Sacramento: Urban League’s Legislative Advocacy Day Highlights Justice Reform Bill

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media On March 13, advocates for criminal justice reform rallied at the California State Capitol to urge lawmakers to enact the SMART Act, legislation aimed at eliminating incidents of racial profiling. The acronym in the name of the SMART Act, authored by Sen. Steve Bradford (D-Inglewood), stands for “Stopping Malevolent Altercations Regarding Traffic Stops.” The rally was a part of the Urban League’s 21 Pillars Legislative Advocacy Day organized to demand justice reforms related to race, law enforcement and public safety. National Urban League members and officers attended the day of activities at the State Capitol, including Jerika Richardson, National Urban League Senior Vice President for Equitable Justice and Strategic Initiatives. “We need to change divisive policing policies. These low-level traffic stops can result in deadly consequences for Black and Brown people in our communities,” said Richardson, who was one of the rally’s speakers. “They’re disproportionately harming us,” Richardson added. “We also want to focus on prevention and SB 50 does that.” The event at the State Capitol followed a Los Angeles Urban League Young Professionals networking reception held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel near the Capitol on March 12. In...