Advancement Project

ADVANCEMENT PROJECT IS A NEXT GENERATION, MULTI-RACIAL CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. ROOTED IN THE GREAT HUMAN RIGHTS STRUGGLES FOR EQUALITY AND JUSTICE, WE EXIST TO FULFILL AMERICA'S PROMISE OF A CARING, INCLUSIVE AND JUST DEMOCRACY. WE USE INNOVATIVE TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO STRENGTHEN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND ACHIEVE HIGH IMPACT POLICY CHANGE.

EDUCATIONAL EQUITYTHE EDUCATIONAL EQUITY PROGRAM EXPANDS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ENSURES APPROPRIATE SCHOOL FACILITIES FOR LOW INCOME AND DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN FROM BIRTH THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. THIS TEAM UTILIZED EXTENSIVE DATA REVIEW AND FEEDBACK FROM A WIDE RANGE OF EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION ("ECE") STAKEHOLDERS TO COMPILE AND PUBLISH A GROUNDBREAKING REPORT THAT PROVIDED A FULL ASSESSMENT OF AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE QUALITY AND SITE SHORTAGE OF CALIFORNIA'S STATE-RUN ECE FACILITIES TO MAKE THE CASE FOR INCREASED RESOURCE ALLOCATION. THE TEAM HAS ALSO SPEARHEADED MULTIPLE LOCAL-, REGIONAL-, AND STATEWIDE-FOCUSED EFFORTS SURROUNDING DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND ECE ISSUES, SUPPORT OF THE ECE WORKFORCE, AND SOLIDIFYING AN ENGAGED NETWORK OF ECE AND K-12 STAKEHOLDERS.

POWER & DEMOCRACY (VOTER PROTECTION AND RIGHT TO VOTE)OUR POWER & DEMOCRACY PROGRAM WORKS TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLORCALLING FOR AN AFFIRMATIVE RIGHT TO VOTE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. OUR WORK INCLUDES ELIMINATING VOTING BARRIERS, RESTORING RIGHTS TO RETURNING CITIZENS AND INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS, AND CONTINUING TO BUILD PUBLIC EDUCATION MATERIALS AROUND VOTING AND VOTING RIGHTS AS A RESULT OF ITS PIVOTAL ROLE IN ELECTING THE PRESIDENT AND FLIPPING THE SENATE, AS WELL AS BEING A MAIN TARGET IN THE BASELESS ACCUSATIONS OF VOTER FRAUD, GEORGIA HAS EMERGED AS THE MOST PUBLIC FACE OF EFFORTS TO CREATE ADDITIONAL STATE AND FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS ON VOTING. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BILL PASSED IN GEORGIA BRINGS INTO CLEAR FOCUS JUST HOW SPECIFICALLY THE STATE OF GEORGIA HAS TRIED TO SILENCE THE ENGINES OF DEMOCRACY, THE BLACK CHURCH, AND LATINX CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS. AS A RESULT, ADVANCEMENT PROJECT FILED A LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF THE SAMUEL DEWITT PROCTOR CONFERENCE, CONCERNED BLACK CLERGY, MIJENTE, THE GEORGIA LATINO ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, FAITH IN ACTION AND A COALITION OF CHURCHES. THE NOVEMBER 2021 ELECTIONS MARKED THE FIRST TIME THAT MANY OF THE VOTER SUPPRESSION LAWS WERE IN EFFECT. IN THE LEAD UP TO THESE ELECTIONS, WE WORKED WITH OUR PARTNERS AND ALLIES IN GEORGIA AND FLORIDA TO MONITOR THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES. IN GEORGIA, WE COLLABORATED WITH OUR LITIGATION PARTNERS, THE SAMUEL DEWITT PROCTOR CONFERENCE, AND ALLIES TO PROTECT ACCESS TO THE BALLOT BY: CREATING A TOP TEN LIST OF THINGS EVERY GEORGIA VOTER SHOULD KNOW, INCLUDING CHANGES TO THE LAW SINCE 2020; TRAINING THEIR LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERS ON HOW TO CAPTURE AND RESPOND TO INCIDENTS AT THE POLLS; AND PROVIDING VIRTUAL LEGAL SUPPORT IN REAL TIME TO ANSWER ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS AND TROUBLESHOOT ISSUES.

JUSTICE PROJECTTHE JUSTICE PROJECT ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE POLICE AND PRISONS ARE OBSOLETE AND WHERE BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE THRIVE AND ARE FREE TO DEFINE SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, WITHOUT STATE-BASED OPPRESSION AND VIOLENCE. THE JUSTICE PROJECT SUPPORTS GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT ARE LED BY BLACK, BROWN, AND CARCERALLY IMPACTED INDIVIDUALS TO CHALLENGE RACIAL CRIMINALIZATION AND ATTACK ALL ASPECTS OF THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM. THIS YEAR, WE CREATED MAPPING INJUSTICE: NAVIGATING THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM 101, WHICH BROUGHT TOGETHER MICHIGAN LIBERATION, CLOSE THE WORKHOUSE, NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE DETROIT, DETROIT JUSTICE CENTER, AND EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH PRISON REFORM COALITION FOR A SERIES OF WEBINARS ON THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM FOLLOWING OUR COVID-19 LITIGATION. THIS SPRING, WE PARTNERED WITH MICHIGAN LIBERATION TO ELEVATE THEIR 2021 BLACK MAMAS BAILOUT CAMPAIGN PROJECT. IN THE WEEK LEADING UP TO MOTHER'S DAY, THE CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTED THE STORIES OF SEVEN MOTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED. TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH, WE WORKED WITH MICHIGAN LIBERATION TO SUPPORT A WEEK OF ACTIONS BEGINNING ON MONDAY, JUNE 14TH WITH A VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE IMPACT OF CASH BAIL AND ENDING WITH A BRAKE LIGHT CLINIC + JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION.POLITICAL VOICE PROGRAMOUR POLITICAL VOICE PROGRAM, ALONGSIDE OUR CENSUS POLICY ADVOCACY NETWORK PARTNERS, WON HISTORIC STATE BUDGET ALLOCATIONS OF OVER $180 MILLION IN SUPPORT OF 2020 CENSUS OUTREACH. WE ALSO CREATED A SPACE FOR COLLABORATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT NOT JUST TO ENSURE A FAIR, ACCURATE 2020 CENSUS COUNT, BUT TO FORTIFY THE CONNECTIONS THAT MAKE POWER-BUILDING POSSIBLE. THE 2020 CENSUS WAS MORE THAN JUST A COUNT; IT PRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP RESIDENTS LEAD POLICY CHANGE IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS.