Here are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you successfully cast your vote, and to help others do the same.

Be Prepared, and Conquer the Lines.

We can’t let long lines stop anyone from voting. There are several ways you can reduce lines and make sure they don’t prevent you or anyone else from voting:

Vote early if you can.
You can find early voting times and locations at govote.org.

Double-check your polling location before you go to vote.
You can look it up at govote.org.

Have a Plan & Have Fun.
Have a plan in case there are lines. Bring some food, drinks, friends, books, games, a chair — anything that will prevent you and other voters from walking away. Have fun while you wait and encourage your friends and neighbors to stay in line so their vote is counted.
Don’t give up–don’t walk away without voting.

Two numbers you should have in your phone.

Put these numbers in your phone so you’re prepared to report problems and help other voters find their polling place:

866-OUR-VOTE
It’s a hotline that’s been set up to collect information about problems on election day–lawyers and election protection advocates are ready to respond. It’s the best way to make sure someone addresses any problems you see.

The number for your local election board
Have it in case you need to tell someone where they can vote. Enter your zip code at govote.org, then look for “Contact [your county] election officials” on the right.

Beware of lies, misinformation and dirty tricks; spread the truth.

Republican operatives are spreading plain lies to frighten new voters. In Philadelphia, anonymous flyers in Black neighborhoods have falsely claimed that voters with unpaid traffic tickets or outstanding warrants will be arrested at the polls. If you hear a scary rumor, it’s probably a lie. Call your local election officials to check it out–and make sure your friends and neighbors know the truth.

Leave the Obama gear at home.

In some places, you won’t be allowed into the polling place if you’re wearing clothes and pins that support a given candidate. This isn’t true everywhere, but it’s best to play it safe. You can contact your local board of elections to find out if it’s a problem in your area. If it is, bring some extra plain T-shirts or sweaters to loan neighbors who show up unaware of the rule.

Read the ballot carefully, and ask questions!

Some ballots can be confusing even for smart and informed voters. Read instructions on the ballot carefully, and if you’re not sure you understand something, ask a poll worker to explain. Remember what happened in 2000 in Florida–a confusing ballot caused thousands of people to mistakenly vote for the wrong Presidential candidate. Don’t let that happen to you!

ColorOfChange.org

We ask you once again to join Color of Change in it’s activism of behalf of our communities.

Three years after Hurricane Katrina, there’s finally a bill in Congress that will give all Katrina survivors a fair chance to rebuild their lives. But it won’t become law if your representative doesn’t stand up to support it.The Gulf Coast Civic Works Act would hire 100,000 Gulf Coast residents and evacuees, providing them with training and jobs to rebuild their homes and communities. It started as nothing more than a good idea, but after thousands of ColorOfChange.org members called on Congress to support the plan, and after years of persistent activism from students and Gulf Coast organizations, it now has a real chance of bringing some justice to the Gulf.

Even though it’s come this far, it will take massive public pressure on each member of Congress to get the bill passed. If we want justice for Katrina survivors, we need to make our voices heard now as the media focuses its attention on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Please join us and call on your member of Congress to co-sponsor the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act, then ask your friends and family to do the same:

http://www.colorofchange.org/gulfcoast/?id=1829-173305

It’s the right thing to do

The Gulf Coast is still struggling, suffering from a lack of jobs, affordable housing, and basic infrastructure.1

For the last three years, we’ve seen public officials accept–whether out of hopelessness or carefully concealed joy–that post-Katrina New Orleans will be a smaller, whiter and wealthier city. We’ve seen politicians support plans that will push Black and poor people out of the Gulf, amplifying race and class inequalities and permanently gentrifying the area.

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Act represents a powerful shift from that path. The plan calls for hiring 100,000 Gulf Coast residents to rebuild New Orleans and the surrounding region. They’ll be provided with temporary housing and job-training and will build and repair houses, schools, parks, and other civic buildings.2

It’s been done before

The idea behind the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project is not new. During the Great Depression, the federal government believed it had a responsibility to ensure that those hit hardest did not fall through the cracks.3 It also knew that those Americans wanted a hand up, not a handout. So, in 1935, Congress created a program to hire out-of-work Americans to get things done to benefit their communities. Within 2 weeks of launching this unprecedented project, over 800,000 people were hired; within 2 months, 4.2 million were working to build bridges, roads, libraries, schools and other public facilities. If we could put 4 million people to work in just 8 weeks in 1935, why can’t we immediately put 100,000 people to work rebuilding the Gulf Coast?

It’s a plan that makes sense–for displaced survivors, for the communities of the Gulf Coast, for the nation as a whole. It provides an opportunity to invest in Americans while reversing the most glaring problems that plague current rebuilding plans: gentrification, government waste, and massive corporate profiteering. It would revitalize the Gulf Coast’s economy while rebuilding its infrastructure, and it’s a model that could be applied to solve similar problems across the country.

ColorOfChange.org members should be proud that we’ve supported this plan since long before it was a bill in Congress. Getting it introduced as a bill was a great victory and a huge step forward, but it’s going to take even more public pressure to get it voted on and passed.

Please join us and call on your representative to co-sponsor the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act. It only takes a minute:

http://www.colorofchange.org/gulfcoast/?id=1829-173305

Thanks and Peace,

– James, Gabriel, Clarissa, Andre, Kai, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
August 20th, 2008

References:

1. “Three Years After Katrina,” New York Times, August 11, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5ahh23

2. “Gulf Coast Civic Works Project”
http://www.solvingpoverty.com/Project_Proposal.htm

3. “Works Progress Administration,” Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Projects_Administration

The parents of LaVena were on Democracy Now! last week. There’s no way you can not take action after hearing this. Thanks to Color of Change for leading the way on this issue.  You can also visit www.lavenajohnson.com for more info.

LaVena Johnson was a 19 year old private in the Army, serving in Iraq, when she was raped, murdered, and her body was burned–by someone from her own military base. Despite overwhelming physical evidence, the Army called her death a suicide and has closed the case.¹

For three years, LaVena’s parents have been fighting for answers. At almost every turn, they’ve been met with closed doors or lies. They’ve appealed to Congress, the one body that can hold the military accountable. But, as in other cases where female soldiers have been raped and murdered and the Army has called it suicide, Congress has failed to act.

Will you join Mr. and Mrs. Johnson in calling on Congressman Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee, to mount a real investigation into LaVena Johnson’s death and the Army’s cover-up²? Will you ask your friends and family to do the same?

http://www.colorofchange.org/lavena/

From the beginning, LaVena’s death made no sense as a suicide. She was happy and had been talking with friends and family regularly³–nothing indicated she could be suicidal. And when the Johnsons received her body, they noticed signs that she had been beaten.⁴ That was when they started asking questions.

After two years of being denied answers and hearing explanations that made no sense, the Johnsons received a CD-ROM from someone on the inside. It contained pictures of the crime scene where LaVena died and an autopsy showing that she had suffered bruises, abrasions, a dislocated shoulder, broken teeth, and some type of sexual assault. Her body was partially burned; she had been doused in a flammable liquid, and someone had set her body on fire. A corrosive chemical had been poured in her genital area, perhaps to cover up evidence of rape.⁵

Still the Army sticks by their story. They refuse to explain the overwhelming physical evidence that LaVena was raped and murdered and continue to claim that she killed herself.

For many Black youth, and working class young people of every race, the military is seen as an option for securing a better future. LaVena came from a deeply supportive family, and while the military wasn’t her only option, she was attracted by its promise to help her pay for a college education and the opportunity to travel around the world. She also thought that by joining she could continue her lifelong commitment to serving other people in need. She made a decision to serve in the military, with all its risks, and expected respect and dignity in return.

LaVena’s death is part of a disturbing pattern of cases where female soldiers have been raped and killed, and where the military has hidden the truth and labeled the deaths suicides.^6,7 In virtually all cases, Congress has been slow to investigate or hold the military accountable in any way. Unfortunately, most families simply don’t have the resources, time, and psychological strength to push back.

We can help the Johnsons, and other families, by holding Congress accountable in the LaVena Johnson case and by demanding it investigate the pattern of cover-ups by the military.

Please take a moment to join those calling on Congressman Waxman to investigate the cover-up of LaVena Johnson’s death:

http://www.colorofchange.org/lavena/

Thanks and Peace,

– James, Gabriel, Clarissa, Andre, Kai, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
July 28th, 2008

References:

1. “The cover-up of a soldier’s death?” LavenaJohnson.com, March 6, 2007
http://www.lavenajohnson.com/2007/03/cover-up-of-soldiers-death.html

2. “Is There an Army Cover Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?” CommonDreams.org, April 28, 2008
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/28/8564/

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. “Suicide or Murder? Three Years After the Death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Iraq, Her Parents Continue Their Call for a Congressional Investigation,” Democracy Now!, June 23, 2008.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/7/23/suicide_or_murder_three_years_after

6. See reference 2.

7. “2 Years After Soldier’s Death, Family’s Battle Is With Army,” New York Times, March 21, 2006.
http://tinyurl.com/mzcvh

Other References:

“Justice for Pfc. LaVena Johnson,” DailyKos, June 30, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5bh73v

“Rapists in the Ranks, Los Angeles Times, March 31, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/2z2c8l

Thanks to those of you who signed the petition.

After 12 years, Tavis Smiley is turning over the mic on the Tom Joyner Morning Show and they’ve put the choice for his replacement in your hands. What’s more, our own Van Jones, co-founder of ColorOfChange, is one of the seven finalists for the prestigious spot.

Van just finished delivering a great live commentary, followed by a rave review by Joyner’s celebrity judge. We’re encouraging everyone we know to check it out and then rank his performance online. It takes only a moment; just click here:

http://tomjoyner.com/commentator/contenders/commentator_van.html

This week they’ll cut the seven finalists to four, so your vote really counts. If he makes it through, we know Van will elevate the issues we care about–improving our schools, fighting for healthcare, creating good, green jobs and fixing our broken justice system–on one of the most listened-to shows in America.

If you want to vote for Van, it’s easy, but you have to do it before voting closes tonight. Follow this link, then click on “Listen Now” to hear the commentary and “Vote Now” to cast your ballot:

http://tomjoyner.com/commentator/contenders/commentator_van.html

Once you’re there, you can also find out more about Van’s work and life through the series of links to his articles and appearances.

Thank You and Peace,

– James, Gabriel, Clarissa, Andre, Kai and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
July 22nd, 2008

Right now, Fox News is trying to paint Barack Obama as foreign, un-American, suspicious, and scary. They’re trying to send Americans the message that our country’s first viable Black candidate for President is not “one of us.”

We’ve seen this before from Fox. They won’t stop until it becomes too painful to continue–until the public calls them out and advertisers start getting worried.

Now is the time to draw a line in the sand by putting Fox on notice that their behavior won’t be tolerated. In less than a minute, you can help us do that. Then invite your friends and family to do the same. Just click here:

http://colorofchange.org/foxobama/?id=1829-173305

Read the rest of this entry »

Last year, California State Senator George Runner fought against a plan to provide every Californian with health coverage — legislation that threatened the profits of his wealthy allies in the insurance industry.¹

Now his friends, including the California Association of Health Underwriters (CAHU), are bankrolling Runner’s push for a disastrous new ballot initiative that moves money from public schools and hospitals to build more prisons. Runner’s plan singles out poor people and people of color for increased scrutiny and punishment, while pushing the state’s already strained budget closer to bankruptcy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Some leaders in the Democratic Party are playing with fire. They think that they can betray the will of millions of voters and choose Hillary Clinton as the nominee, regardless of whether or not she is the choice of the voters. We can’t let this happen. It would be the largest disenfranchisement in modern history, and it would mean the Democratic Party giving their stamp of approval to a clear and consistent pattern of race-baiting by the Clinton campaign.

If we make our voices heard, we can stop it. Please join us in signing an open letter to leaders in the Democratic Party — DNC Chair Howard Dean, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and all superdelegates — demanding that they reject an outcome that involves trampling voting rights and legitimizing the politics of division and fear:

http://colorofchange.org/dems/

Read the rest of this entry »

Color of Change is drawing a line in the sand for Democratic leadership: if Hillary Clinton is awarded the nomination by overturning the pledged delegate count there will be a political price to pay.

read more | digg story

Color of Change has initiated an email campaign addressing the incarceration rate of Black men. Click the link to show your support and while you’re at it, get on their email list to stay up to date on their campaigns on our behalf. They are holdin’ it down for real.

The so-called “war on drugs” has created a national disaster: 1 in 9 young Black men in America are now behind bars.¹ It’s not because they commit more crime but largely because of unfair sentencing rules that treat 5 grams of crack cocaine, the kind found in poor Black communities, the same as 500 grams of powder cocaine², the kind found in White and wealthier communities.

These sentencing laws are destroying communities across the country and have done almost nothing to reduce the level of drug use and crime.

Read the rest of this entry »

The modern-day fight for equal pay. It needs your help.

More than forty years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — which was supposed to help level the playing field in the workplace — Black men still make 75 cents for every dollar that White men make, and Black women make only 68 cents.¹ One factor contributing to the gap is discriminatory pay based on race, ethnicity, and gender, which was outlawed by the Act.

Last May, the Supreme Court made it nearly impossible for employees to challenge discriminatory pay under the Civil Rights Act. Congress now has the opportunity to restore equal pay protections by passing the Fair Pay Restoration Act. The bill passed the House of Representatives along party lines but is stalled in the Senate — will you join us in calling on your senators to support it?

http://www.colorofchange.org/equalpay/?id=1829-173305

Pay discrimination is a real problem for people of color and women — in 2006, 4,905 pay discrimination claims were filed. 2,038 of those claims were about race-based discrimination, 2,308 were gender-based, and 577 were based on national origin.² As bad as the problem is, serious progress has been made since Congress passed pay discrimination protections in the 60s. But the Supreme Court’s decision threatens to reverse that progress and widen the wage gap.

Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employees have 180 days to challenge an act of discrimination. Until now, courts have treated each discriminatory paycheck as a discriminatory act. But last year, in Ledbetter v. Goodyear, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that only the initial decision about an employee’s pay can be considered, meaning employees must act within 180 days of being hired at discriminatory wages or being given a discriminatory raise.³

It takes most employees much longer to discover they are being discriminated against — discussing wages with co-workers is illegal in some states, and many employers have strict policies against it. Lilly Ledbetter, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, had been working at Goodyear for years before she was sure her male colleagues were receiving higher pay for the same work. And when she was sure, she hesitated to sue, trying first to work it out directly with her employer. The Court’s decision means that employees won’t be able to take that approach. It also creates a greater incentive for employers to hide discrimination, knowing that if they can get away with it for 180 days, they will never be held accountable.

The Fair Pay Restoration Act would correct the Supreme Court’s decision by clarifying that each new discriminatory paycheck constitutes a discriminatory act. We shouldn’t have to pass legislation just to keep our civil rights protections real and effective, as Congress originally intended them. But unfortunately, we do, and it’s largely the Senate’s fault. When Samuel Alito was nominated to the Supreme Court in 2006, ColorOfChange members urged the Senate to reject his nomination because of his terrible record on civil rights issues. The Senate failed to stop him, and he’s tipped the balance of the Court against civil rights.

With Alito on the bench, we can expect to see more decisions like this one. Members of Congress –- and especially senators who could have done more to stop Alito — need to be extra vigilant in defending civil rights protections that the Court will try to strike down. With the Fair Pay Restoration Act, the Senate has an opportunity to defend an essential civil rights law, and send a strong message that Congress won’t accept an assault on civil rights from the Supreme Court.

Please join us in calling on your senators to support the Fair Pay Restoration Act:

http://www.colorofchange.org/equalpay/?id=1829-173305