The Amp

Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted 237 to 187 to approve H.R. 6, The Dream and Promise Act, to protect Dreamers and holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS). House leaders then called on the Senate to immediately take up this legislation. Discuss the legislation by citing the values of Family Unity, Economic Security, and Community.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s 5 Tips for Talking About the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6) and Immigration Policy Solutions: Promoting Family Unity; The Fair Immigration Reform Movement’s values & principles; United We Dream’s Digital Toolkit; National Immigration Law Center’s Statement Following Historic House Passage of Dream and Promise Act
• Hashtags: #DreamAndPromiseNow; #DreamAndPromiseAct; #DreamAndPromise

Last week, the New York Times publicized documents revealing that the reason for adding a  citizenship question to the Census was to help “Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites.” In response, the House Oversight and Reform Committee announced that it would vote on Thursday to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt of Congress if they fail to produce documents related to the Committee's investigation into the decision to add the question. The Supreme Court will rule on the citizenship question later this month. Discuss these developments with your networks citing the values of Voice and Equality.

• Messaging and communication tools: Common Cause’s New Evidence Exposes GOP Census Rigging; The Opportunity Agenda’s Census Data: A Fair and Accurate Count and Census Data and Storytelling; Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ talking points; Census Count’s resources; United We Dream and partners' SCOTUS Decision on the Citizenship Question Social Media Toolkit
• Hashtag: #WeCount; #SaveTheCensus #2020Census #Census2020

It’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month and this year it’s an even bigger deal with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Discuss intersectional issues for the LGBT community, including racial and economic justice. Cite the values of Economic Security, Community, and Voice.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Ten Tips for Putting Intersectionality into Practice; Social Justice Sexuality’s Intersecting Injustice: A National Call to Action Addressing LGBTQ Poverty and Economic Justice for All; Immigration Legal Resource Center’s Special Considerations for LGBTQ Immigrants; Making Gay History podcast's Stonewall 50 series
• Hashtags: #Pride50; #Pride2019; #PrideMonth

Immigrant Heritage Month provides another opportunity to talk about the economic challenges faced by immigrants in the United States. Reference the values of Economic Security, Community and Voice.

• Take Action: If you’re in Nashville, join the #CelebrateImmigrants event on June 7.
• Messaging and Communication Tools: Quick Tips for Talking Immigration Issues and Power of POP - Media Analysis of Representations of Immigrants in Popular TV Shows
• Hashtags: #CelebrateImmigrants; #IHM2019; #ImmigrantHeritageMonth

On this day, four years ago, Kalief Browder took his own life after spending three years in New York’s Rikers Island jail. Browder had been awaiting trial for stealing a backpack and spent two years in solitary confinement. Supporters point to Browder’s incarceration as the source of his mental illness. Citing Browder’s story, advocates successfully pushed the City of New York to close the facility because of its mistreatment of inmates. With the recent release of the series “When They See Us,” many Americans are questioning the treatment of black men in our criminal justice system. Use this hook to further the discussion by citing the values of Equality, Redemption, and Voice.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Promote Justice in Pre-Trial Services & Practices; Promote Community Safety through Alternatives to Incarceration; The Central Park Five: Looking Back; When They See Us: Thirty Years Since the Central Park Five Case 
• Hashtags: #KaliefBrowder; #justice4kalief; #WhenTheySeeUs; #TheCentralPark5; #CentralPark5

At 1 pm ET, Census Counts and The Urban Institute are holding a webinar: 2020 Census: Who’s at Risk of Being Miscounted. During this webinar, Urban Institute researchers will share findings from their newly released interactive report that highlights the potential miscounts nationally, by state, and for different demographic groups according to low, medium, and high-risk scenarios for the 2020 Census. RSVP here. If you can’t attend live, a recording will be sent to all those who RSVP.

On this day in 1965, the Supreme Court upheld the “right of marital privacy” in the case of Griswold v. Connecticut which ensured access to contraception. The case provided precedent for the court to legalize abortion in the Roe v. Wade case eight years later. Recent state-level bans on abortion could be potential challenges to these landmark decisions and disproportionately impact people living in poverty. When talking about this anniversary, cite the values of Economic Security, Voice, and Equality.

• Messaging and communication tools: Sister Song’s What is Reproductive Justice?; NARAL’s Reproductive rights are human rights; National Women’s Law Center’s Reproductive Health Is Part of the Economic Health of Women and Their Families; Center for American Progress’ 13 Ways States Can Protect and Advance Women’s Health and Rights;
• Hashtags: #GriswoldVCT; #ThanksGriswold; #StopTheBans; #YouKnowMe  

This month, the “I Am An Immigrant” campaign is holding Immigrant Heritage Month events across the country. Today from 10am - 6pm CST, Nashville will #CelebrateImmigrants with an interactive public art installation at the Nashville Farmers' Market,  featuring food trucks, entertainment, and more! Find more information and RSVP here.

Loving Day celebrates the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision on the case of Loving v. Virginia which struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage. Use the anniversary to talk about racial justice with the values of Equality and Voice.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Ten Lessons for Talking About Race, Racism and Racial Justice and Frank Conference’s Caty Borum Chattoo and Leena Jayaswal: Mixed, Mulatto, Swirl: A Documentary Journey of Discovery; LovingDay.org’s resources
• Hashtag: #lovingday

On this day in 1987, President Ronald Reagan gave his famous "Tear Down this Wall" speech in Berlin. Although Reagan was addressing the Communist bloc, it’s worth noting that this previous Republican president publicly challenged the idea of using walls to separate or isolate people. In the speech, Reagan also said, “The wall cannot withstand freedom.” Use this anniversary to talk about the needs of the U.S./Mexico border region and how a wall proposal is blatant scare-mongering. Cite the values of Economic Security and Community.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking Border Issues Amidst the Government Shutdown and 5 Tips for Talking About Border Communities Without Talking about A Wall
• Hashtags:#LoveYourBorderlands; #nobannowall; #noborderwall

On this day in 1966, the Supreme Court issued its decision on Ernesto Miranda vs. Arizona. The ruling created what became known as “Miranda rights”, the law enforcement procedure of reminding someone of their rights when being arrested. Use this anniversary to discuss the importance of criminal justice reform by referring to the values of Redemption and Voice.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Create Fair and Effective Policing Practices; Promote Justice in Pre-Trial Services & Practices; Building a Narrative to Address Violence in the U.S. and the Center for Popular Democracy’s Freedom to Thrive: Reimagining Safety & Security in Our Communities
• Hashtag: #mirandarights