The Black Lives Matter Movement has finally articulated in writing its policy agenda — in the form of six demands and 40 recommendations on how to address them.
Releasing their platform on Monday- more than 60 groups affiliated with BLM–outlined a plan for policing and criminal justice reforms in response to black lives being “undervalued” and “assaulted in myriad ways.”
Among the reforms they’d like to see is an end to militarized police presence at protests, such as the one in Ferguson, following the Michael Brown shooting. It was that incident back in 2014 that catapulted the Black Lives Matter movement into the national spotlight. Their official agenda was released about a week before the two-year anniversary of Brown’s death.
Other demands include the ‘retroactive decriminalization and immediate release of all people convicted of drug offenses, sex work related offense and youth offenses,’ according to the associated press.
Michaela Brown, a spokeswoman for one of the group’s partner organizations, said in a statement: “We seek radical transformation, not reactionary reform.”
She added, “… this platform provides us with a way to intervene with an agenda that resists state and corporate power, an opportunity to implement policies that truly value the safety and humanity of black lives, and an overall means to hold elected leaders accountable.”
Criticized at times for being a movement without concrete solutions and loose leadership, BLM’s Monday announcement –depicting a more united front– has perhaps corrected some of their past problems.
In addition to the group’s six demands — the first of which is “end the war on black people”– the movement is also calling for the creation of a commission to “study reparations for descendants of slaves.”
A complete list of their demands can be seen here.
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