Check out ideas for direct action and donation at Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County.
Support the Seattle Community Police Commission in Making Change
Since 2012, SPD has been under a federal agreement, also known as the federal Consent Decree, due to officers’ use of force and discriminatory policing particularly in communities of color. Under this settlement, SPD agreed to terms that addressed specific issues around police discipline, accountability, force, and community oversight. The City fell out of compliance with the Consent Decree last year because of the lack of police accountability. To that end, the Seattle Community Police Commission (CPC) shared its recommendations for the next steps with the Mayor and City Council. You can contact elected officials by phone and email to express your support for the CPC’s recommendations to make meaningful, sustainable change in our policing system using the following script:
Dear Mayor Durkan and Seattle City Councilmembers,
I call on you to respond to the CPC’s recommendations sent on June 8 in public support of their recommendations for the next steps in healing the mistrust toward local law enforcement and setting a precedent to protect Black and Brown lives. My demand is simple: ensure a thorough, transparent, and community-centered process for strengthening our relationship with the City by investing in social service providers trained to handle crises and issues relating to education, healthcare including mental health services, employment, and affordable housing. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Insert your full name here]
[Insert your district number after verifying it here]
Combat Voter Suppression
Beth Shalom’s Social Action Committee is partnering with the Every Voice, Every Vote Civic Engagement campaign through the Religious Action Center, the political and legislative outreach arm of Reform Judaism in the United States. The Religious Action Center has partnered with the non-partisan Center for Common Ground and their Reclaim Our Vote (ROV) campaign. Together we will write postcards to remind eligible voters of Color to check their registration status and to register to vote. Many of these individuals have been purged from the voter registration lists. Based on statistics, a quarter of those that receive postcards will register and reclaim their vote! Find out how to participate here.
