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This week, JustLeadershipUSA, along with many of our partners and allies, signed the National Right 2 Vote Campaign’s Open Letter to Presidential Candidates to demand a public commitment to end felony disenfranchisement and to call for the restoration of voting rights for all citizens.
Since the founding of the United States, millions of U.S. citizens have been prohibited from voting or had their voting rights stripped as a means of reducing political power especially among Black and brown communities. In the 2016 election, 7.4% of all African American adults were disenfranchised because of a felony conviction — a rate 4x higher than the rest of the population. In an election decided by less than 80,000 votes, a total of over 6,000,000 citizens with felony convictions were refused the right to vote.
The subversion of voting rights is a subversion of the democratic principles this country claims to hold dear. The disenfranchisement of entire communities ensures that our voices will not be heard, our concerns will not be addressed, and our elected representatives will not be elected to represent us.
Through the fierce advocacy of directly impacted communities, the issue of voting rights for people convicted of felony offenses is gaining more attention than ever. This fact was stated loudly and definitively last year when Amendment 4 passed in Florida with 65% of the vote — restoring voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians. This momentous achievement was highlighted once again as Desmond Meade, the formerly incarcerated leader of the Amendment 4 movement, was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. We congratulate him on this recognition that lifts all boats!
The majority of people in the U.S. agree that people with felony records should be able to vote. States including Maine and Vermont have joined countries around the world in restoring voting rights for people not only when they leave prison — but while they are in prison as well.As we seek to further transform this country’s criminal legal system, we must address the countless systemic harms the U.S. inflicts on people with records when a second-class citizenship is an accepted norm.We at JustLeadershipUSA know that “if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” Restoring voting rights for all ensures that currently and formerly incarcerated people will no longer be on the menu.
Demand whichever presidential candidate you decide to support commits to ending felony disenfranchisement and will ensure the Right 2 Vote for everyone.
ONWARD!
DeAnna Hoskins, President/CEO of JustLeadershipUSA
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
Mail that includes checks only:
JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA, INC
P.O. Box 23681
New York, NY 10087-3681
All other mail:
P.O. Box 1730, New York, NY 10037
347.454.2195
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JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.
Since 2014, JustLeadershipUSA has maintained our commitment to ensuring systems-impacted voices are at the forefront of the movement for criminal legal reform, empowering directly impacted leaders in over 45 states with the tools, resources, and connections to transform their work.
Your donation will provide crucial support for our leadership training programs, empowering future generations of leaders and propelling the work of JLUSA and our alumni as we continue to advocate and push reform on issues that matter the most in our communities.
In just 10 years, JLUSA and our network of leaders have worked to dismantle decades of harm caused by the criminal legal system.