DID YOU KNOW? The Black Bill of Rights Initiative

by Cheryl D. Howard, Contributing Writer

Jasper James is a Founding Partner and CCO of Activism Articulated, a crisis communication firm that has many facets of advocacy that targets just causes for the underrepresented.  Activism Articulated, in only six (6) years, serves as a much-needed social portal which in the near future will be found unrivaled among organizations alike. “Our organization stands for not just striving for justice, but obtaining it”, said James.  

With a myriad of important issues in our communities, nation, and world, more urgently, on a personal note for Jasper, would be the pandemic of social injustices which have for more than two centuries superseded the pandemic of COVID-19. “When COVID hit, basically, we had to streamline our business and we were already moving in that direction anyway.”  Mx. James believes their organization has remained malleable throughout the years that they have been in operation because they are an advocacy communications firm and they deal with crisis consulting.  Jasper is a champion of multiple social constructs, in brief such as The Sacramento Chapters of the Women’s March, the LGBTQ community, the ACLU, and the Stonewall Democratic Club. 

On July 15th, Mx. James participated as a panelist in the live installment of the Sacramento Bee event series, “Breaking Point: Tackling Systemic Racism in Sacramento.”  According to the recent Activism Articulated Press Release, this corporate discussion occurred in an effort to bring together diverse group leaders, activists, and officials to share their understanding of issues surrounding race relations, law enforcement and systemic racism in our communities.

Mx. James presented to some and introduced to others an initiative that she authored entitled “The Black Bill of Rights (BBR).”  “The BBR is a big project, but it allows individuals for the first time to have a container that actually allows for black people and our allies to re-imagine what our world would look like outside of the confines of the White Supremacy structure,” Mx. James stated.  Additionally, the premise of this initiative counteracts and amends much of the language found in the Law Enforcement Officer Bill of Rights. (LEOBR).  Mx. James re-wrote articles that will essentially remove the leniencies and qualified immunities that are within this document that protect police officers for unjustly killing people of color while allegedly performing their duty. 

The nation witnessed the killing of George Floyd and it hit a certain cord among Black Americans and any who saw it for what it was. The BBR is profoundly significant and speaks to some of the possibilities for resolve in the national movement, “Black Lives Matter”. George Floyd’s death was just the catalyst and black people were already tired of the avalanche of felonious death by police.  It is long overdue for the cessation of policing errors and injustices wrought against people of color. “Our nation has never really had black people’s interest at heart, and they have continuously broken their social contracts with us,” said Mx. James.

The Black Bill of Rights initiative portal can be found currently on ACTIVISMARTICULATED.COM – A future website currently under construction (BLACKBILLOFRIGHTS.COM) will act as an essential hub for Black communities everywhere.  The website will be the ultimate in resources that will align with the overall mission of the Black Bill of Rights framework which looks to build Black stability in all major areas affected by systemic oppression. 

Sign the Petition 
On behalf other Black Citizens of this nation, we petition Kamala Harris to publicly support and endorse the Black Bill of Rights: http://chng.it/gQtsfjz7Zx