Digging Deeper: In Conversation with SNaP

In a Trump America so many of our people – immigrants, HIV positive people, Black people, poor people, trans and queer people – will be under attack – and the city and county can choose to either turn a blind eye or make new policies that protect and defend all of its people.

A huge thanks to Xochitl Bervera, Director of Racial Justice Action Center in Georgia for emailing this week to tell us about upcoming plans for SNaP – Solutions Not Punishment Coalition and share some great photos of their actions in Atlanta. Another thanks to the anonymous donor who also gave to SNaP and cited this blog as their catalyst. I’m glad it could inspire further action.
In 2017 we will be focused on developing leadership of our members and waging a new campaign to build on the incredible victory of the Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative. We are focused on how to get the city and county to move away from its investments in the jails, courts, and militarization of the police and put those resources into community based resources that truly keep us safe and healthy. We are looking at insisting the city close its city jail and court (we have a county system in addition to our city system) and put the millions into resources centers and jobs programs. It is so critical that trans people be in the lead of this fight because historically all gains that have been made have excluded trans people — homeless shelters won’t allow trans people as they are, counseling services are not trans competent, etc. So as we build the Pre-Arrest Diversion and other community based services, trans leadership will insist that the Black trans woman who is HIV positive and been incarcerated multiple times as well as a victim of domestic violence will be able to be served just as the Black cis young man “first time offender.” By ensuring that the hardest of us to serve are served, we ensure our whole community will be able to be served.

It is critical now more than ever that Atlanta and Fulton County step up to be a sanctuary city, an island of freedom, an oasis of resistance. In a Trump America so many of our people – immigrants, HIV positive people, Black people, poor people, trans and queer people – will be under attack – and the city and county can choose to either turn a blind eye or make new policies that protect and defend all of its people.