Criminal Justice Reform

Since 2015, BlackRoots Alliance has been dedicated to criminal justice reform. Much of the crime and current practice of dealing with it are rooted in anti-blackness. We believe that the root causes of crime in our communities are lack of financial resources, mental health services, and overall support that leads people to criminal activity just to get by in a society that is built against them. With the police’s roots in slave patrols, their underpolicing/overpolicing practices with these same communities are less about serving and protecting and more about inducting them into modern-day slavery: mass incarceration. We believe that a major step towards Black liberation is holding police accountable for their actions and the harm that they have committed against our community. We have taken action towards this through direct actions calling out the racist practices of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and other actions to ensure our communities are safe from abuse from law enforcement. Our vision for the future is the creation of a culture made of community safety and accountability; it is made of true justice instead of punishment that is our current system. We have a long fight ahead of us, but we are committed to making this vision a reality.

For ways to get involved, contact Tanya Watkins [email protected].