Forgotten Voters Step Forward to Fight Discrimination
An Invitation to all of you!Forgotten Voters Step Forward to Fight DiscriminationEx-Prisoners Band Together in SF’s New Civil Rights MovementWHAT: Peace & Justice Community SummitWHEN: Saturday, October 23, 10am-4pmWHERE: City of Refuge Community Church,1025 Howard Street, San FranciscoCONTACT: Linda Evans, All of Us Or None,510-219-0297Dorsey Nunn, All of Us Or None,415-516-9599SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Thousands of people will be disenfranchised in thisNovember’s election – and thousands more face daily discrimination due totheir status as former prisoners. But at this Saturday’s Peace and JusticeCommunity Summit, a rare grouping of elected officials, community leadersand formerly-incarcerated people will join to fight that discrimination, andcreate a real vision for public safety in San Francisco.The summit is sponsored by Public Defender Jeff Adachi, State AssemblyMember Mark Leno, and All of Us Or None, a grassroots civil rights movementdedicated to building political power for people in communities devastatedby mass incarceration.This is the first time that formerly-incarcerated people as a group willjoin together in San Francisco to advance an agenda of ending post-releasediscrimination and to present a vision of public safety that is based onsupporting the well-being of all members of our communities.In this November’s election, 60% of the 5,404 people in jail, prison and/oron parole from the county of San Francisco are not able to vote, accordingto the California Department of Corrections. The remaining 40% – those incounty jail facilities - most likely won’t vote because they aren’t awarethey are eligible, according to Dorsey Nunn of All of Us or None:"I thought that I had lost my right to vote forever because of my felonyconviction – and I have spoken with many others who believed the same,"said Nunn. "We need to let people know the truth. The only people who arebarred from voting in California are those currently in state prisons orcompleting their parole."Formerly-incarcerated people will also make specific demands of electedofficials and community leaders to stop the discrimination they face inhousing, employment, public assistance, parental rights, and education. "Thedifficulties faced by people upon release from prison are a social, not anindividual, problem. This needs to be addressed by elected officials inorder to support healthy community reintegration and prevent recidivism,"states Public Defender Jeff Adachi, co-sponsor of the Summit.As State Assembly Member Mark Leno, Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee onPublic Safety, points out, "Discrimination against formerly-incarceratedpeople and their exclusion from social services jeopardizes public safetybecause of their difficulties surviving, living healthy and staying out ofprison. This is an issue that concerns us all."The public is urged to attend the San Francisco Peace and Justice CommunitySummit: Saturday, October 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the City of RefugeCommunity Church, 1025 Howard Street in San Francisco. Childcare and acommunity lunch will be provided. This Summit is being sponsored by All ofUs or None, Sr. Ex- Offenders Program, San Francisco Public Defender JeffAdachi, and State Assembly Member Mark Leno.peace with justice for all,Abridging my civil liberties is an ‘act of terrorism’!There’s a terrorist behind every BUSH!john vance, editor: jvance@riseup.netPeoples Bark News Berkeley
