WHAT TO DO

Looking for more ways to get involved in the Black Lives Matter movement? In addition to protesting, donating and reading, try this: Fill out, print, sign and mail this as a letter to your Senators and Congress People, in addition to sending it via email. Why write a letter?

  • Letters get more attention because they take more effort to write and send. It’s easier to overlook an email than it is to disregard a letter (particularly a handwritten letter, if you feel so inclined to transcribe this).
  • Letters support the USPS.

WHO TO CONTACT

Senator contact info: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact
House of Representatives contact info: https://www.house.gov/representatives#state-alabama

WHAT TO WRITE
 Feel free to adjust the below letter as you see fit. Use it verbatim, scrap it and start from scratch—your call. What matters is that you’re doing it. The more personal your testimony, the better. Share with everyone and anyone!

HOW TO FIND YOUR FULL ZIP CODE
https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction_input

HOW TO FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

DONATIONS | EVENTS | READING
https://docs.google.com/document/d/154xAD-nwwD8RQGlWkxNuFGTkqhg_2AeheijaeLH2Wsc/edit#

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Dear [REPRESENTATIVE NAME],

My name is [NAME], and I live in [CITY] in [DISTRICT #]

This letter serves as an urgent request to take the first steps toward ending systemic racism and police brutality in the United States.

[Write your personal experience with Black Lives Matter here, see example below]

The horrific murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery are just a few recent examples of the disturbing violence against black bodies haunting my waking hours. It is not "normal" to live in a democratic society where oppression and inequitable treatment are part of daily life for people of color. It is not “normal” for public servants to murder the very people they’re paid to protect. It is not “normal” for the President of the United States to condone the violent actions of police forces nationwide. It is not “normal” for the black community to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 as a result of centuries of injustice and institutionalized racism. This is our collective reckoning. There is no going back to the old ways. We can be better than this.

We are in a national state of emergency that demands critical reformation at the federal and local levels. I ask that you use your power to hold police departments accountable for their role in terrorizing the black community.

 In line with the NAACP recommendations, I request action on the following:

  • Ensure that Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas K. Lane are charged with the murder of George Floyd.
  • Ensure that Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and officers Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove are charged with the murder of Breonna Taylor.
  • Mandate a zero-tolerance approach in penalizing and / or prosecuting police officers who kill unarmed, nonviolent and non-resistant individuals during an arrest.
  • A ban on the use of knee holds and choke holds as an acceptable practice for police officers.
  • The use of Force Continuum for any police department in the country must ensure that there are at least six levels of steps, with clear rules on escalation.
  • Ensure officer misconduct information and disciplinary histories are public information through each state’s Open Records Act. Recertification credentials may be denied for police officers if determined that their use of deadly force was unwarranted by federal guidelines.
  • Implement Citizen’s Review Boards in municipalities to hold police departments accountable and build public confidence.
  • Make any false accusations against people of color punishable by law, e.g. Amy Cooper’s falsified 911 call
  • Ensure the Attorney General compiles and publishes annual statistics on police use of excessive force.
  • Eliminate the program that has provided $6 billion worth of surplus military equipment to law enforcement.

I appreciate your support and hope that together, we can ensure Black Lives Will Always Matter.

__________________________
[SIGNATURE]

In Loving Honor of
Eric Garner
John Crawford III

Michael Brown

Ezell Ford

Dante Parker
Michelle Cusseaux

Laquan McDonald

George Mann

Tanisha Anderson

Akai Gurley

Tamir Rice

Rumain Brisbon

Jerame Reid

Matthew Ajibade

Frank Smart
Natasha McKenna

Tony Robinson

Anthony Hill

Mya Hall

Phillip White

Eric Harris

Walter Scott

William Chapman II

Alexia Christian

Brendon Glenn

Victor Manuel Larosa

Jonathan Sanders

Freddie Blue

Joseph Mann

Salvado Ellswood

Sandra Bland

Albert Joseph Davis

Darrius Stewart

Billy Ray Davis

Samuel DuBose

Michael Sabbie

Brian Keith Day

Christian Taylor

Troy Robinson

Asshams Pharoah Manley

Felix Kumi

Keith Harrison McLeod

Junior Prosper

Lamontez Jones

Paterson Brown Jr.

Dominic Hutchinson

Anthony Ashford

Alonzo Smith

Tyree Crawford

India Kager

La’Vante Biggs

Michael Lee Marshall

Jamar Clark

Richard Perkins

Nathaniel Harris Pickett Jr.

Bennie Lee Tignor

Miguel Espinal

Michael Noel

Kevin Matthews

Bettie Jones

Quintonio LeGrier

Keith Childress Jr.

Janet Wilson
Randy Nelson
Antronie Scott

Wendell Celestine

David Joseph

Calin Roquemore

Dyzhawn Perkins

Christopher Davis

Marco Loud

Peter Gaines

Torrey Robinson

Darius Robinson

Kevin Hicks

Mary Truxillo

Demarcus Semer

Willie Tillman

Terrill Thomas

Sylville Smith

Alton Sterling

Philando Castile

Terence Crutcher

Paul O’Neal

Alteria Woods

Jordan Edwards

Aaron Bailey

Ronell Foster

Stephon Clark

Antwon Rose II

Botham Jean

Pamela Turner

Dominique Clayton

Atatiana Jefferson

Christopher Whitfield

Christopher McCorvey

Eric Reason

Michael Lorenzo Dean

Ahmaud Arbery

Breonna Taylor

George Floyd
Tony McDade
David McAtee

Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells

Riah Milton

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REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT INFO FOR WASHINGTON STATE
Senator Maria Cantwell
511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510

Senator Patty Murray

154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510

Suzan Delbene (District 1)

2330 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Rick Larsen (District 2)

2113 Rayburn HOB

Washington, DC 20515

Jamie Herrera Beutler (District 3)
2352 Rayburn HOB

Washington, DC 20515

Dan Newhouse (District 4)

1414 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (District 5)

1035 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

Derek Kilmer (District 6)

1410 Longworth House Office Bldg.

Washington, DC 20515

Pramila Jayapal (District 7)

1510 Longworth House Office Building

Washington. DC 20515

Kim Schriee (District 8)

1123 Longworth HOB

Washington, DC 20515

Adam Smith (District 9)

2264 Rayburn Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Denny Heck (District 10)

2452 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT INFO FOR NEW MEXICO

Martin Heinrich
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510


Xochitl Torres Small
430 Cannon HOB

Washington, DC 20515

Debra Halaand
1237 Longworth HOB

Washington, DC 20515

Heinrich, Martin
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510

(202) 224-5521
Contact: www.heinrich.senate.gov/contact

Tom Udall

531 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510

(202) 224-6621

Contact: www.tomudall.senate.gov/contact