Statement of Sacramento ACT Faith Leader Caucus, August 30, 2020
10 COMMANDMENTS
For Dismantling Systemic Racism and Affirming the Rights and Dignity of Black, Brown & Native People
1. THOU SHALL MAKE NO GRAVEN IMAGE OF WHITE SUPREMACY, BUT THOU SHALL DISMANTLE ALL FORMS OF SYSTEMIC AND STRUCTURAL RACISM.
All policies, practices, procedures; symbols, symptoms, and similarities of White Supremacy, institutionalized and structural racism and discrimination shall be not be legally permissible, not socially tolerable and shall be abandoned, and abolished throughout the city, county and state.
2. THOU SHALL HONOR ALL BLACK LIVES. IN RECOGNITION OF THIS, THOU SHALL ACKNOWLEDGE JUNETEENTH AND KEEP IT HOLY.
The lives and well-being of Black people matter in our society and shall be respected and honored by ensuring that all city, county and state policies and practice include a racial and gender equity analysis that factors representation for Black people.
As a recognition of the final enslaved Africans learning of the Emancipation Proclamation, on June 19th, 1865, all city, county, and state employees shall be given a paid day of vacation to celebrate, commemorate, and educate themselves on this historic milestone in our nation’s history.
3. THOU SHALL NOT KILL UNARMED BLACK, BROWN & NATIVE PEOPLE, BUT RATHER DEESCALATE, NEGOTIATE, AND INVESTIGATE.
Law enforcement shall not kill unarmed residents but shall follow the dictates of AB392 when interacting with unarmed residents.
4. THOU SHALL NOT STEAL RESOURCES OR RIGHTS FROM BLACK, BROWN & NATIVE COMMUNITIES.
When public agreements have been made and ballot measures have been designated to benefit Black and Brown people, deliver those funds as promised. “Reallocating” resources aimed at empowering the Black and Brown community is civic theft. Re: #GIVEITALLBACK #MEASUREU.
Voting is a fundamental right of all citizens and shall not be hindered or impeded in any way. Efforts to disenfranchise communities of color from voting shall be stopped. During the current pandemic, means of voting that are safe and accessible must be made available to all citizens.
5. THOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST PEACEFUL PROTESTERS.
Cease and desist from accusing, attacking and arresting peaceful protestors. Black, Brown & Native people who fight for their freedoms are not rioting, they are rebelling against systemic racism and oppression. Leave them free to exercise their first amendment rights.
6. THOU SHALL NOT HIRE, NOR HARBOR RACIST POLICE OFFICERS.
Police officers shall be pre-screened for ties to known White Supremacy Organizations, hate groups, and domestic terrorism groups and such shall be not be hired onto the force or removed from the police force upon credible reports being confirmed.
7. THOU SHALT DIVEST FROM THE POLICE STATE AND INVEST IN COMMUNITY.
We demand that our city, county, and state leadership put its budget where its mouth is. Dismantling the police state begins when significant resources are divested from the militarization of law enforcement and invested into public safety that includes funding for community development, mental health services, substance abuse services, affordable housing, and after school and youth programs.
8. THOU SHALL ESTABLISH ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE FOR BLACK, BROWN & NATIVE PEOPLE.
We demand that Black, Brown & Native people shall have access to affordable, quality healthcare and all structural and systemic obstacles to granting such access be removed lawfully and fiscally. This includes access to preventive care, emergency treatment, and ongoing resource to uplift marginalized communities with the tools necessary to counteract pre-existing medical conditions.
9. THOU SHALL DECARCERATE NON-CRIMINAL OFFENDERS UNJUSTLY SENTENCED.
Thou shall cooperate with all state-wide efforts to enact restorative justice for non-criminal offenders who were unfairly sentenced. Thereby, reducing sentences, releasing Black, Brown & Native people from prison, and restoring citizenship and dignity. Black, Brown & Native people who were unjustly sentenced shall be made whole through mental health counseling, job and career counseling and placement services, and a formal apology from the appropriate official.
10. THOU SHALL ENACT REPARATIONS AND RESTITUTION TO BLACK PEOPLE FOR THE LEGACY OF SLAVERY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
Systemic subjugation and the enslavement of people of African descent in the State of California from 1848-1855 led to the systemic dehumanization and discrimination and institutionalized racism that has perpetuated generations of marginalized and disenfranchised decedents. The path to restoring generational trauma is through a formal apology and financial restitution to the descendants of formerly enslaved people of African descent in this State. Doing so resolves the unpaid debt owed to Black people whose ancestors suffered 400 years of chattel slavery in the United States and it will redeem the soul of this State of its original sin. RE: AB 3121.
Signed,
Sacramento ACT Faith Leader Caucus
August 30, 2020