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United Women in Faith Urges President Joe Biden to Commute Federal Death Penalty Sentences

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December 19, 2024
 
NEW YORK – United Women in Faith, the largest denominational organization for women, is celebrating Advent by mobilizing its members to action. It called on President Joe Biden to commute the sentences of all 40 individuals on federal death row. As an organization committed to justice, we understand the ways in which the criminal justice system unfairly and unevenly targets people of color.
 
The Associated Press reported that “Studies of the death penalty have long shown racial inequality in its application, but a new report has found the disparity extends inside the death chamber itself. In an analysis of the more than 1,400 lethal injection executions conducted in the U.S. since 1982, researchers for the nonprofit Reprieve reported that states made significantly more mistakes during the executions of Black people than they did with prisoners of other races.”
 
“We’re calling on President Biden to commute death row sentences not on account of the one who did wrong, or the one who was wronged, but because of our love for God,” said Cynthia Holland, who serves as United Women in Faith’s Digital Advocacy & Organizing Assistant at the Office of Racial Justice. “I know what it’s like to watch a loved one sit behind bars unfairly. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to watch a loved one on death row and know they are innocent. The system is unjust and so is its application.”
 
As women who believe in the sanctity of all life, United Women in Faith opposes the death penalty.
 
The United Methodist Church’s Social Principles read, “Our commitment to the inherent dignity and worth of every person and our historic stance as United Methodists compels us to oppose capital punishment and the imposition of the death penalty…Tragically, the death penalty compounds the loss of human life with the deliberate taking of another life. Additionally, the administration of the death penalty disproportionately impacts people who live in poverty, those who are uneducated, people who live in marginalized racial and ethnic communities, and people with mental impairments.” 
 
Emily Jones, Executive for Racial Justice at United Women in Faith, said, “We are honored to add our voices to the growing national call for President Biden to commute the federal death row before he leaves office.”
 
“We remember that God loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) and that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23),” said Cynthia Holland. “We should be grieved by the things that grieve God. We call for mercy, reform and justice. ” 
 
For more information, or to book an interview with Jones or Holland, email press@spotlightpr.org. 
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Spotlight PR LLC Celebrates New Clintonville Office with Open House

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Spotlight PR LLC, a crisis communications firm, recently held an open house at its new office location, 4041 N High Street, Suite 204. The company previously had a small workspace in Westerville, and is now firmly rooted in Clintonville. The firm works with leaders and organizations to help them develop their platforms and protect their brands.
 
Founded in 2016 in Northern Virginia by Jennifer R. Farmer, Farmer relocated the business to Ohio, where she is from, in 2020. The firm specializes in public relations with an emphasis on crisis management, publicity, ghostwriting and PR Coaching. It also offers a host of resources such as workshops, videos and blogs to help clients communicate more effectively and navigate a host of public relations issues.
 
“I founded Spotlight PR because I wanted to build a culturally competent public relations firm that would support good people in the important work they were leading,” said Farmer, aka “The PR Whisperer®.” “I am excited about the opportunity to support those on the frontlines of movements for racial and social justice.”
 
Farmer has more than 22 years’ experience in strategic communications and politics. She has worked with some of the biggest names in the racial and social justice space including the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II of Repairers of the Breach, Pastor Michael McBride of LiveFree, former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, and Grammy Award Winning rapper Michael Render, pka Killer Mike.
 
Current and former clients of Spotlight PR include CLLCTIVLY, the Decolonizing Wealth Project, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Florida Rising, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, Race Forward, the Raising Child Care Fund, The Heart Nest Center, United Women in Faith, and more.
 
“We are excited to close out the year in our new office and anticipate what is to come in 2025 and beyond,” Farmer said.
 
Visit Spotlight PR’s contact us page to learn more.

Advancement Project Celebrates 25 Years of Social, Racial Justice Advocacy

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WASHINGTON D.C. – With nearly 200 people in attendance, Advancement Project celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Rubell Museum in Washington D.C. on December 5. Advancement Project is a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization that seeks to fulfill America’s promise of creating a caring, inclusive and multi-racial democracy.

For decades, the national racial justice organization has supported grassroots groups on the frontlines of major movements for education justice, climate justice, police reform, democracy, voting rights, redistricting and immigrant justice. They were a pioneering force in elevating the school-to-prison pipeline to the national discourse. Advancement Project also was on the ground in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, helping to ensure that the voices of survivors were heard during the reconstruction process.

Founded in 1999 by former NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund attorneys, Constance L. Rice, Penda Hair, Molly Munger, and Stephen R. English, Advancement Project has established a reputation as lawyers for the movement for racial justice. Executive director Judith Browne Dianis is a formidable force for change with a deep passion for community organizing.

“Despite the upheaval in the world, I take comfort in knowing that another world is indeed possible thanks to the work and advocacy of entities such as Advancement Project and their many partners,” said Jennifer R. Farmer, founder of Spotlight PR. Farmer previously worked as the managing director for communications for Advancement Project.

Advancement Project marked their anniversary with a gala reception at the Rubell Museum. It’s executive director Judith Browne Dianis remarked to those in attendance, “thank you for making incredible things happen every day.”

“As we direct our vision to the next 25 years, our unwavering belief is that another world is possible, especially for Black and brown communities,” said former educator, activist and Advancement Project Board Member Jesse Williams.

Advancement Project staff not only celebrated but they also paid homage to a host of grassroots organizations. They awarded the “Turning the Tide Awards” to Action St. Louis, a grassroots racial justice organization that seeks to build political power for Black communities in the St. Louis region. New Virginia Majority, which fuels multi-issue, multi-racial movements to transform Virginia, also earned the Turning the Tide Award.  

Advancement Project also issued the “Just Democracy Award” to the Service Employees International Union, one of the largest labor unions in the country; and the “Harry Belafonte Lift Every Voice Award” to Aja Monet, a Grammy-nominated Surrealist Blues Poet whose work explores themes of resistance, love and joy.

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Race Forward: Our Work is Not Over: We Must Continue to Organize

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For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON – Following a hotly contested presidential election, Donald J. Trump won a second term as president of the United States. The national racial equity organization, Race Forward, released the following statement:

“The electoral results are a strong indicator our fight for racial justice must continue. It is imperative that we view these results as one chapter in a long struggle to advance a multi-racial democracy. This is not the end; it is a continuation of our work.

“In light of this moment, it is clear there are those in this country who have not embraced the idea that a racially just democracy carries with it the promise of opportunity where all can thrive. Rather, they desire to hold power, influence, and wealth among only a few. This is not the promise of America and we vow to continue our fight for a society where all can prosper, no matter their race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual identity, or political party. 

“We know there is power in our collective work and we must not relinquish or cede that power. Race Forward is issuing the call to protect and defend the rights of all Americans and to uphold the constitution of these United States. We must all commit to embracing civil discourse, the process of democracy, and to centering the needs of the most vulnerable amongst us. We condemn those who seek to usurp the democratic process through retaliation, intimidation, and violence. 

“At Race Forward, we will continue to work to advance a multiracial democratic society that serves all of us.”

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Facing Race Conference to Host Groundbreaking National Health Equity Grand Rounds Series

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For Immediate Release

NEW YORK – Race Forward announced today that it will host the American Medical Association’s (AMA) National Health Equity Grand Rounds panel conversation during the Facing Race conference on November 21 in St. Louis. The National Health Equity Grand Rounds aims to deepen understanding of health inequities, shape national discourse, and outline strategies to improve the nation’s health.

The AMA, along with other organizations including the Missouri Foundation for Health, serves as a Trailblazer Sponsor for this year’s Facing Race conference—which is the nation’s largest multiracial, multi-disciplinary and intergenerational racial justice convening with more than 4,000 expected attendees.

“We are pleased to have the AMA bring this focus on health equity to Facing Race. Their systemic approach to addressing inequities across the health care ecosystem aligns with our theory of change to transform and equip systems to advance racial equity,” said Race Forward President Glenn Harris. “We are also pleased to have the AMA as a Trailblazer Sponsor for our event. Their participation at this level is yet another testimony to the organization’s commitment to advancing health equity.”

The National Health Equity Grand Rounds will be accessible in-person and virtually during Facing Race on Nov. 21 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT. Under the theme “Rewrite the Script: Narrative Transformation for Equity in Health,” the session will showcase national thought leaders from diverse backgrounds—including physicians, writers, artists, and digital media experts—sharing insights on how we can challenge harmful narratives and reshape our approach to health.

The panel will open with a keynote from Rinku Sen, MS, Executive Director for the Narrative Initiative, and continue with a conversation including Emmy-nominated producer, writer and physician Mehret Mandefro, MD, PhD; Google Health’s Global Lead for Healthcare and Public Health Garth Graham MD, MPH; Bay Love, MBA, a principal at the Groundwater Institute and lifelong civil rights organizer whose career began in healthcare at a federally qualified health center, and Michelle Browder, the multi-hyphenate innovator, entrepreneur and artist who created the “Mothers of Gynecology” monument and park in Montgomery, Alabama. The AMA will also host arts-based experiences for conference attendees in the exhibit hall and atrium, with artworks and engagements created by Michelle Browder and Laolu Senbanjo, a Nigerian bred, Brooklyn based multidisciplinary artist, around the theme ‘Health Justice is our Co-Creation’.”

“We are excited to curate this unique space for cross-cultural collaboration,” Harris said.

In addition to the Grand Rounds, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with leaders within the racial justice movement during breakout sessions, plenaries, and a keynote address from MSNBC Host and author Joy Reid.

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About Facing Race:

Throughout its 17-year history, Facing Race has been a one-of-a-kind space that allows community organizers, activists, and movement makers from across the country to meet up, build strategies for advancing racial justice, and receive inspiration for the work ahead. To learn more about Facing Race, visit facingrace.raceforward.org

 

 

 

Child Care Providers, Parents and Advocates Share Concerns and Hope the Senate Study Committee on Access to Affordable Childcare Hear Them

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For Immediate Release

October 30, 2024

ATLANTA – The child care affordability crisis has taken center stage during the 2024 presidential election. Both presidential campaigns have acknowledged – to varying degrees of eloquence – the pressure families and communities face when seeking accessible, affordable early childhood education and care. Now, one week before the election, several parents and advocates affiliated with 9to5 Georgia shared their thoughts on funding for early childhood education and care. To watch their comments and concerns, visit this link and use this passcode: qp6.834V.

Parents, advocates and child care providers discussed:

  • The importance of child care solutions being as diverse as the families in need of care, and as innovative as the needs demand. For instance, child care solutions that center around the first shift, will not address the needs of those who work nights and weekends.
  • The need for flexible child care options that empower parents to balance work and family on their own terms.
  • The importance of sustainable funding to ensure child care providers can offer competitive wages which will enable them to retain their best educators.
  • The need for dialogue around “work life balance” to include child care in its fundamental elements. Dignified workplaces must recognize and adapt to the realities of working parents, understanding that supporting families benefits everyone. 

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Raising Child Care Fund Adds Three Grantees to Build Capacity to  Reform Child Care in a Total of 20 States

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For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON – As child care providers and parents navigate the fallout from the end of pandemic-era budget stabilization funds, the Raising Child Care Fund, a project of the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, today announced it is investing close to half a million over two years in three new state partners who are organizing parents and child care providers to make child care affordable and equitable. The additions mean RCCF’s grantee partners are organizing in 20 states as part of a national movement to transform child care. The new grantees are located in Maine, Utah, and Virginia. Each group has earned commitments from state funders to match at least 10% of their national grant. 

At Maine People’s Alliance, Deputy Director Ben Chin believes this grant will be “transformative.” “This support will empower us to deepen our community engagement, strengthen partnerships, and advocate for policies that ensure every family has access to affordable, high-quality childcare.”

“Utah Care for Kids is thrilled for the investment from the Raising Child Care Fund to continue our work of uniting Utah around the public good of an equitable child care system,” said Brigette Weier, the Program Manager at  Utah Association for the Education of Young Children, “We will be able to double down on engaging historically silenced voices in child care and in our communities to lead and shape the movement.”

Virginia Organizing Executive Director Brian Johns stated that, “This support will allow our organizers to identify, recruit, and develop directly-affected parents and caregivers into our child care movement in Virginia.  We will be able to continue to build a powerful campaign to secure dedicated funding for the expansion of accessible affordable child care over these crucial years.” 

“To make lifting the burden of paying for child care off parents’ shoulders a priority, we have to invest in groups that amplify the voices of parents and child care providers to lead the movement,” said Rachel Schumacher, project director for the Raising Child Care Fund. “Child care educators are the workforce behind the workforce. Across the country they are joining with parents to win the public investments and program changes they know are needed to make the system work for all.”

Raising Child Care Fund expansion comes at a critical time for the cause. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act provided a boost of $40 Billion for early childhood education providers and increased access for families. But now all of the ARP child care boost in funding has been allowed to expire in Congress. The child care industry was already operating on slim margins, and the loss of this pandemic funding has already forced child care programs to close their doors or raise fees for families closure is states across the country.

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Race Forward Welcomes Karla Bruce as Chief of Staff

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Race Forward, one of the nation’s largest racial equity organizations, announced today that Karla Bruce, former Chief Equity Officer for Fairfax County, Virginia, has joined the organization as its chief of staff. In this role, Bruce will maximize alignment across the organization to support racial equity, provide strategic counsel and guidance to the president and executive leadership team, and serve as a liaison with internal and external stakeholders. 

“We are excited to have Karla join the Race Forward team,” said Glenn Harris, President of Race Forward. “She is a proven leader with over 25 years of government management experience. She built the infrastructure to support Fairfax County’s equity planning and decision making. As an organization committed to partnering with both communities and government to advance racial equity, we are excited to have a chief of staff who understands in theory and practice how to drive change.”

Bruce’s appointment as the Chief Equity Officer for Fairfax County, Virginia in June 2018 was historic. She became the first local government, equity- focused senior leader in the jurisdiction, the first in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the first in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. 

An accomplished innovator in public service delivery, Bruce successfully bridged the efforts of local government with the collective action of residents and broad networks of partners. During her tenure with Fairfax County, she led the process to adopt the One Fairfax Racial and Social Equity Resolution and Policy. Bruce’s career has earned her numerous accolades across the many sectors with which she has worked, including government, nonprofit, philanthropy, faith, and corporate, and she is a nationally recognized thought leader on the role of government in advancing equity. 

“I am thrilled to join Race Forward after years of working alongside the organization as a partner,” Bruce said. “At this critical moment in our nation, I am particularly excited to be leading the  implementation of our new Strategic Plan which focuses on community and government collaboration to create pathways for equity and inclusion as we continue to work toward building a multiracial democracy.”

“With ongoing attacks on racial equity and democracy, our movement needs leaders who are skilled in and passionate about advancing racial equity,” Harris said. “Karla is such a leader and we are delighted to have her onboard.”
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Rev. Al Sharpton Brings Voting Message to Ohio State

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Political, civil rights, social justice activist and MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton made his argument for Ohio State students and Ohio residents to vote at a pre-election event held Wednesday at the school’s Fawcett Center.
 
U.S. Rep Joyce Beatty, Jesse Jackson, Jesse Jackson Jr., exonerated Central Park Five members joined Sharpton
Special guests U.S. Rep Joyce Beatty, Jesse Jackson Jr. along with exonerated Central Park Five members Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise echoed Sharpton’s message of justice, civil rights, and the power of the vote.
Salaam, Wise and three others were wrongfully accused of the 1989 rape and assault of a Central Park jogger.
Jesse Jackson and family members of Coretta Scott King also attended the event.
“You can’t be a strong tree if you don’t know the roots,” Sharpton said as he detailed the history of the racial and social justice struggle throughout U.S. history. “The only people in America that don’t celebrate their history are people that have been given a slave mentality. The first thing they had to do with the slaves was cut them off from history, took their names, and took the culture because if you were connected to your history, you would know you were not born to be slaves.
“Someone with common sense will embrace their roots. So that’s why we’re here today to tell you to reconnect to the roots.”
 
‘If you don’t vote, you are telling us who you are’
The event was non-partisan, but Sharpton said the choice was clear in November’s race for U.S. President between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
“Whether you vote or not and who you vote for doesn’t define Kamala (Harris) or (Donald) Trump, it defines you,” he said. “If you don’t vote, you are telling us who you are. If you vote wrong, you are telling us who you are.”
Spotlight PR is a public relations consultancy supporting leaders and organizations advancing justice including Ohio Organizing Collaborative, which builds transformative relational power with everyday Ohioans for statewide social, racial, and economic justice.
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Chris Pugh is the Media Relations Manager for Spotlight PR.

The United States Must Support Policies That Contribute to Human Flourishing Rather Than Human Suffering

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For Immediate Release
 
NEW YORK – United Women in Faith decried the escalating violence in the Middle East. In highlighting the horrific humanitarian crisis and the devastation visited on the people of Gaza, the organization urged an immediate and permanent ceasefire, abidance of international norms and protection of human life. It released the following statement, which coincides with the one-year mark of the Israel-Hamas war:
 
“No loss of life is acceptable and the tremendous loss of life in Gaza is devastating. More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza, more than a thousand in Israel and more than a thousand in Lebanon. Without immediate action, this war will spread across the world. Whether one lives in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon or some other part of the Middle East, we are all impacted by what is happening in the region.
 
“We condemn anti-Palestinian, antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric that has led to a rise in hate crimes targeting Palestinian, Jewish and Muslim communities in the United States and globally. 
 
“It is imperative that the United States support policies that contribute to human flourishing rather than human suffering. President Biden and the U.S. Congress must ensure that not another dollar is invested in the bombing of women, children and youth. The United States’ continued participation in this war – by explicit or implicit support – is to our national shame. History will not judge us kindly without an immediate change of course in support of the preservation of human life.
 
“As women of faith, we understand that the toll of war is unimaginably steep, and disproportionately felt by women, children and youth. In times of war and instability, women, children and youth are more likely to experience gender-based violence, unwanted pregnancies, displacement, infections and an interruption of access to essential resources like food, water, medicine, social services, and medical care. There is also a physical, psychological, and spiritual impact of war and instability that cannot not be minimized.
 
“We therefore affirm the tenants of The UMC Social Principles, which state, “As disciples of Christ, we are called to love our enemies, seek justice, and serve as reconcilers of conflict. We insist that the first moral duty of all nations is to work together to resolve by peaceful means every dispute that arises between or among them…We believe that human values must outweigh military claims as governments determine their priorities.”
 
“As world leaders contemplate this grievous situation, the voices and perspectives of women must be at the forefront. Unfortunately, women’s voices are rarely amplified during war. However, as women of faith, we know that women are not just victims but also powerful actors, generating creative and fruitful political solutions. We affirm Palestinian and Israeli women and organizations who have been working for negotiated political solutions. The status quo of continued occupation, denial of self-determination and war will not lead to just and lasting peace, freedom and security for both peoples. All negotiations must include women’s voices and concerns, including complying with the global framework laid out in Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
 
“Finally, with the presidential election just weeks away, the current and incoming administration and Congress must be committed to long-term solutions that promote just and lasting peace. We issue this urgent appeal not just as those devoted to Methodist teachings, but as women seeking to live into our foremothers’ example of tireless advocacy. Without immediate action, this escalating crisis threatens to destroy entire regions, generations, and bloodlines. This is a risk no reasonable person should embrace.”

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