Merry Christmas Eve! This elf is getting ready to fly home to Portland this afternoon, so just a quick batch of reposts revisiting orgs in Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, and Kentucky. Please join me in wrapping up advent by making a donation to each of these organizations.
Solutions Not Punishment Coalition
Red State: Georgia
Focus: Criminal Justice Reform
The Solutions Not Punishment Coalition is a Black, Trans-led, broad based coalition working for a new Atlanta where every person has the opportunity to grow and thrive without facing unfair barriers, especially from the criminal justice system.
Why?
Unfortunately I didn’t make a good note about how I found SNaP, but I’m glad I did. If one of the goals of this project is to amplify underrepresented voices, especially in red states, this organization certainly does that well.
The local problem, of one in 13 (predominantly black) Georgians in jail/prison/probabtion/parole, that they address, mirrors national mass incarceration trends. While Obama has made late-term efforts to curb, criminal justice reforms will need all the support they can get with a white supremacist as Attorney General.
SNaP researches and proposes viable solutions that not only can prevent serious human rights abuses, but FFS (as I always say to things Republicans are against), literally save taxpayers millions in long-term costs.
The organizations that make up SNaP are full of voices that have been in the trenches and know how about creating real solutions by understanding the problems and their causes. We should all shut up and listen.
What you can do:
Join me in making a donation
If you’re in the Atlanta-area join SNaP/The Racial Justice Center & volunteer
Interfaith Alliance of Iowa
Red State: Iowa
Focus: First amendment civil liberties
Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund’s legislative advocacy includes protecting religious freedom and the separation of religion and government, blocking attempts to insert religion into public policy, strengthening the civil rights of all Iowans, ensuring quality public education for all children in Iowa, and guaranteeing Iowa’s courts remain free from the corruption of money and politics.
Why?
Iowa is a state where the GOP now has control over both branches of the legislature and is poised to push through a draconian agenda. Progressive interfaith groups are a key part of “middle America” to speak the language that can keep scary shit from happening. Organizations that show that people of all faiths can work together, respect each other’s religion or non-religion, and fight for progressive causes need our support very much right now.
What you can do:
Join me in making a donation!
Red State: Kansas
Focus: Reproductive Rights
Why?
Despair definitely set back in landing on a state that’s served as a microcosm for the rise of conservative politics and the home of the Westboro Baptists. This is a state where in October, the Attorney General wrote that Dred Scott was sound legal precedent. I still can’t wrap my brain around the fact that there are places in this country where healthcare providers are assassinated in church. It only seemed appropriate to support an organization founded in memory of Dr. Tiller and dedicated to continuing his legacy.
What you can do:
Join me in making a donation today.
If you live in Kansas, volunteer with Trust Women.
Fairness Campaign
Red State: Kentucky
Focus: LGBTQ Discrimination
Why?
The alarming headline Kentucky Gay Rights Advocates Gear Up For “Multi-Front” Fight In 2017 was enough for me to donate to the organization mentioned in the second paragraph of the article. The state expects to see another proposed bill allowing businesses to discriminate based on “religious beliefs” 🙄, separate forms for marriages (smells like Kim Davis), and of course policing bathrooms. I salute organizations like the Fairness Campaign for working tirelessly to fight discrimination.
What you can do:
Join me in making a donation today.
Advent Activism 