Anchor of Hope Foundation

01/01/2021

12/31/2020

ATTN:

ATTN:

This program is helping foster kids make critical decisions for life after foster care.

12/27/2020

Ben Crump

Ben Crump

Andre Hill’s family is speaking out for the 1st time about his death by a reckless Columbus PD officer who should be behind bars! Why did a call for a noise disturbance turn deadly? Why did a police veteran choose to pull the trigger? Racism and poor training have existed in police culture for far too long! #JusticeForAndrewHill

If you’d like to help the family, please do so via:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/andre-hill-memorial-fund

12/21/2020

California Prisoners Raises Over $30K For High School In Need

"The group of inmates got together to fundraise and successfully garnered over $30,000 for a high school student in need from their shared book club."

The group of inmates got together to fundraise and successfully garnered over $30,000 for a high school student in need from their shared book club.

12/20/2020

Imprisoned For Almost 40 Years, Walter Forbes Is Freed After Witness Admits She Lied

This is truly disturbing....

Walter Forbes was sentenced to life without parole in connection with an arson death. Walter Forbes, a man from Jackson, Michigan, has been released from prison after serving 38 years in connection with an arson death he had no part of. In a report from the New York Times, Forbes' release came a

12/18/2020

A gentle reminder.....

12/18/2020

"If you truly want to help others, and make a positive impact on the world, then learning to hold space for yourself, to befriend and love yourself, is the greatest impact you could make on the planet. You can’t hold space for someone else if you can’t be with your own pain and hold space for yourself. If there’s no room for you in your life, there isn’t really any room for others. When you’re kind to yourself you impact the lives of others by being less reactive, more responsive, more available, empathic, compassionate, kind, present, balanced and at peace."

12/18/2020

💞💞💞

12/17/2020

"Incredible! LA's new DA George Gascon was just sworn in today and made some big announcements that will bring positive change to our communities. These reforms will create a more just and equal criminal justice system that serves all of us. Love." -Common

12/17/2020

Newly Elected Los Angeles County District Attorney Explains Plans for Justice Reform

Simply magnificent!

Newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon on Monday outlined sweeping plans for criminal justice reform as he was sworn-in to office, including major changes in how cases are charged, the use of cash bail, the removal of sentencing enhancements, and an expansion of efforts to....

12/17/2020

Excited Delirium: The controversial syndrome that can be used to protect police from misconduct charges

"Excited delirium" is the 21st century "drapetomania."

"Excited delirium was mentioned in the deaths of George Floyd and Elijah McClain, but some in the medical world are skeptical it's actually a condition."

https://www.cbsnews.com/.../excited-delirium-police.../

Image description: photos of a September 10, 2009 white paper report on excited delirium syndrome.

Excited delirium was mentioned in the deaths of George Floyd and Elijah McClain, but some in the medical world are skeptical it's actually a condition.

12/16/2020

CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell

CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell

COMING UP: Disturbing body camera footage reveals how Chicago police raided the wrong apartment in 2019 and handcuffed an innocent woman while she was naked.

CBS Chicago’s Dave Savini broke the story and has more tonight.

Watch at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT

12/16/2020

Maryland’s longest-serving woman behind bars has been set free amid coronavirus concerns

“A Baltimore Circuit judge has granted the release of Eraina Pretty, the longest serving female prisoner in Maryland who’s spent more than four decades behind bars. She entered prison as an 18-year-old and was re-sentenced Monday to time served, the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office said.

Her freedom was granted at the request of the a unit in the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office. Announced last week by State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, the unit works to set free elderly prisoners at risk of the coronavirus who pose no threat to public safety. Pretty is the second prisoner released through the work of the unit.”

A Baltimore Circuit judge has granted the release of Eraina Pretty, the longest serving female prisoner in Maryland who’s spent more than four decades behind bars.

12/11/2020

#HopeFound

The subtitle “Changing America’s Story” is in the works. It will be a tremendous amount of work. My hope is that our story becomes more inclusive, more compassionate, more equitable. My hope is that these Persons of The Year, @joebiden and @kamalaharris, call upon us all to be our best selves and bring our best selves to our American story. #personoftheyear

12/09/2020

Family of Black man fatally shot by deputy says he was holding sandwich, not gun

The Justice Department and FBI will help review the fatal shooting by an Ohio sheriff’s deputy of a Black man.

12/08/2020

KTLA 5 News

KTLA 5 News

Update: An L.A. courtroom erupted in cries of joy Monday when a judge announced that a 74-year-old grandmother would be released from prison after serving 32 years for a murder she did not commit.

Read KTLA's story here: http://ktlane.ws/OSJrV6

In 1981, Jones' abusive boyfriend kidnapped two drug dealers and then forced Jones - at gunpoint - to drive them into an alley, where the boyfriend fatally shot the one of the men.

Jones ran from the scene, expecting to be killed too. Instead, the teacher's aide and churchgoer with no criminal record was charged with and convicted for two counts of murder and other crimes.

Now, thanks to the help of USC law school students, her charges were reduced to manslaughter and she was set to be freed.

Correction: This post earlier stated that Jones was convicted in two murders; one of the two people shot in the crime survived.

12/07/2020

Common

Incredible! LA's new DA George Gascon was just sworn in today and made some big announcements that will bring positive change to our communities. These reforms will create a more just and equal criminal justice system that serves all of us. Love.

12/07/2020

Pr. George’s police reform group calls for more mental health resources, scrapping officer protections in misconduct investigations

"After months of fact-finding meetings about the conduct and operations of the Prince George’s County Police Department, a reform work group has submitted its 104-page report of accountability recommendations — and many of the issues the group tackled echo reform efforts from 20 years ago."

Reform work group’s 104-page report comes amid nationwide anger over police violence and the killing of George Floyd.

12/05/2020

Will Concerns About Domestic Violence Derail Sentencing Reform in Oklahoma?

"According to an independent analysis of the amendment, it would reduce the prison population by roughly 8.5 percent by 2030 and save the state up to $186 million over the next 10 years—money that supporters say could be redirected towards prevention
and rehabilitation.

But opponents say the amendment could "'giv[e] abusers a pass to continue their abusive behavior by not holding them accountable for their repetitive and often increasingly violent behavior,' wrote one district attorney in an op-ed."

Opponents of a constitutional amendment to limit enhanced sentencing say it would harm domestic violence survivors. Not all survivors agree.

12/05/2020

Judge Orders Government to Fully Reinstate DACA Program

Breaking News: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to fully restore an Obama-era program designed to shield young immigrants from deportation, dealing what could be a final blow to President Trump’s long-fought effort to end the protections.

Up to 300,000 additional undocumented immigrants could be allowed to apply for protection from deportation under a new court ruling. President Trump had sought to cancel the program.

12/05/2020

House Passes Landmark Bill Decriminalizing Marijuana

"Today the House of Representatives passed a landmark bill decriminalizing marijuana. The bill also expunges nonviolent marijuana-related connections, authorizes a five percent tax on marijuana to fund community and grant programs to help those most hurt by marijuana’s criminalization, and allows Veterans Affairs physicians to recommend medical marijuana to their patients. It passed with bipartisan support, and comes on the heels of red states like Montana and South Dakota voting to legalize marijuana in the November 3rd election.

This is a long-overdue and welcome accomplishment. Black people are three times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite similar usage rates, and it’s no secret that Black and brown people bear the brunt of our cruel system of mass incarceration. It’s far past time our government starts working to undo the harm caused by the criminalization of marijuana, and redress the communities most harmed by it. And pay no mind to those who criticize Democrats for bringing this bill to the floor while coronavirus relief legislation has yet to be passed: We can walk and chew gum at the same time, and work to lift people up in myriad ways. This is a watershed moment, and we should celebrate it as such."

The House passed sweeping legislation that would decriminalize marijuana and expunge nonviolent marijuana-related convictions. The measure is all but doomed in the Republican-led Senate.

12/04/2020

Stand Together

Stand Together

How a three-day event in Akron, OH will have ripple effects across the country.

“This is the most important meeting happening in America because I can’t imagine anything more important than figuring out how our education system can equip young people to realize their full potential.” https://bit.ly/391JVoC - Evan Feinberg Senior Vice President, Stand Together

12/04/2020

The reality of being Black in America.

12/04/2020

Superpredator: The Media Myth That Demonized a Generation of Black Youth

"It demonized my generation of Black youth. It demonized us to the point I sometimes saw a superpredator when looking at myself.

When all along, this racist myth was the superpredator, preying on our very existence, making our very existence—dangerous." -Ibrahim X. Kendi

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/11/20/superpredator-the-media-myth-that-demonized-a-generation-of-black-youth

Twenty-five years ago, the media invented a phrase: “superpredator.” The time for reckoning is overdue.

12/04/2020

Prisons Are Covid-19 Hotbeds. When Should Inmates Get the Vaccine?

"The U.S. has proposed that corrections officers and other prison staff receive priority for a coronavirus vaccine -- but not inmates themselves. This says it all about how much the U.S. devalues the lives of incarcerated people who have been facing among the highest infection rates of any group." -Ibrahim X. Kendi

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/30/health/coronavirus-vaccine-prisons.html

Federal officials have suggested that corrections staff receive high priority for a coronavirus vaccine, but not the millions of vulnerable inmates held in U.S. facilities.

12/04/2020

Biden and Harris pledge to keep politics out of Justice Department

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have pledged that the Justice Department will be run independently and not be influenced by politics when they take office.

“It’s not my Justice Department. It’s the people’s Justice Department,” Biden said in response to reports President Trump is considering preemptive pardons to members of his family and inner circle in order to shield them from prosecution.

“Our Justice Department is going to operate independently on those issues, how to respond to any of that."

12/02/2020

Stand Together

Stand Together

All it takes is one person believing in you. Cafe Momentum understands that. It’s helping kids coming out of juvenile detention believe in themselves. Order your copy of Believe in People and the purchase price of the book will go to Cafe Momentum and five other amazing organizations. #BelieveInPeople #GivingTuesday https://bit.ly/3fY778B

11/26/2020

Robert Reich

A tale of two justice systems.

11/22/2020

States can pave the way on closing the racial wealth gap

States can pave the way on closing the racial wealth gap

Jazz Lewis writes that racial inequality is limiting the realization of the American Dream and that states have a much needed role in leading the way.

11/22/2020

NowThis Politics

NowThis Politics

Republicans know voter fraud isn’t a real issue. But gerrymandering, voter intimidation, and disinformation campaigns? Here’s how the GOP has been attempting to rig the vote for years

11/22/2020

CBS This Morning

CBS This Morning

Three Texas police officers are being investigated for the violent arrest of a Black teenager, right outside his home.

The 18-year-old was tackled and tased earlier this month.

Mireya Villarreal spoke to Zekee Rayford, his father & their lawyers about the arrest.

11/21/2020

CNN

CNN

“It’s hard to tell if it’s because of racism or if it’s just the pandemic, but we are still down 50%.” When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Cam Voung’s Chinese restaurant, Canton House, not only saw a dramatic drop in business, but it was also the target of vandals who broke his windows. Now Asian Americans are still facing the economic consequences of Covid-19 along with the racism and xenophobia that has spread with the virus. The Asian American unemployment rate, once the lowest, is now one of the highest. CNN goes to Atlanta, where Asian American businesses are still struggling eight months into the coronavirus pandemic.

11/18/2020

University of California agrees to $73 million settlement over sex abuse claims against former gynecologist

"The University of California system reached a proposed $73 million settlement with 7 women who accused a former gynecologist of sexual abuse.

As part of the class-action lawsuit, 6,600+ patients of Dr. James Heaps could receive part of the settlement." https://cbsn.ws/3f8KxK9

Patients have accused Heaps of sexual assault and sexual misconduct between 1983 and 2018, when he worked at the UCLA student health center and UCLA Medical Center.

11/18/2020

Texas inmates paid $2 an hour to move COVID-19 victims' bodies

"El Paso County, Texas, is paying prison inmates $2 an hour to move the bodies of deceased coronavirus victims.

While prison labor is a common nationwide, the reliance on inmates to handle the task of moving COVID-19 victims is raising questions."

https://cbsn.ws/3kFA0HA

Prisoners are low-level offenders who volunteered to take on the work, El Paso County Sheriff's department says.

11/11/2020

Woman wrongly imprisoned for two decades receives honorary bachelor's degree

"Congratulations to Tyra Patterson, who was awarded an honorary bachelor's degree from Art Academy of Cincinnati last week. Tyra spent 23 years wrongfully incarcerated and uses art as a form of therapy and healing."

She served 23 years in prison for a crime she did not commit.