Amidst a pandemic and unchecked murders of Black people by police, the disparities around race and class are increasingly on display. The path to rebuilding our communities is clear -- we need to stop the murders of Black people by the state, and we need major investments to undo hundreds of years of harm.

A Black stimulus means investing resources back into communities that have been systematically starved of wealth. It means funding the basic necessities that have been withheld from Black communities for generations: affordable housing, quality public education, fair and dignified work, and programs that actually keep us safe. And it means taking inventory of who in this city is paying their fair share, and then pursuing policy changes that address that disparity. A Philly Black Stimulus means:

No More Money for Police: We must reject any budget proposal that increases money for the police, and move towards reallocating the police budget towards programs that keep our communities safe.

Keep Black People in their Homes: We need to pass the Emergency Housing Protection Act to ensure immediate relief for renters facing evictions, increased rents and late fees, especially for Black women being hit hardest in the COVID crisis. We need true affordable accessible housing for all.

Fund Our Communities: We know that when our communities have basic programs like fully funded schools, libraries, rec centers, the arts and athletics, our children thrive. We need a city budget that puts our childrens’ futures first.

The Wealthy Should Pay Their Fair Share: An austerity budget is a choice, when we know that there is still extreme wealth in our city. We need to make sure everyone is paying their share by raising the gross receipts tax, reinstating the personal property tax and making universities like Penn pay PILOTS.

Protect Black Workers: Black people, working class people have been frontlines of the COVID crisis, and need to be protected on the job. We need to expand paid sick leave so that all low-income workers are protected.

Give Black People a Voice: Our communities need to be making the decisions that work for us. We need to fund Black doctors providing COVID responses for the Black community. We need to hear from and listen to Black communities on what’s important.