Coalition Against Police Violence Fundraiser for Criminal Justice Reform

"New Age of Slavery" by Patrick Campbell. Used by permission.


The epidemic of police violence in America is alarming, and disproportionately affects communities of color. While the American government does not track homicide data of state law enforcement bodies, a private organization called Killed By Police began collecting data in May 2013, and its data reveals a disturbing pattern. According to Killed by Police, as of April, 20, 2015, American law enforcement have killed 351 people. That is three homicides per day, or roughly one stolen life every 8 hours.  Of those 351 homicides, 231 victims were members of a community of color or not identified by race.

When we compare this data to the rates of homicide by police in other countries, the picture becomes all the more disturbing. China, whose population is four and half times greater than the U.S., had only 12 homicides by police in the entire year of 2014.  The U.K. had only one death by police in 2014. And Germany and Ireland had none. It is disheartening that among industrialized nations, the U.S. leads in only two categories: the number of people incarcerated and the rate at which civilians are killed by law enforcement. This should not be.

The Coalition Against Police Violence will combat these issues on multiple fronts, including a nationwide boycott and the nationwide march on July 4th.  The march, called the Scars & Stripes 4 Mile March, will remind the world that there is a certain segment of Americans who do not enjoy the independence that was declared on July 4, 1776.

On July 4, 2015, we will take to the streets in cities nationwide to lift up the names of the Americans who have been brutalized and killed by America’s police. We will march for the Scars & Stripes inflicted upon our people by the American government, which is complicit through its silence in this oppression. We will rally for a day when the truth that all men are created equal, and endowed with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, is finally self-evident.  And we will fight for transparency, accountability, and reformation of the American (in)justice system.

We hope that you will assist us in this effort by purchasing a t-shirt and joining us in cities across the nation on July 4, 2015, for the Scars & Stripes 4 Mile March. For more information, visit www.thecapv.org.