Care Laws (i.e. insurance mandates and coverage eligibility)
- Education Laws (i.e. public-school segregation and integration)
- Employment Laws (i.e. worker’s rights, occupational health and safety)
- Affirmative Action Laws (i.e. promote social equality through the preferential treatment of people from communities of color) These laws are policies instituted by the government to help level the playing field for those historically disadvantaged due to factors such as race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; and they are typically pertaining to equal opportunities in employment, education, and business.
Contact Elected Officials:
New York City Council:
https://council.nyc.gov/districts/
Nassau County, New York Legislators:
https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/489/County-Legislature
Suffolk County, New York Legislators:
https://www.scnylegislature.us/148/Legislators
Westchester County Board of Legislators:
https://westchesterlegislators.com/
New York State Assembly:
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/
United States House of Representatives:
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
New York State Senate:
https://www.nysenate.gov/registration/nojs/form/start/find-my-senator