Virtual Town Hall Discussion on “Ferguson and Beyond: The Crisis of Race and Policing In 2014” 

Virtual Town Hall Discussion on “Ferguson and Beyond: The Crisis of Race and Policing In 2014” 
#Unity4Justice
WHO: National civil and human rights partner organizations listed below on behalf of the Civil Rights Ferguson and Police Reform Coalition
  • African American Policy Forum
  • Amnesty International
  • Hip Hop Caucus
  • Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  • Muslim Advocates
  • National Bar Association, Inc.
  • Rainbow PUSH Coalition

WHAT: Virtual Town hall discussion on combatting police misconduct and brutality, the newly released racial profiling guidance by the Department of Justice and possible solutions.

The simultaneous Twitter and Audio Town Hall will feature national human and civil rights leaders; community activists; victims and/or affected families; and local, state, and/or federal officials.

Virtual Town hall participants will learn about the national epidemic of police brutality and misconduct and associated laws and legal procedures, including grand juries processes and other accountability measures.

Participants will also engage with presenters regarding necessary nationwide reforms and solutions, including action steps, such as economic empowerment, which can be implemented in their communities.

WHEN: Thursday, December 18, 7- 8:30 p.m. EST
AGENDA: 
7 -7:30 PM EST – Panel One “The Crisis of Race and Policing In 2014”
Moderator: Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO, Hip Hop CaucusSpeakers:
  • Farhana Khera, Muslim Advocates
  • Others to be confirmed
7:30-7:45 PM EST – Q&A
7:45-8:15 PM EST – Panel Two “Recommendations & Solutions”
Moderators: Barbara Arnwine, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under LawSpeakers:
  • Pamela Meanes, NBA
  • Charlene Carruthers, Black Youth Project 100
  • T-Dubb-O, St. Louis and Ferguson activist and rapper
  • Others to be confirmed
8:15 – 8:25 PM EST– Q&A
8:25 – 8:30 PM EST – Closing Remarks by Co-Moderators
INSTRUCTIONS:
To participate by phone, please call (605) 562-0020 and enter the Meeting ID pin 305-823-740. To follow the conversation on Twitter, please use the hashtag #Unified4Justice
BACKGROUND:
In response to the killing of Michael Brown a coalition of 14 national civil and human rights organizations and leaders issued a Unified Statement of Action to Promote Reform and Stop Police Abuse on August 18th, which cited 14 clear and necessary recommendations and reforms to prevent future killings of unarmed African Americans by law enforcement. We will continue to work together to ensure that all of our recommendations and reforms are adopted and justice is brought to bear in Ferguson and nationwide. Seven additional groups and more than 650 independent signatories have joined the open letter which was sent to the White House and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
We reiterate our call for transparency, accountability, leadership, and training, including:
  • Passage of the End Racial Profiling Act introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Cardin (MD) (S. 1038) and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (MI) (H.R. 2851);
  • A full accounting of police-involved killings of African Americans and people of color nationwide;
  • Mandatory racial bias and sensitivity training for all law enforcement personnel;
  • The required use of body-worn cameras and dash-cams nationwide to record every police-civilian encounter;
  • The appointment of special prosecutors in police involved killings;
  • Better accountability of the use and potential distribution and use of federal military weapons by local law enforcement; and
  • Greater oversight of police officers through the formation of a national police commission.
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