Fighting for Equal Representation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, The Collective PAC, the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political representation and power across all levels of government — and its 501(c)4 affiliated organization, Collective Future, — are officially launching the Justice For All Initiative to help elect more Black leaders to impactful positions in the criminal justice system. This groundbreaking initiative will focus on recruiting and supporting Black candidates seeking to serve as state’s and district attorneys, judges, sheriffs, and attorneys general in states across the country. The Justice For All Initiative will be a key component of The Collective PAC’s work to close the representation gap of Black leaders serving in positions of power while supporting candidates who will unapologetically pursue progressive criminal justice reform. According to the Women’s Donor Network, currently, 95 percent of elected prosecutors in the United States are white.
“After a year of grieving, Breonna Taylor’s family is still reeling from her unjust murder and Kentucky’s Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s reckless refusal to deliver justice,” said Stefanie Brown James, co-founder and senior Advisor of The Collective PAC. “Breonna’s story, experienced by Black people all across this country, puts the spotlight on the need to elect reform-minded leaders who respect and reflect our communities, and are committed to undoing the archaic, racist laws and policies that are the bedrocks of the American “injustice” system. Justice is always on the ballot because our lives are on the line.”
“The Justice For All Initiative will help give Black candidates running for these critical offices the tools and resources necessary to implement a winning campaign,” said Quentin James, co-founder and president of The Collective PAC. “We launched the Justice For All Initiative because the best way to change the laws is to change the lawmakers and work with them to build an America that finally lives up to its founding principles of justice and liberty for all. From ending cash bail and reforming bond agreements to overturning wrongful convictions and addressing recidivism, we’re excited to build a collective of leaders across the country committed to advancing equitable policies that restore justice and accountability to our legal system.”
To launch Justice For All, The Collective PAC will be hosting multiple events with candidates, elected officials and advocates working to address criminal justice reform throughout the remainder of March. The events include a fundraiser with Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06) on March 18th; a panel discussion with Justice For All candidates running for office this year including Delegate Jay Jones (candidate for Virginia Attorney General) and Alvin Bragg (candidate for Manhattan District Attorney) on March 24th; and a “Lunch and Learn” detailing the program with key partners working to reform the system on March 31st.
The Collective PAC will recruit and expand the slate of leaders running for these offices and raise funds to help support their campaigns. Several current elected officials, including Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx (IL) and Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins (MA), who will also serve on the Justice For All Advisory Board to advise on recruitment strategies for potential candidates and raise awareness about the importance of Black representation in seats of power throughout the criminal justice system.
Through The Collective PAC’s affiliated 501(c)4 organization Collective Future, the Justice For All Initiative will also offer culturally competent training for Black lawmakers and staffers on how to run successful campaigns and prepare for challenges that may arise when pushing for progressive reform on the campaign trail and in office. In addition, Collective Future will house independent expenditure efforts as a part of the initiative and build out policy resources focused on tracking and formulating effective strategies for policymakers to craft solutions, with a focus on wrongful convictions, trial penalty, mass incarceration, recidivism, and police accountability. Justice For All candidates will have the forum to share best practices and new innovations that will help the movement for criminal justice reform grow across the country.
Since the “soft launch” of the Justice For All Initiative in the fall of 2020, Collective Future has raised over $100,000 for the effort and The Collective PAC has endorsed five Justice For All candidates thus far during the 2021-2022 election cycle: Jay Jones, candidate for Virginia Attorney General; Alvin Bragg, candidate for Manhattan (NY) District Attorney; Stephanie Morales for reelection as Commonwealth’s Attorney in Portsmouth (VA); Angela Cunningham, candidate for Judge on the Kenosha (WI) Circuit Court, Branch 6; and Judge Timika Lane, candidate for the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
For a listing of The Collective PAC’s current Justice For All candidates, visit collectivepac.org/justice-for-
ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC
The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective PAC is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward.