The End Racial Profiling Campaign
History
For the past two years, PrYSM has been an active member of the Coalition Against Racial Profiling, which brings together legislative, advocacy, and organizing bodies with the aim of passing the Comprehensive Racial Profiling Prevention Act in the Rhode Island State Legislature. Last year, PrYSM youth courageously testified in front of Senate and House committees about their personal experiences of racial profiling, and the bill was only a few votes away from passing in the House.
Current Campaign
Film Project: SOUL has teamed up with Youth In Action’s Next Generation Media Team to create “Fitting the Description,” a short documentary about racial profiling in Rhode Island. The film features interviews with community members and leaders and commentary by young organizers.
Fitting the Description from Next Generation Media on Vimeo.
Photo Project: Please submit a photograph to SOUL’s photo project! We are collecting images of community members holding signs that say, “Do I look suspicious?”, “Do I fit the description?” and other phrases that provoke thought about racial profiling. Submit your photo at racialprofilingstories@gmail.com! Photos will be displayed at the RI State House next week and on our blog.
Documentation Project: SOUL is collecting personal testimonies about racial profiling in Rhode Island. To submit your story anonymously, visit racialprofilingstories.wordpress.com and leave a comment on our page, OR email it to racialprofilingstories@gmail.com.
The Visibility Campaign
The Visibility Campaign seeks to raise awareness about the particular needs and challenges of Southeast Asians and other ethnic groups in Rhode Island. This will be accomplished partly through the disaggregation of data by ethnicity (not just race). Southeast Asians are adversely affected by the model minority myth, which claims that Asian Americans as a racial group are affluent, highly educated, and no longer in need of assistance. However, the needs of certain groups who do not fit this perception, such as Southeast Asian Americans, become erased as a result. PrYSM seeks to change this through a combination of legislative work and community education.
For More Information:
http://ristopracialprofiling.com
The QSEA Report
Coming soon!
