John,

Happy Independence Day!

I can't think of a better time for you and I to do whatever we can to end all forms of slavery in this country... forever.

Right now, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which in concept was intended to end slavery in America, actually enshrines a specific form of slavery still to this day: Prison labor.

Thankfully, Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Nikema Williams want to fix it and they've asked for our help. Please help build the groundswell of support they need nationwide and become a citizen co-sponsor of the Abolition Amendment now by adding your name >>

Today, we celebrate independence.

In honor of the American Dream of freedom, let's take action to abolish slavery in America forever -- with no exceptions.

I'm counting on you, but you can check out my message below from last week if you need more information before you sign.

Thank you for everything you do in the fight for justice and equity that makes our country strong.

-Tre

John,

You may not realize it, but a damaging slavery loophole still persists in the U.S. Constitution to this day.

The 13th Amendment abolished most slavery in America, but it didn't abolish it completely. Instead, the Amendment actually codified one form of slavery with the single line “except as a punishment for crime.”

The "Slavery Clause" as it's been called ever since has incentivized law enforcement, especially in the southern states, to target Black Americans for arrest and incarceration. In 1865, sheriffs immediately began to lease out imprisoned individuals to work landowners’ fields, which in some cases included the very same plantations where the prisoners had previously been enslaved.

The practice grew in prevalence and scope to the point that, by 1898, 73% of Alabama’s state revenue came from renting out the forced labor of Black Americans. Even worse, the practice still exists now. Only the plantations of the late 1800's have been replaced with corporations today. Over 4,100 corporations, including Verizon, American Airlines, and Sprint, currently profit from mass incarceration in the United States.

Now, Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Nikema Williams have introduced the Abolition Amendment, which would strike the ‘Slavery Clause’ of the 13th Amendment and they've asked for our support. Help show Congress where the American people stand by adding your name as a citizen co-sponsor now.

Throughout the Jim Crow era, the Slavery Clause continued to incentivize criminal and even minor crime convictions and drive the over-incarceration of Black Americans and forced labor on infamous prison plantations like Parchman in Mississippi and Angola in Louisiana.

This embedded discrimination fueled mass incarceration and increased corruption of our criminal justice system that has continued for decades through elements of the War on Drugs, the proliferation of three strike laws, severe plea deals, and harsh mandatory minimum policies -- all of it having devastating impacts on communities of color.

Today’s mass incarceration policies have driven an $80 billion detention industry and a rate of American incarceration that is nothing short of a crisis, with 2.3 million prisoners -- 20% of the world’s incarcerated population -- residing in the United States. It's no wonder America currently contains 1,833 state and 110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile facilities, 3,134 jails, and 218 immigration detention facilities when you consider that forced labor drives millions of dollars in reduced labor costs for some of the biggest corporations in the world, including Wal-Mart, McDonald's and even Starbucks.

It's time to end slavery in America once and for all. Please help Senator Jeff Merkely and Congresswoman Nikema Williams build the winning coalition they need to make it happen. Sign on as a citizen co-sponsor today.

Thank you for taking action today.

— Tre

Tre Graves
Campaign Organizer
Democracy for America