SOCIAL JUSTICE REFORM
Commit to erasing systemic racism that plagues our community and country with conversation, commitment, and resources.
Systematic racism plagues people of color throughout communities in our country and has never been laid barer than after the murder of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a community, Greater Rochester isn’t immune to the many ways racism manifests based on culture, religion or skin color, and it permeates all levels of our community: in government, commerce and education. We must commit to having urgently needed conversations about racial discrimination, and allocating equal protection and resources to minority communities in Greater Rochester.
At the same time, I strongly believe in investing in our public safety and supporting our police. We must partner our police with social workers and addiction counselors, so when people call 911, they can get the relevant help they need from professionals qualified to provide it, whether it be a social worker, an addiction specialist, or a mental health specialist. These actions will ensure our officers are not doing a job they are untrained for, and their efforts do not have an unnecessary or tragic altercation.
Statement on Racial Equality from Barb Anness
"I am a white woman from suburban Detroit. I acknowledge my privilege. And I recognize and accept the racist premise upon which our country was founded. I have not experienced racism and the generational injustices that have occurred to so many of our citizens.
But I will not stand for the systemic racism that rears its ugly head in so many facets of our society: education, housing, access to natural resources (clean water, clean air), and access to quality healthcare. And finally, I condemn racist assumptions and narratives through police profiling, police brutality, and the criminal justice system.
People of color in our communities deserve and must have equal protection under the law. We must take action against all forms of racism and discrimination and call it out when we see it. "
Policies I will advocate for:
-
Convene a board of constituents from communities of color to advise and guide policies and plans on race discrimination.
-
Re-allocation of excess police funding in cities across the state to mental health and substance abuse services.
-
Re-allocation of excess police funding toward educational resources if/where needed.
-
De-escalation training for police departments.
-
Provide training in restorative justice practices in schools in lieu of suspension or expulsion.
-
Require Oakland County police officers to wear body cams
-
End qualified immunity
-
End cash bond system that disproportionately impacts communities of color
Adopt the Eight Can't Wait Campaign
-
Ban chokeholds and strangleholds
-
Require de-escalation
- Require warning before shooting
-
Requires exhaust all alternatives before shooting
-
Duty to intervene
-
Ban shooting at moving vehicles
-
Requires use of force continuum
-
Require comprehensive reporting
Race Relations Education
We must adopt a more comprehensive curriculum that teaches about the history of racial injustice in our country.
We must diversify public schools teaching staff, counselors, and administrators to reflect their student bodies and inclusivity for all.
