Racial Justice and Civil Rights
CPC is recognized by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, among others, as a national leader in in creative and effective efforts to advance a broad view of civil rights and racial justice. The overall mission of the Racial Justice/Civil Rights Program (RJP) is to end the discriminatory practices used against those who are overrepresented within Colorado’s criminal justice system. To achieve this goal, we will 1) Organize and educate youth concerning their civil liberties, and 2) fight to ensure accountability within law enforcement by revealing discriminatory practices such as racial profiling.
In 2001, CPC passed one of the nation's strongest statewide anti-racial profiling laws to hold local and state law enforcement agencies accountable for discriminatory actions. In 2005, CPC was one of two groups highlighting problems with a proposed new jail, helping to win a new, annual commitment of $1.2 million from the city of Denver to fund alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders. CPC is a national leader in creative and effective efforts to advance a broad view of civil rights and racial justice. CPC actively organizes communities around criminal justice reform campaigns to stop runaway prison spending and provide more funding for treatment and rehabilitation for non-violent offenders.
PROTECTING COLORADO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS
CPC is a strong supporter of affirmative action programs that address historic and ongoing discrimination. We have defeated legislative attacks on equal opportunity programs for women and people of color. Most recently, we helped make history in Colorado by becoming the first state to defeat Ward Connerly's anti-affirmative action ballot initiative. We have been playing defense on this issue for many years, and now is the time to create a pro-active agenda to advance affirmative action and equal opportunity programs in our state and country.
ALLYSHIP FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE
CPC is a strong ally and supports efforts to promote immigrant and refugee rights. We are a founding member of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and sit on the organization's steering committee. We are also a lead group, in partnership with Rights for All People and Colorado ACORN, to defeat anti-immigrant vehicle impound initiatives in Denver, Aurora, and Lakewood this November. To take action and get involved, please contact Cheyenne Hughes (cheyenne@progressivecoalition.org) or Art Way (art@progressivecoalition.org) at (303) 866-0908.
ADVANCING GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER EQUALITY
CPC is an organization dedicated to equality and equity for all Coloradoans, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. In 2004, we ran a Queer the Vote project in partnership with Colorado Anti-Violence Program, and continue voter outreach with GLBT-identified people of all races, ethnicities, and income levels.
Currently, we support coalition and community partners in efforts to enforce the recently-passed Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which provides work-place protection for GLBT people. We are also helping to lead efforts to educate GLBT communities statewide about the ongoing U.S. Census work, and because GLBT households are not counted in the Census, we are pushing for federal reform to include the GLBT population in 2020's Census.
JOIN OUR RACIAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS TEAM!
Get involved today by contacting Cheyenne Hughes,
CPC's Lead Racial Justice Organizer, at 303.866.0908 or cheyenne@progressivecoalition.org. Thank you!
CPC is a grassroots membership organization and we depend on your support to help us build power across the state. Please become a member today. Your contribution to CPC is tax-deductible. Thank you!
