Tell Your Legislators to Sign the “Pledge to Preserve & Protect Our Lives” via @NAACP #StayWokeandVote

Colin Kaepernick is successfully keeping a difficult conversation in the spotlight that many Americans would rather just ignore. The best way to show support for Kaepernick and his resilience under intense public ridicule is to directly support reforms to correct the systemic racial injustice in this country.

In the wake of the recent police shooting of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man who was waiting for help on the side of the road in Tulsa, Oklahoma after his car broke down, the NAACP released a statement encouraging people to take to the streets and the polls with a clear path for reform.

The statement went on to say, “The video footage of Crutcher’s death tragically and horrifically shows us the futility of our cry: 'Hands Up, Don’t Shoot.'"

In the statement, the NAACP asked all elected officials and candidates to sign their “Pledge to Preserve and Protect Our Lives,” which acts as a promise to:

cut off funding to law enforcement agencies that discriminate
ensure independent investigation of law enforcement agencies,
support detailed data reporting about police stops and uses of force,
support comprehensive standards governing the use of force,
and support civilian oversight of policing.

Ask your legislator or candidates to sign this pledge before November. Tell them your vote depends on it. Just go to this link (or go to NAACP.org and click on their “News” section in the side menu to find the organization’s statement on Terence Crutcher and the link to the pledge within the statement.)

You can also show your own support for racial justice on social media by using the NAACP hashtag #StayWokeAndVote to remind people that the stakes are high in this election.

Make fighting for racial justice and reigning in abuse of power by police part of your theory of change by getting involved in the long term with organizations like NAACP, SURJ - Showing Up for Racial Justice, Million Hoodies for Justice, and other organizations fighting to change the status quo.

So if fighting systemic racism is important to you, then be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about telling legislators to sign the NAACP Pledge via social media so that others in your network can get involved too.

TAKE ACTION

Send the NAACP's "Pledge to Preserve and Protect Our Lives to your legislators and candidates

Read the "NAACP's Statement on Fatal Shooting of Terence Crutcher During Police Encounter in Tulsa, OK"

Get involved with the NAACP's #StayWokeandVote campaign and use the hashtag on Twitter

EDUCATE YOURSELF

"NAACP releases list of demands in response to Charlotte shooting" (WRAL.com)

"If you don't understand Black Lives Matter after Terence Crutcher's death, you never will" (Vox.com)

"How two police shootings of black men sent Tulsa and Charlotte in different directions" (LA Times)

"Tulsa police chief on fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher: 'There was no gun'" (Tulsaworld.com)

"Colin Kaepernick explains why he sat during the national anthem" (NFL.com)

"#VeteransforKaepernick: Veterans Stand in Solidarity with Colin Kaepernick" (The Root)

Written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman.