CA Voters Action Alert - Racial Justice for All Act (AB 256)

Players Coalition, a social justice and racial equity advocacy group founded by former NFL players Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins, is asking California voters to contact their state senators to support AB 256, The Racial Justice for All Act, sponsored by Assemblyperson Ash Kalra (27th Assembly District).

The Racial Justice for All Act helps to extend retroactively the protections from the California Racial Justice Act (AB 2542) which "prohibits the state from seeking or obtaining a criminal conviction, or from imposing a sentence, based upon race, ethnicity or national origin." While AB 2542 made it possible for a person charged or convicted in a crime to challenge racial bias in their case, it didn't apply retroactively to cases prior to January 1st, 2021.

AB 256 simply extends those same commonsense protections to those who have already been impacted by unfair convictions and sentenced that violated those three protected tenants: race, ethnicity, and national origin. It provides equal opportunity to pursue justice for those affected by the racial bias and discrimination that permeates our criminal legal system. Some examples, though certainly not an exhaustive list, are:

• Blatantly racist statements by attorneys, judges, jurors and expert witnesses;
• The exclusion of all, or nearly all Black or Latinx people from serving on a jury; and
• Stark statistical evidence showing systemic bias in charging and sentencing.

Those with prior, racially biased convictions and sentences deserve equal justice under the law and have waited long enough for equal justice. AB 256 allows them that opportunity.

California voters, find your State Senator and their contact information here.

Hear more about Players Coalition's advocacy for AB 256 on their Instagram Page

Read more about Players Coalition and their social justice and racial equality advocacy at their website.