The BREATHE Act offers a radical reimagining of public safety

This was originally published by the Electoral Justice Project of the Movement for Black Lives. See the original post. The BREATHE Act is a project of the Movement for Black Lives’ 501(c)4 Electoral Justice Project. This bill offers a radical reimagining of public safety, community care, and how we spend money as a society.

IMAGINE: Schools free of police and full of trained counselors and restorative-justice programs, where all our children are kept safe and their needs are met. 

IMAGINE: Easy access to trained, trauma-informed interventionists who can be called on in domestic-violence situations and who are equipped to facilitate long-term safety, healing, and prevention. 

IMAGINE: 911 operators dispatching unarmed mental-health experts instead of police in situations involving behavioral health crises, and callers being allowed to request responders that connect to the gender identity of the person in crisis.

The BREATHE Act offers a radical reimagining of public safety, community care, and how we spend money as a society. We bring 4 simple ideas to the table:

• Divest federal resources from incarceration and policing.
• Invest in new, non-punitive, non-carceral approaches to community safety that lead states to shrink their criminal-legal systems and center the protection of Black lives—including Black mothers, Black trans people, and Black women.
• Allocate new money to build healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities.
• Hold political leaders to their promises and enhance the self-determination of all Black communities.

Read the full bill in honor of the lives of those stolen by police and state-sanctioned violence  — Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Natasha McKenna, George Floyd, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Elijah McClain, Pearlie Golden, Kayla Moore, Freddie Gray, Atatiana Jefferson, Oscar Grant, and far too many more. 

Uprisings around the country changed what was possible. What felt impossible two months ago is being accomplished now; what seems impossible today is doable tomorrow, and we will be the ones to make it happen. We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams.

Take Action

Contact your elected leaders today and ask for their support of the BREATHE Act. Use IGNITE's online advocacy tools to send emails, make calls, share to social media, and more.