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Racial Justice

The authors of the Declaration of Independence outlined a bold vision for America: a nation in which all people would be free and equal. Yet the forced removal of indigenous peoples and the enslavement of those of African descent marked the beginnings of a system of racial injustice from which our country has yet to break free. Despite important gains made by civil rights activism, the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, and racial profiling and bias in policing are but a few of the racist injustices that mark the distance between America’s reality and the dream we seek to achieve: liberty and justice for everybody.

Resources

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
The Selah Alliance for Equality (S.A.F.E.) and the City of Selah, WA have agreed to a settlement to dismiss a case SAFE filed against the City in 2020 after community members alleged the city censored their free speech by erasing chalk messages and confiscating and destroying signs in support of racial equality and the Black Lives Matter movement.
News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Carlos Rios, a United States citizen, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington today against Pierce County and Pierce County Jail deputies, seeking declaratory relief and damages for his unlawful imprisonment and violations of his civil rights under federal and state law.

Voting Rights Restoration in Washington State

Document, Published: 
Saturday, January 1, 2022
Under Washington law, individuals convicted of felonies that have their right to vote automatically restored as soon as they have completed incarceration and any community custody required by the Department of Corrections. This brochure briefly explains the law and answers frequently asked questions.  
Published: 
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
We, the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability (WCPA), provide a comprehensive approach to addressing police violence and building community trust.
Published: 
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Over the past decade, one out of every five homicide victims in Washington have been killed by a law enforcement officer.
Published: 
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
A foster mother shares her experience of losing her son to police violence
News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Last week, Bellingham voters approved a ban on government use of facial recognition and predictive policing technologies by their city.
News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
NAACP Vancouver Branch 1139, the ACLU of Washington, and several other organizations have formally requested the United States Department of Justice to investigate the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and Clark County Sherriff’s Office (CCSO).
Published: 
Monday, November 8, 2021
Our organization and more than a dozen others sent a letter to the United States Department of Justice to formally request the agency investigate the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and Clark County Sheriff's Office. It’s a request we don’t make lightly, but given the situation in southwest Washington, it’s time for a new approach.
Published: 
Monday, November 8, 2021

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