We need to create an America that actually belongs to all of us, not just the wealthy and well-connected few.
Third Reconstruction
We have never completed the project of Reconstruction. The First Reconstruction was stymied by violent terrorism in the 19th century. The Second Reconstruction was stopped by the white backlash to the civil rights movement. America must reconcile with our past by creating a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission to lead our nation through a process that investigates the generational harms caused by slavery and Jim Crow and propose necessary reparations.
Justice Reform
We have the largest prison population in the world. We must end the War on Drugs, end mandatory minimum sentencing and cash bail, end solitary confinement, end private prisons, and move toward a system based in redemption, not punishment.
Law enforcement spends a fifth of its time responding to people with mental illnesses. Many of those cases are not something the police should be involved in at all. Reforming police and social civil policy is about naming budget priorities and supporting public health programs that truly make our communities safer. We must reallocate resources and invest in education, housing, healthcare, jobs, and other programs that address the root of crime. We must also end qualified immunity, create stronger civilian review boards, demilitarize the police, and support violence interruption programs that have a track record of helping our communities.
