BLACK LIVES MATTER- EMAILS, TEMPLATES, AND RESOURCES
Thank you very much for using this document. Over the past couple of weeks, we have learned that it is far more effective to craft an email entirely in your own words. The person or persons receiving your email can create a filter based on the template being sent around and block the emails being received. We encourage you to use these templates as a source of education, then draft an email of your own to make sure your message is read! Thank you for taking this time to take action.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
TEXTS:
“JUSTICE” TO 668366
“FLOYD” TO 55156
“ENOUGH” TO 55156
“TONY MCDADE” TO 484848
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EMAILS:
BREONNA TAYLOR-
Send to:
jcooke@louisvilleprosecutor.com
greg.fischer@louisvilleky.gov
attorney.general@ag.ky.gov
LINK TO POLICE EMAIL FORM: https://www.louisville-police.org//FormCenter/About-Us-4/Email-the-Chief-43
LINK TO MAYOR’S OFFICE EMAIL FORM:https://louisvilleky.gov/government/mayor-greg-fischer/contact-mayors-office
What to say:
Hello,
My name is __________. I am contacting you in regards to the recent murder of Breonna Taylor. I am joining her family in asking for the following four things:
1. I am demanding the mayor and city council address the use of force by LMPD.
2. I am asking that the officers involved be charged and arrested for the 2nd degree murder of Breonna Taylor.
3. I am asking for all necessary information to be provided to a local, independent civil community police accountability council.
4. I am asking for policy to be created for transparent investigation processes due to law enforcement misconduct.
This is a human rights issue. I am heartbroken to see yet another black life lost at the hands of racist officers. They must be held accountable. Your immediate action is necessary. I urge you to do the right thing.
Thank you for listening,
__________________
*text courtesy of Cristina Sastre
TONY MCDADE-
Send to:
LINK TO TALLAHASSEE PD COMPLAINT FORM: https://www.talgov.com/publicsafety/tpd-compliment.aspx
What to say:
Hello,
My name is _______________ and I am writing to you on behalf of Tony McDade who was shot by officers on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 without warning. I demand that you release the names of the officers who are responsible for his death, as well as their unreleased body cam footage of the incident. I refuse to let Tony McDade’s name go down in history as yet another death in Florida’s history of anti-transgender violence.
Thank you for listening,
_________________________
*text courtesy of Grayson Samuels
ELIJAH MCCLAIN-
Send to:
What to say:
Hello,
My name is _________________ and I am a resident of _________________. I am emailing today to demand accountability for the racist murder of Elijah McClain. I demand that charges be pressed against the officers involved in this heinous killing: Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt and Randy Roedema. They should all be fired, and should be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for murder. Elijah McClain was wrongly detained for simply walking down the street. An unethical "carotid hold" was performed during his detainment which led to his death. The body cams of all three officers also were not used or working correctly during the altercation. Elijah was 23 years old at the time of his death. He was an energetic and friendly massage therapist, working to relieve people of their pain and offer relaxation during times of stress. He should be alive today. He would be alive today if it were not for the gross abuse of power and white supremacy exhibited by the Aurora Police Department. All officers involved must face consequences for this murder in order to provide his family with justice and to deter law enforcement from committing racist and brutal acts of violence against communities of color. In addition, I demand that we provide more support for community efforts and organizations that work to prevent police brutality and violence.
Sincerely,
_________________________
ROBERT FORBES-
Send to:
City_Council@bakersfieldcity.us
What to say:
Dear Bakersfield leaders,
My name is ________________ and I am a resident of _____________. I am writing to you today about justice for Robert Forbes. As you may know, this week at a protest, a driver accelerated toward the peaceful crowd, striking and ultimately killing Robert.
Officers that arrived on scene did not restrain the driver in any way. This is unacceptable. Despite a large number of witnesses, police claim there is no evidence that this was intentional. This is ALSO unacceptable. Worse yet, the driver was allowed to sit- again, unrestrained- and smoke cigarettes peacefully before being let go. This weekend, photos of the driver have emerged showing he has white supremacist Nazi tattoos, including “1488” on his shoulders. In a world where Black Americans are brutalized by the police for far less than this it is horrifying that this driver was allowed to sit idly by while the victim of his hate crime slowly lost his life. This is not acceptable.
I was proud to see how swiftly and appropriately Bakersfield Police handled the arrest of Michael Tran for a similarly heinous act last week.
I call on you to act and arrest the driver who killed Robert Forbes. Robert deserves justice and a proper investigation into his murder.
Thank you for your time,
______________________
DEFUND12-
LINK TO DEFUND12.ORG:
Use the link to email local government officials and council members to reallocate egregious police budgets toward education, social services, and dismantling racial inequality via this crowd-sourced tool.
LOS ANGELES- RESCIND JACKIE LACEY ENDORSEMENT-
Send to:
sheila@bos.lacounty.gov
What to say:
Dear Supervisor Kuehl,
My name is _______________ and I am writing to you from ________________. I want to thank you for your years of strong leadership in imagining, building, and investing in community-based alternatives to incarceration. You have demonstrated a clear commitment to supporting the values of the Third District, and I applaud the steps you have taken to make Los Angeles a more just, safe, and healthy community. I am now asking that you take another step in the direction of justice, and rescind your endorsement of Jackie Lacey for District Attorney in this upcoming runoff election.
With our eyes turned to George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, and a national call for transformation, accountability, and racial justice in our law enforcement systems, we are reminded that, here in Los Angeles, we have a District Attorney who has spent her eight years in office ignoring the calls for accountability by those who have had loved ones killed by police.
While Jackie Lacey has been in office, she has firmly refused to prosecute a single LAPD officer for a shooting, despite 601 people being killed by law enforcement or dying in custody during DA Lacey’s tenure. She has also stood in direct opposition to voter-led initiatives seeking to reverse the harms of mass incarceration, such as Proposition 47, Proposition 57, and Proposition 64. Furthermore, she has exacerbated the racial disparities in our capital punishment system by securing death sentences for 22 people, all of whom are people of color. Most recently, amid this global pandemic, a leaked memo from DA Lacey’s office revealed her efforts to subvert the statewide zero-dollar bail order that was implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in jails and in our community. Her focus on loopholes at the expense of decarceration puts our public health at risk.
Thank you for the work you have done so far to promote justice and equity in LA County. I hope that you further that progress by rescinding your endorsement of Jackie Lacey in what is being called the most important District Attorney race in the country.
Sincerely,
__________________________________
*text courtesy of Miranda July
PEOPLE’S BUDGET LOS ANGELES-
Send to:
mayor.helpdesk@lacity.org
councilmember.cedillo@lacity.org
councilmember.Krekorian@lacity.org
councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org
david.ryu@lacity.org
paul.koretz@lacity.org
councilmember.martinez@lacity.org
councilmember.rodriguez@lacity.org
councilmember.harris-dawson@lacity.org
councilmember.price@lacity.org
councilmember.wesson@lacity.org
councilmember.bonin@lacity.org
councilmember.Lee@lacity.org
councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org
councilmember.buscaino@lacity.org
What to say:
Hello,
We are in the midst of a health pandemic with severe economic consequences. Over 50% of Angelenos are unemployed and we can expect 42% lasting unemployment. Over 50% of this city is renters and if folx are unemployed, they cannot pay rent. Prior to the pandemic, there were around 60k unhoused folx; after evictions and economic insecurity due to COVID-19 and its fall out, we can expect thousands more. In this context, the Mayor is proposing an increase to LAPD, despite the fact that crime has fallen considerably during the past few months. LAPD has seen a rise in overtime which, more often than not, is paid out to officers harassing unhoused folx, and Black, Indigenous, people of color.
We are also in the midst of widespread upheaval over the systemic violence embodied by the LAPD which murders Black folx. We will no longer accept empty gestures and suggestions of reform.
We need to defund the LAPD. We need to #DefundThePolice. We need a budget that adequately and effectively meets the needs of Angelenos during this trying and uncertain time; and we need a budget that supports communities and supports their wellbeing, not which empowers the force(s) that tear them apart.
After City Council cowardly avoided voting or revising your draconian budget proposal, the document is back in the Mayor’s hands. I am demanding a complete revision of the LA budget for 2020-2021 and fund #CareNotCops. You need to adopt a People’s Budget. Public opinion is with me.
Thank you for your time,
_________________________
*text courtesy of People’s Budget LA
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PHONE CALLS:
BREONNA TAYLOR-
CALL 502-735-1784 and FOLLOW PROMPTS. They lead you call to call.
Due to heavy call traffic, this number might take multiple attempts to connect.
What to say:
My name is __________________ and I am calling on behalf of Breonna Taylor who was brutally shot and killed by police in her own home. I am calling to demand that the officers involved are arrested and charged with Breonna’s murder. I am also demanding that the Kentucky Attorney General appoint an independent special prosecutor to oversee all aspects of this case. Thank you for listening.
More resources: www.justiceforbreonna.org
ELIJAH MCCLAIN-
CALL GOVERNOR JARED POLIS 303-866-2471, CALL MAYOR MIKE COFFMAN 303-739-7015, CALL POLICE CHIEF VANESSA WILSON 303-739-6050, CALL DA DAVE YOUNG 303-659-7720, CALL DISTRICT CHIEF JUDGE EMILY ANDERSON 303-654-3550, CALL DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY NANCY RODGERS 303-739-6014, CALL CITY ATTORNEY DANIEL BROTZMAN 303-870-9078
What to say:
My name is __________ and I am calling on behalf of Elijah McClain. I demand that Officers Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, Randy Roedemo, Matthew Green, and Sgt. Dole Leonard of the Aurora Police Department, LT. Peter Chichuniec and Medic Jeremy Cooper of Aurora Fire Rescue are fired immediately and charged to provide a remedy to Elijah’s family. We demand justice for Elijah McClain.
AHMAUD ARBERY-
CALL 770-800-0689 and FOLLOW PROMPTS. They lead you call to call.
Due to heavy call traffic, this number might take multiple attempts to connect.
What to say:
My name is __________________ and I am calling on behalf of Ahmaud Arbery who was chased down, shot, and killed by two white supremacists while out for a jog. I am calling to demand that William “Roddie” Bryan is investigated and charged, and that Glynn County Police Officer Robert Rash’s involvement in the murder is looked into. I demand that this case be investigated as the hate crime that it is. Thank you for listening.
More resources: www.runwithmaud.com
TONY MCDADE-
-CALL OFFICE OF STATE ATTORNEY 2ND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT 850-606-6000, ASK TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE OFFICE OF JACK CAMPBELL
-CALL TALLAHASSEE PD 850-891-4200
What to say:
My name is _______________ and I am calling on behalf of Tony McDade who was murdered by officers on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. I demand that you release the names of the officers who are responsible for his death, their unreleased body cam footage, and charge them with the crimes for which they have committed. I refuse to let Tony McDade’s name go down as yet another death in Florida’s history of anti-transgender violence. Thank you for listening.
PEOPLE’S BUDGET LA-
-CALL OFFICE OF MAYOR’S HELP DESK 213-918-1028
Due to heavy call traffic, this number might take multiple attempts to connect.
What to say:
My name is _______________ and I am calling in reference to the Mayor’s budget proposal. You have failed your constituents. The public overwhelmingly expressed their opposition to the proposed budget and, in particular, to it’s over-spending on police. Now that the City Council has failed to do their jobs and the budget is back in the Mayor’ hands, I want to make clear that the Mayor must pass a People’s Budget. Mayor Garcetti has an obligation to those they represent to consider an alternative that prioritizes the true needs of Angelenos: Care, not Cops. He needs to defund the police. Thank you for listening.
______________________________________________________________________________________
PETITIONS, DONATIONS, AND OTHER RESOURCES:
FANTASY WORLD MASTERLIST OF RESOURCES ON HOW TO DISMANTLE RACISM:
DONATIONS, PETITIONS, AND RESOURCES:
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
COMPREHENSIVE FUNDRAISING/BAIL/PETITION/TRANS RESOURCE DOC:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1A3f-20SipegLlS2D-D8JRpJd2IBGmN7eKdfRB6cJHwY/htmlview
NON-BLACK QUICKSHEET:
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1i4IQARN6DM4cTJRW0ga5ISo7O2Tot4YJnzPTrr-59F8/mobilebasic
TALKING TO YOUR FAMILY ABOUT RACISM IN AMERICA- BY CRISTINA SASTRE:
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1TO5xz6_9ADPx7aD5Q5DC3P15JhTof0XcVRBjqLeRFyc/mobilebasic
READ BEFORE PROTESTING, BY CRISTINA SASTRE:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H7LhAoPKjAG9G58cq9Suxtzz7X39aTLxg58Pi-d_1vc/edit
OTHER RESOURCES: