Our Featured Social Justice Panel at Blackout Music & Film Festival Features Black Lives Mat

Our Featured Social Justice Panel at Blackout Music & Film Festival Features Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors, ACLU Lawyer Peter Bibring, Black Lives Matter Activist Ashley Yates, Urban Cusp Founder Rahiel Tesfamariam, The Root Associate Editor Danielle C. Belton, Artist Damon Davis and Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans David Johns. Presented by ACLU SoCal and Black Lives Matter, the Panel Will Be Moderated by UCLA Professor Dr. Marcus Hunter: http://bit.ly/1NviXBK

Checkout The Excellent Articles Below for Insight on Some of the Important Issues and Topics that Will Be Discussed:

Before Blackout Festival, Make Sure Check Out Panelist Danielle Belton’s Insightful Interviews with Fellow Panelist Ashley Yates and Patrisse Cullors on the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, Ferguson and More: http://bit.ly/1NiOZUw via The Root
From Walter Scott to Oscar Grant, the Importance of Filming the Police Is Essential In Our Efforts to Hold Police Accountable and Our Fight for Justice. Download ACLU California’s Mobile Justice App here: http://bit.ly/1PyiqQS and Read Fast Company’s Article on the App here: http://bit.ly/1MBRJfV
“‘Black Lives Matter.’ For the past nine months, this rallying cry has permeated street corners, protests, tweets, news conferences, and even the cover of Time Magazine. Last August, the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer kick-started the efforts of activists protesting against police brutality and violence. By now, the names Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, and Freddie Gray have become synonymous with the Black Lives Matter movement. But solely focusing on their stories has come at the expense of another group affected by police violence: black women. Here’s Why You Should Care: African American women are three times more likely to be incarcerated than their white counterparts, and young black girls are suspended from school at six times the rate of their white female peers. Add to that the increased risk of poverty, violence, and sexual assault, and it’s clear that African American girls are not all right.” Take Part: http://bit.ly/1KIcpyl
“When you are an American, you’re born into this. And there are young black people who folks on TV are dismissing as thugs and all sorts of other words (I know the mayor apologized, I want to acknowledge that), but people who are being dismissed as thugs—these people live lives of incomprehensible violence.” Continue Reading Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Article: http://theatln.tc/1EXUWl7 via The Atlantic
“Recent events across the country have demonstrated that police murders, sexual assault and harassment continue with impunity. The fight for justice for families devastated by police who murder their loved ones is hard fought. As we struggle to fight for justice for loved ones like Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, and Rashod McIntosh, we cannot forget, and must fight fiercely for Mya Hall, Aiyana Jones, and Rekia Boyd. The police harass, abuse, murder and do not discriminate based on gender or sexuality.” Black Youth Project: http://bit.ly/1MrD2c8
“On May 20, 2015 the African American Policy Forum, the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia University and Andrea Ritchie, Soros Justice Fellow and expert on policing of women and LGBT people of color released #SayHerName: Resisting Police Brutality Against Black Women, a document highlighting stories of Black women who have been killed by police and shining a light on forms of police brutality often experienced by women such as sexual assault.” Please Read this Important Report: http://bit.ly/1cR27AO via AAPF
“Tanisha Anderson. Rekia Boyd. Miriam Carey. Michelle Cusseaux. Shelly Frey. Kayla Moore. These names are etched into tombstones that stand over the graves of black women killed by police – and were echoed at a vigil in New York City on Wednesday, where dozens gathered to show that these women should not be forgotten.” Lilly Workneh: http://huff.to/1Bf7lfy via Huffington Post