5 Things Friday
Casey Goodson. Brandon Bernard. It's a lot. Which means there's a lot to do.
Illustration by Alex Albadree
SIGN THIS Last week, a Sheriff's deputy in Columbus, Ohio shot and killed Casey Goodson at his front door. Casey did absolutely nothing wrong—he was literally walking home from Subway with dinner for his family—and this officer was looking to arrest a completely different man. But instead, he shot and killed Casey, who was unlocking the front door to his house. Add your name right now to this petition demanding that the police officer be fired and charged for the death of Casey.
KNOW THIS At 9:27 p.m. last night, the United States federal government executed Brandon Bernard. In the thirty years prior to 2020, three people have been executed by the federal government—the last in 2003. After a 17-year hiatus of the federal death penalty, in the midst of a pandemic claiming hundreds of thousands of lives, the Trump Administration and Attorney General Barr decided to resume capital punishment. Brandon Bernard was the ninth person to be federally executed this year. Unfortunately, he won’t be the last. The Movement for Black Lives asks you to learn about Brandon Bernard's life and legacy, Sign on to the #BREATHEAct, which calls for the abolishment of the death penalty, Help dismantle the ‘94 Crime Bill, and Tell Congress to #StopExecutions now.
SEND THIS The debate over opening schools is a tough one, and we're not going to jump into it here. That's partially because, like so many things we end up arguing about these days, the actual issue is that no one on either side has been provided with the adequate resources they need to be successful and safe—whether that be in-person classes, virtual learning, and all the necessary supports in between, like food programs, mental health checks, and child care support. The National PTA is pushing for Congress to come to an agreement on a COVID relief package that addresses the numerous critical needs that children, families, educators and public schools are facing. The National PTA is asking Congress to address five key areas 1) funding to reopen schools safely, 2) increased support for Title I and IDEA, 3) dedicated funding for remote learning, 4) more resources for family engagement in education, and 5) increased funding for child nutrition programs. Click here to contact your Members of Congress right now and ask them to provide the critical funding.
DONATE HERE We'll be quick, bc honestly we hate talking about ourselves. But in the 90 days since REP CO launched, we have produced over 50 original stories and hundreds of images, had stories published in pubs including Forbes, Lonny, Brit + Co, Design Milk, Our House, MOTHER, and more, provided PR support for more than a dozen Black business owners and organizers, and facilitated nearly 20K in in-donations to Black-led fundraisers and events. We run on donations, and everyone's small individual contributions have been so appreciated! But we were just taken on by a fiscal sponsor (Media Alliance), which means your larger donations to REP CO can now be tax deductible. If you or your company are making end-of-year contributions, please keep us in mind! You can send checks payable to Media Alliance to:
REP COC/O Media Alliance
2830 20th Street # 201
San Francisco CA 94110
MAKE THIS CALL SIgn up to call white voters in Georgia in the lead up to the January run-off election. This election is too important to stand by and do nothing! Sign up to donate an hour of your time today!