Earlier this month, a coalition of more than 50 organizations connected to the Black Lives Matter movement released a highly-anticipated policy agenda document, “A Vision for Black Lives.” Rooted in the cause launched in 2013 to protest the killings of African Americans by police, the document began to take shape at a gathering in Cleveland…
The Obama administration is moving forward with a plan to better track killings by police officers, as heightened national scrutiny of such deaths has reinforced criticism of its reliance on self-reporting by state and local law enforcement agencies. In a notice published in the Federal Register this week, the Justice Department said it would ask…
After touring a federal prison on Thursday, Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey, said he was more determined than ever to push through comprehensive criminal justice legislation that would cut mandatory minimum sentences and create new programs to ease prisoners’ re-entry into their communities. “This visit today continued to fuel my sense of urgency,”…
Not long ago, Becky Deen Tai would never have imagined herself attending a civic meeting about police officers’ treatment of African-Americans. She’d grown up a white girl in a family with roots in the Deep South, and only recently had become “more aware of how unaware I am,” she said, later recalling her astonishment at…
“Stronger Than Fear” and Eiffel Tower Drawing as Backdrop NOV 21, 2015 – The world and U2 honored the victims of the Paris attacks at 9:20 PM last night, the time the tragedy struck. Bono and the boys are back home in Belfast, and they honored the victims by having a large backdrop with the…
White House Announces New Actions to Help the Formerly-Incarcerated NOV 3, 2015 – President Obama announced yesterday that he is taking measures to help the formerly-incacerated reintegrate back into society, such as “banning the box” on federal job applications (check here if you have been incarcerated before), grants for education, tech training, housing assistance and sealing…
Musician Steve Tyler allows use of his song “Dream On” and to perform at UNITE event AUG 28, 2015 – Steven Tyler, Aerosmith’s vocalist, has allowed the use of his classic rock song “Dream On” to be used in the first video by UNITE To Face Addiction announcing the October 4, 2015 event here in DC,…
Rapper Tweets: “[Cops] Love Saying Stop Resisting” AUG 24, 2015 – Rapper Wiz Khalifa was whisking his way through LA International Airport on his cool, new, high-tech “Hoverboard” when LAX police told him to “get off” and he refused. He was wrestled down to the ground and detained for a while by airport security, and Khalifa…
Black Lives Matter, Environment and More in Creative & Positive Music Video August 13, 2015 – In our continuing effort to seek out and showcase musical-activists out there, JTMP wants to introduce Jen Chapin, an Americana artist whose new music video “Gospel” really steps up and speaks out on the current social issues such as…
Musical-Activist to Sell “Willies’ Reserve” Strain July 23, 2015 – Willie Nelson, long known for his high level of cannabis use, has announced he will start selling a special cannabis strain in Colorado called “Willie’s Reserve” which will be sold at various outlets by September. Willie told local news outlet KSAT that he predicts recreational…