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Power Coalition for Equity & Justice Releases Testimony During Louisiana Redistricting Process

Posted on

For Immediate Release

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Power Coalition for Equity & Justice today released public testimony its president and CEO Ashley K. Shelton gave to the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. The testimony, which is copied below, makes clear the importance of an equitable and fair districting process. It was delivered before the Louisiana Senate voted down Sen. Cleo Fields’ congressional redistricting map and prior to the Louisiana House voting down Rep. Randal Gaines’ congressional redistricting map. Those proposals included two minority-majority districts, something Black voters in the state advocated for. 

Good Morning, Speaker of the House and Members of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. My name is Ashley Kennedy Shelton, and I am the Founder, President and CEO of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. I join you here today to speak on behalf of the state and the people I love.

I often say, “everything I love is in this place and that is why I fight for it.” The criteria for the redistricting process is clear, we must first comply with the Federal law which includes the Voting Rights Act, Section Two. Louisiana has the 2nd largest Black population in the country and this map does not create additional majority-minority districts beyond the 29 we already have, which very likely violates Section 2 of the VRA. Speaker, you mention tradition and keeping your decisions in line with the elected officials who came before you…however, those that came before you have allowed and have maintained significant racial gerrymandering. We know that there is an opportunity for Louisiana to add at least 9 additional majority-minority seats, we understand and find it unfortunate that because of the political reality in our state this will not happen. I want to be clear however that the people of Louisiana deserve Representation and not merely “protection.” You cannot protect anyone that does not have a voice or an elected leader willing to give them voice.

This process will determine voice and representation for the next ten years and whether our communities grow because there is true voice and representation. We have been engaging in voter engagement for the last five years, and what I know is that our engagement work of a universe of 500,000 to 800,000 has consistently shown 62% or more of our universe turns out to vote. This makes several things clear to me…that when engaged, minority voters vote! We also know that having candidates that excite them also moves people to the polls.

It feels important to acknowledge that in this process all maps had to include no split precincts. In meeting the letter of the law, we must first comply with federal law, the VRA Section Two, then state law…and by forcing no precincts be split, has impacted map drawing and voices of communities of color.

In closing, Louisiana is the second poorest state in the country and failing at most quality of life indicators clearly, our elected leaders at every level of government have work to do…and in talking to your constituents all over this state, I am always struck by how we don’t differ much on the things that are important to us. It is however not lost on me or the voters of this state that there is a clear disconnect between our voices and values and the types of policies moved by our elected leaders.

For more information or to speak with Shelton, contact press@spotlightpr.org.

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Black Women Executive Directors in the South Say Gerrymandered Maps Are About Maintaining Power

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For Immediate Release

Feb. 15, 2022

ATLANTA – On the heels of 39 states adopting new legislative maps and with redistricting in process in states such as Florida and Louisiana, a collection of Black women executive directors in the South outlined the conundrum facing voters. The Black Southern Women’s Collaborative (BSWC) noted that despite population growth, unfair redistricting processes will make it harder for voters of color to elect candidates of their choice. The group issued the following statement:

“There are currently 5 million unheard voices in Florida,” said Rev. Rhonda Thomas, executive director of Faith in Florida and a BSWC member. “I am determined to make those voices heard. To do so, we need an equitable and fair redistricting process and the elimination of restrictive voting laws.”

Redistricting is still underway in Florida, where the governor took the rare step of drawing his own legislative maps versus allowing the state legislature, which typically draws maps, to do so. Florida also has a controversial proposal that would harshly penalize groups for errors on voter registration forms. Advocates such as Thomas contend that such penalties would depress voter registration, thereby limiting the number of people who participate in the process.

“In addition to drawing unfair maps, far too many conservative legislators are taking draconian efforts that will limit who can vote. Efforts to restrict the franchise are not about election integrity, as many Republicans are quick to claim, but rather about making it harder for communities of color and persons living in poverty to vote and have their votes counted,” said Ashley K. Shelton, executive director of the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice and a BSWC member.

In Louisiana, the Senate ignored advocates’ pleas to create a new majority Black district to reflect Black population growth. Advocates, who held a statewide roadshow connecting voters and legislators, are hoping Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoes unfair maps, especially since Black voters helped him get into office.

“In today’s environment, too many thought leaders are making conversations about voting rights academic, but the motivation for restricting voting is simply about power,” said Nse Ufot, executive director of the New Georgia Project and a BSWC member. “Republicans wants to hold onto power. They want control at every level of government, from school boards to prosecutor and district attorney races to state legislatures to statewide offices to Congress and the White House. That creates conflict, because in the marketplace of ideas, fewer and fewer Americans are subscribing to the GOP vision for the nation.”

One of the tools at advocates’ disposal is litigation. In states such as Alabama and Ohio, litigation is the only thing blocking Republicans from implementing gerrymandered maps, which in many cases, are racially discriminatory.

“Power is everything,” said Tameka Greer, executive director of Memphis Artists for Change and a BSWC member. “It is so important to some that they will engineer the rules to maintain it. In Tennessee, as in other parts of the country, Republican map drawers are refusing to create new electoral opportunities for communities of color. They are actively dismantling Black voting power by carving up Black communities in some cases or packing Black communities into fewer districts in other places (and employing both tactics in some cases). These manipulative tactics make it harder for voters of color to elect candidates of choice, regardless of turnout or population growth.”

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Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker to Testify Before a Joint Hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security

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For Immediate Release

Feb. 6, 2022

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker to Testify Before a Joint Hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security on Feb. 8 at 10:00 a.m. ET

Congregation Beth Israel Colleyville’s Founding President, Anna Salton-Eisen, to be Guest of Deborah Lipstadt for Senate Confirmation Hearing on Feb. 8 at 10:00 a.m. ET

Colleyville, Texas – Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) today announced that its rabbi, Charlie Cytron-Walker, will testify before a joint virtual hearing of the Committee on Homeland Security’s “Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery” and “Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism.” The session will be held Tuesday, Feb. 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET.

Titled, “The Nonprofit Security Grant Program and Protecting Houses of Worship: A View from the American Jewish Community,” the event will feature Cytron-Walker; Yosef Konikov, Rabbi, Chabad of South Orlando; the Hon. Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO, The Jewish Federations of North America; and Michael Masters, national director and CEO, Secure Communications Network.

“Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox – those who hate Jews do not distinguish among us,” said Cytron-Walker. “Antisemitic attacks and incidents have increased throughout the country. The Jewish community is concerned, and we are struggling. We know we are not alone. There have been terrible moments of harassment, violence and bloodshed at churches and mosques. Every religion has experienced challenging moments or tragedy. Now is the time to invest the resources necessary to help worshippers feel and be safe in their sacred homes.”

Feb. 8 is a big day for Congregation Beth Israel of Colleyville. In addition to the aforementioned event, member and founding president of CBI Anna Salton-Eisen will travel to Washington, D.C. and be the guest of Deborah Lipstadt for Lipstadt’s Senate confirmation hearing. President Biden nominated Lipstadt to be the U.S. Department of State’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.

“After what my father endured during the Holocaust and what we in America continue face – from Charlottesville to Colleyville – I am delighted to go to Washington to support Deborah Lipstadt during her Senate hearing, also on Feb. 8 at 10:00 a.m. ET,” Salton-Eisen said. “We need her in this position helping to address antisemitism, hatred, racism and violence.”

In addition to her work with CBI of Colleyville, Salton-Eisen is author of the forthcoming book, “Pillar of Salt: A Daughter’s Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust.” She is also the daughter of Holocaust survivors. To watch Lipstadt’s Feb. 8 hearing, visit: https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/nominations020822.

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Contact: press@spotlightpr.org

UndocuBlack Network Celebrates Black History Month

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For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON – The UndocuBlack Network, a network of current and formerly undocumented Black immigrants, today celebrated Black History Month. The group recognized the occasion by honoring the triumphs of Black Americans. It also paid homage to Black people across the diaspora – Claude McKay, Marcus Garvey, Miriam Makeba, Shirley Chisholm, Cicely Tyson, Kwame Ture, Chinua Achebe – who came to this country, and linked their liberation to that of Black Americans. The group issued the following statement:

“Black History Month is an opportunity to honor the sacrifices and triumphs of Black Americans,” said Patrice Lawrence, executive director of the UndocuBlack Network. “The progress that many of us enjoy today is on the backs of Black martyrs of the civil rights movements. Some of us, including many people in the South, have stood or walked on soil where Black Americans were beaten, maimed and lynched. We cannot enter this month without paying homage to those who cleared the way for all and did so embodying selfless advocacy even though they would be unable to see the fruits of their labor. This month is also an opportunity to create cross-cultural dialogue on the challenges facing Black people, whether they were born in the United States or elsewhere. Black Americans and Black immigrants are linked in struggle; our liberation rests in one another’s hands.”

“White supremacy wrongly seeks to separate people based on where they were born, ability, sexual orientation or how much money one has in the bank,” Lawrence said. “But unless Black Americans are free, Black immigrants will not taste freedom. Claude McKay, Marcus Garvey, Miriam Makeba, Shirley Chisholm, Cicely Tyson, Kwame Ture, Chinua Achebe all understood this and worked toward the uplift of the Black community. The extent to which Black Americans fight for the safety and security of Black immigrants is the degree to which Black Americans secure their own future. No one is free unless we are all free. Moreover, the same system oppresses both communities. This Black History Month and beyond, we must look for ways to build bridges of understanding and empathy.”

“One of the reasons we launched our ‘Immigration Is a Black Issue’ campaign is because we understood that Black immigrants face intersecting oppressions of being Black and undocumented,” Lawrence concluded. “We knew that immigrants are subject to the same exploitation that Black Americans experience. The true measure of freedom is whether it benefits all. We can never enjoy a system where some are free and others are in the bondage of mass incarceration, housing insecurity, criminalization based on immigration status, etc.”

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Levi Strauss & Co. to Partner with LIVE FREE to Help Address Gun Violence and Mass Incarceration

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For Immediate Release

Oakland, Calif. – LIVE FREE, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence and mass incarceration, today announced a partnership with Levi Strauss. A long-time supporter of LIVE FREE’s gun violence intervention and prevention work, Levi Strauss has pledged $25,000 to the organization, a photoshoot of leaders working to interrupt the cycle of gun violence, promotion of LIVE FREE’s work from the Levi Strauss social media accounts and other support. LIVE FREE issued the following statement in response:

“Gun violence prevention is a communal responsibility, and LIVE FREE is proud to welcome the support of Levi Strauss,” said Michael McBride, executive director of LIVE FREE. “It is important that companies and individuals from all walks of life see themselves as part of the solution to ending gun violence; it is an issue that impacts us all.”

In addition to their donation, the company will help amplify the LIVE FREE brand and message, organize pop-ups (featuring branded LIVE FREE merchandise) at select Levi stores and help share information on gun violence prevention.

Levi Strauss previously affirmed its commitment to ending gun violence by launching the Safer Tomorrow Fund, designed to support grassroots organizations nationwide working tirelessly toward that very goal. This latest endeavor is a continuation of its work to help ensure that all people, chiefly Black and Brown people, can live free from the threat of gun violence and mass incarceration.

LIVE FREE is a movement of interfaith groups committed to stemming the causes of violence in communities of color. The organization recruits churches to be peacemaker congregations, identifies and engages credible messengers, offers stipends to individuals seeking to leave the gang lifestyle, and organizes peace walks and bedside intervention.

“The pain of gun violence is often under-reported. LIVE FREE seeks to amplify the voices of people closest to the pain of gun violence and mass incarceration,” McBride said.

In addition to supporting LIVE FREE, Levi’s is also highlighting and supporting the work of the Black Futures Lab, which works to transform Black communities into constituencies that change the way power operates locally, statewide and nationally.

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Power Coalition: Redistricting Must Ensure Maps That Look Like the State

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 31, 2022

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Power Coalition for Equity & Justice is continuing efforts to ensure an equitable and fair redistricting process. Today, it called on elected leaders to ensure new maps that are representative of Louisiana. With the redistricting process in Louisiana set to begin on Feb. 1, the organization has announced a series of events to engage voters and legislators alike.

After hosting a multicity roadshow in fall 2021, where organizational leaders engaged voters around redistricting, the Power Coalition held a series of group texting events. Titled Texting Tuesdays Power Hour, the weekly sessions enable voters to engage one another and elected leaders about redistricting. The virtual sessions, which began in mid-January, are held on Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. CST. To date, advocates have contacted 7,000 people through the Texting Tuesdays Power Hour events.

Additionally, the Power Coalition will convene voters at the state capitol on Feb. 1 and 2 to urge legislators to create two minority-majority seats and ensure that the new maps are more representative of the 40% people of color in the state. At the conclusion of the Feb. 1 convening, where 200 people are registered to attend, there will be a 4:00 p.m. CST press conference at the Louisiana State Capitol, 900 North Third Street in Baton Rouge. Reporters must register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/power-mobilization-redistricting-advocacy-day-tickets-243380847667.

“Our intention is to help legislators understand and appreciate the desires of voters,” said Ashley K. Shelton, executive director of the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice. “We need elected leaders to ensure all voters have every opportunity to be heard. Legislators must ensure new maps are representative of the demographics of the state. Elected officials cannot ignore communities of interest that are strongly influenced by communities of color.”

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The Power Coalition for Equity & Justice works to build power and voice in traditionally disenfranchised communities across Louisiana. It is a coalition of groups united around a shared mission of organizing in impacted communities, educating, and turning out voters, and fighting for policies that create a more equitable and just system in our state.

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker’s Publicist Issues Statement on Limited Media Availability

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For Immediate Release

Jan. 18, 2022

COLLEYVILLE, Texas – Following the horrific hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel and the ensuing media interest, Jennifer R. Farmer of Spotlight PR, the congregation’s media firm, issued the following statement:

“Thank you for your interest in Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and each individual held hostage on Saturday, Jan. 15. During this difficult time, my priority is to support the emotional well-being of Rabbi Charlie and Congregation Beth Israel. To that end, I am unable to honor most media requests for Rabbi Charlie and the individuals’ held hostage. My goal is to balance the media’s need to know with these individuals’ need to heal. Thank you in advance for respecting Rabbi Charlie and the congregation’s privacy during this time. Please do not go to the homes of persons held hostage. This is not just a news story, but a tragedy impacting real people.”

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Contact: Sydney Bagley, sydney@spotlightpr.org

 

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker: We Are Resilient, and We Will Recover

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For Immediate Release

Jan. 16, 2022

COLLEYVILLE, Texas – Following a harrowing ordeal, where Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three congregants were held hostage at Congregation Beth Israel, Cytron-Walker and Michael Finfer, president of Congregation Beth Israel, issued the following statement:

“Over the years, my congregation and I have participated in multiple security courses from the Colleyville Police Department, the FBI, the Anti-Defamation League, and Secure Community Network,” Cytron-Walker said. “We are alive today because of that education. I encourage all Jewish congregations, religious groups, schools, and others to participate in active-shooter and security courses.”

“In the last hour of our hostage crisis, the gunman became increasingly belligerent and threatening,” Cytron-Walker added. “Without the instruction we received, we would not have been prepared to act and flee when the situation presented itself.”

“We know that a situation of this magnitude could increase the concern many of us live with on a day-to-day basis due to antisemitism,” Finfer said. “It is important to note that this was a random act of violence. Indeed, there was a one in a million chance that the gunman picked our congregation. Further, the FBI is confirming that the attacker appeared to be working alone.”

“There is no question that this was a traumatic experience.” Cytron-Walker said. “We appreciate all the love, prayers and support from our local community and throughout the world. We are grateful for the outcome. We are resilient and we will recover.”

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Contact: Jennifer R. Farmer, jenniferr@spotlightpr.org

 

 

 

 

Black Southern Women’s Collective to Sen. Schumer: All Eyes on You

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For Immediate Release

Jan. 7. 2022

WASHINGTON – Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Black Southern Women’s Collective (BSWC) today advised Democratic leaders that all eyes are on them, a play of the late rapper Tupac Shakur’s 1996 album, “All Eyes on Me.” The group, which consists of Faith in Florida, Faith in Texas, the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice, Memphis Artists for Change, and the New Georgia Project, issued the following statement:

“On the eve of honoring the life of a man who fought for the freedoms and rights of all, Democratic leaders should surely fortify the ideals on which this country claims to be based and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act,” said Tameka Greer, executive director of Memphis Artists for Change.

The BSWC’s message comes days before President Biden is set to deliver a speech on voting rights in Georgia on Jan. 11 and before Sen. Schumer vowed to hold a vote on the filibuster on Jan. 17. The group is calling women of faith to a national fast which will consist of sacrificing something of value and refraining from shopping other than in support of Black businesses.

“Elected leaders must refrain from giving lip service to Dr. King’s legacy if they are not prepared to eliminate the filibuster and pass substantive reforms, especially around voting,” said the Rev. Rhonda Thomas, executive director of Faith in Florida.

“During the campaign trail, Black women made a demand,” said Ashley Shelton, executive director of the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice. “This administration must understand that Black women will not be pacified by speeches filled with flowery language meant to substitute for inaction. Echoing the sentiment of famed civil rights hero Fannie Lou Hamer, ‘we are sick and tired of being sick and tired.’”

“We elected this administration to move the nation forward,” said Phyllis Hill, executive director of the Black Southern Women’s Collective. “If the administration refuses to push the line, it will be telling Black voters that they do not matter. The administration will, in effect, be telling the nation that Democrats support the reinstatement of Jim Crow.”

“Now more than ever, the defining question of our time is whether we will go backwards,” Shelton added. “Are we going to be the 1964 or 1965 America, or will our elected leaders enact reforms that will allow us to move forward? Our nation appears to be backsliding, and what we cannot understand is why the people who begged for our votes are surrendering victories won by our ancestors. Dr. King gave his life, yet all these years later, elected leaders, particularly those who beg for the votes of poor people and Black people, are questioning whether they live into Dr. King’s legacy.”

“This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I hope elected officials appreciate that Black voters are exhausted, and we feel duped,” Greer added. “Although, Black voters continue to show up, typically voting for the Democratic Party, we have yet to get what we need to have fruitful lives. Our families are coping with housing insecurity, financial instability, educational inequities, criminalization, and other challenges. We should not have to convince the elected officials who begged for our votes to work on our behalf.”

“We are tired of speeches,” Hill added. “We are tired of Dr. King’s dream being commercialized for corporate greed. The time for sincere action is now. And this burden does not fall to Black people and certainly not Black women. Black women are on the frontlines organizing to save our democracy and its time for the party in charge to join us.”

“Sen. Schumer, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris must know that all eyes are on them. We are watching because we will not allow Dr. King’s dream to become a nightmare,” Rev. Thomas concluded. “This administration must be more mindful and attentive to what ordinary Americans are going through.”

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Contact: Sydney Bagley, sydney@spotlightpr.org

New Year, Same Ask: UndocuBlack Network Urges Congress to Include Green Card Language in Build Back Better

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For Immediate Release

Jan. 6, 2021

 

NEW YORK – The UndocuBlack Network and several partners today sent a memo to Congress urging them to include Green Card language in the Build Back Better Act (BBB). In addition to UndocuBlack, the memo was signed by the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), the National Immigration Law Center, and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).

The joint memo is available here, and  outlines the procedural steps to secure a pathway to citizenship in BBB. It includes guidance on how to sidestep the parliamentarian’s misguided and nonbinding advice in the Senate.

“The strategy is informed by Senate rules, but it also relies upon all Democrats in Congress working in unison to deliver justice to our communities,” said Patrice Lawrence, executive director of UndocuBlack Network. “The Democratic party has the power to organize the Democratic Caucus and make this happen. It now needs to show political will and embrace this strategy.”

The UndocuBlack Network emphasized its demand for registry, noting that this approach was morally sound and just. The group is unwavering that green cards through registry – outside of immigrants being issued citizenship – is the only way to tangibly change the lives of 11 million undocumented people. The Congressional Budget Office has preliminarily scored the registry language and the registry abides by the funding limits currently imposed. In fact, the House Judiciary Committee’s summary of the registry language noted it is “billions of dollars cheaper” than amending Section 245B of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“It is critical that the voices of impacted people and advocates be afforded respect,” said Yoliswa Khumalo Hadebe, director of narrative and media and a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient. “Grassroots organizers kept immigration relevant in the BBB by not giving into the parole agenda or the stagnation of temporary fixes from the last three decades on the immigration progress.”

“We are done with those in positions of power claiming to fight for us but instead taking up space and treading over the voices and demands of impacted people and grassroots advocates,” continued Hadebe. “This work is not a political chess game to us. The lives of 11 million people are hanging in the decision of the BBB Act. Whether we were born within the borders of the United States or not, we are still people.”

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