Field News: June/July 2010

Racial Profiling: Face the Truth Campaign

August Recess Activities

Now more than ever we need federal legislation that explicitly prohibits racial profiling. In August, we are asking individuals and organizations to visit their congressional representatives to discuss the need to stop ICE's growing reliance on state and local police to enforce immigration laws and to ask them to co-sponsor the End Racial Profiling Act. This continues the efforts of RWG members and allies who participated in RWG's Advocacy Day in May to and pressured Congress to pass much needed legislation. To get involved, contact Tong at tlee@rightsworkinggroup.org.

Face the Truth Hearings

The Face the Truth campaign has completed its summer of field hearings to document the effect of racial profiling on different communities across the country. The stories gathered at these hearings along with an analysis of current policies and practices that lead to racial profiling will be documented in a report to be released in September during the Face the Truth Week of Action.

Hearings were held in the following cities:

• On June 12th Grassroots Leadership and 18 other local organizations co-sponsored a hearing in Houston, Texas. The hearing was an opportunity for the local black-brown coalition to draw attention to the ongoing problem of racial profiling and firm up support across communities to take action to end racial profiling.
• On June 26th, the Maine Civil Liberties Union and Maine Peoples' Alliance co-hosted a hearing in coalition with a number of other organizations. The hearing highlighted the problems of racial profiling faced by immigrant, African-American and Native American communities across Maine.
• On June 30th, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services in conjunction with ACLU of Michigan and CAIR as well as others co-sponsored a hearing in Detroit to demonstrate the problems communities face around racial profiling along the northern border and in Detroit by Arab Americans, African Americans, Latinos and South Asians.
• On July 12th, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, the ACLU of Southern California, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations – Los Angeles co-sponsored the hearing to highlight the impact of racial profiling in the Southern California region.
• On July 22nd, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition worked with the Racial Profiling Committee to co-sponsor a hearing in Nashville to demonstrate the problems of racial profiling on immigrant communities.

Campaign Seeks Organizations to Sign On to Letter to DOJ

The Face the Truth campaign invites organizations to sign onto a letter to Attorney General Holder asking the Department of Justice to reform their June 2003 Guidance Regarding the Use of Race by Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.  The letter calls for a closure to the loopholes that allow racial profiling.  Sign the letter today!

Save the Date: Face the Truth Week of Actions

This fall the Face the Truth campaign will mark its one year anniversary with a Face the Truth Week of Action from September 26th through October 2nd, 2010. Join RWG members and campaign partners in taking action to pressure Congress and the Administration to address racial profiling or by hosting educational community events on the pervasive problem of racial profiling. To get involved, contact Pabitra at pbenjamin@rightsworkinggroup.org.

Endorse the Campaign

Thank you to American Dream Community Agency, Council on American-Islamic Relations – Connecticut and National Black Police Association for their recent endorsement and support of the campaign.  In less than a year of the launch of the Face the Truth campaign, over 100 organizations have endorsed the campaign to take a stand against racial and religious profiling.  Will your organization do the same?  Endorse the campaign today!