Racial Justice

Racial justice remains one of the most pressing moral issues of our times -- requiring proactive and diverse policy solutions. One of my top priorities is reforming our broken criminal justice system that disproportionately impacts communities of color. I believe any comprehensive reform effort must include repeal of our state's costly, racist, and ineffective sentencing laws, as well as a plan to take the savings generated by reform and reinvest them in the communities that have been most heavily impacted by both crime and the failed War on Drugs.

Closing opportunity and achievement gaps in our schools is another critical lever for racial justice. That's why I've filed the Foundation Budget Review Commission Bill -- to implement the recommendations of a bipartisan commission that called for a new commitment in the 21st century to tackling these persistent gaps in Massachusetts. I've also helped shepherd to passage new laws to prohibit the overuse of school expulsion and suspension, and to reform Massachusetts' system for English language education.

I've filed legislation to ban racial profiling and start tracking data on pedestrian and traffic stops, so we can identify and combat racial disparities. In the budget, I support measures to build wealth and small business ownership in communities of color across our state. And I've fought successfully for laws to strengthen our state' sown procurement with minority-owned businesses.