This petition demands the following:

To Our Fellow SEIU 503 Members, Union Siblings, and Allies:

We, the undersigned, write this open letter to demand accountability for the deeply racist and harmful actions recently taken by SEIU 503 staff and leadership against Ibrahim Coulibaly, a long-standing and respected African-American leader in our union who has been a powerful voice for equity and workers’ power.

Specifically, they photoshopped an image of Ibrahim Coulibaly with a white woman’s face placed over his body as part of a “Mean Girls” meme. The picture was then distributed statewide on July 14, 2025 in an official bargaining communication. This was done without his consent, and it publicly ridiculed Ibrahim Coulibaly by turning his image into a dehumanizing punchline for a white-centered reference.

This was not a mistake. It was a deliberate act that included:

• Intentionally choosing Ibrahim’s image from a multitude of others
• Altering it to include the Means Girls image
• Writing, formatting, and approving the message
• Distributing it state-wide to thousands of members, many of whom are BIPOC

To make matters worse, when Caucus Leaders raised the alarm directly to SEIU 503 executive leadership about this anti-Black mass communication, President Johnny Earl responded with a casual: “mistakes happen.”

Racism is not a “mistake.” It is violence. It is harmful. 

President Earl’s response reflects the kind of denial and minimization that keeps systems of inequality alive. Unfortunately, we see the same erasure inside of our union that we’ve seen from people in power who refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of increased state violence, racial profiling, and systemic attacks on all workers, but especially Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Immigrant, and Queer workers. 

And now, when a beloved Black leader is disrespected and his personhood publicly violated, the message from the top is: “Mistakes happen.”

We say: No more!

Ibrahim Coulibaly has shown up for all workers. He has led from the front lines, helped protect critical contract language, and organized for dignity. Any attempts to blame him or any union siblings for denouncing this racist, anti-worker action as “dividing the union” is gaslighting. It is time for us to show up for him and seek accountability from our staff and elected leaders. 

1. We demand the following immediate actions:
   A meeting with AFRAM 503 and the Accountability and Equity Coalition (AEC) to be scheduled upon receipt of this letter by responding to aec.or.general@gmail.com  
2. A formal written apology must be made to Ibrahim Coulibaly, signed by President Johnny Earl and Executive Director Melissa Unger, acknowledging the harm done and the steps being taken for repair and justice within 7 days of receiving this letter. Although a general, non-specific apology was issued on the website, social media and directly to members (on July 15), Ibrahim Coulibaly has not received a formal apology.
3. A full, member-led, independent investigation of the racist incident, that includes Anton Farmby, President of AFRAM International Caucus, conducted within 60 days of receipt of this letter. SEIU 503 has a documented pattern of racism, ableism, and exclusion; we will share this evidence with independent investigators.
4. Whistleblower protections for all members participating in this process will be implemented immediately. Retaliation will not be tolerated.
5. Within 15 days of the investigation’s conclusion, the termination and/or removal of all individuals involved in the creation, approval, and dissemination of the racist image.
6. Within 15 days of the investigation’s conclusion, a public, transparent town hall process, led by SEIU 503’s Caucus Program and coordinated with elected SEIU 503 leadership, where executive leadership will inform members of the results of the investigation and the caucus program will facilitate a conversation between members and leadership.
7. SEIU International will conduct a union-wide audit of practices at SEIU 503 that have silenced, excluded, or punished workers for holding leadership accountable within 6 months of the investigation

We also call for a larger reckoning
SEIU 503 cannot continue to promote itself as a “progressive” or “anti-racist” union while participating in the very systems that dehumanize working people. We will not allow the same tactics used against our BIPOC families and communities—gaslighting, victim-blaming, and erasure—to take root in our union halls.

An attack on one is an attack on all!

This union is ours. Built on the unpaid, volunteer labor of members, member leaders, stewards, delegates, and Contract Action Team members (CATs). We are reclaiming our right to be heard, respected, and protected.

We urge all sublocals, caucuses, labor councils, and rank-and-file members to stand with us. Co-sign this letter. Share it. Read it aloud. Demand justice.

In unity, dignity, and resistance,

The Undersigned

AFRAM 503 

Accountability and Equity Coalition

Attachments included (The attached document contains racially offensive, distressing or harmful content)

 

 

 

 

1.      On July 14, 2025 at 7:01pm SEIU comms sent out a message to members providing an update on pickets and bargaining and a call to action inviting workers to Show support and wear purple.

The reaction to the above racist image from many members and member leaders was to reach out to folks within the union and find out who thought this would be a good idea to send out and why it was done.

2.      On July 15, 2025 at 12:54 pm Paula Peña, Indigenous Caucus Co-Director, reached out to leadership, filing a complaint and expressing concern regarding the email. This email called out the fact that this image was not only racially insensitive but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and undermines values of diversity and inclusion.

Paula asked about not seeing a public apology or corrective communication. Stated the federal civil rights laws that were violated by this action and added actionable steps that leadership should take. They were the following:

·         Issue a formal apology acknowledging the harm caused.

·         Implement immediate measures to prevent future occurrences, including diversity sensitivity and training.

·         Engage with affected communities to rebuild trust and demonstrate a genuine commitment to inclusivity.

Carmen Morales Arnbrister followed up with support for Paula's email and called out the harm caused by this image. 

3.      Ariana Avena, Director of Organizational Equity Inclusion and Belonging from SEIU responded the following:

·         Hi Carmen and Paula,

Thank you both for reaching out. I completely understand and share your concerns on the message that image sends to our Black and Brown members. We will work to do better, and we will make sure that systems are put in place immediately to stop this from happening again.

 I do want to share that a union apology was posted to the State worker Facebook page and also posted on our web homepage. Here's a link to that apology: https://seiu503.org/member_news/we-will-do-better/

 Thank you again for calling us in, and for everything you do to build this union.

 

 

 

4.      The apology was published on July 15, 2025 on the website with the title We will do better…

 

 

 5.      Johnny Earl, the current SEIU 503 President responded at 4:42pm on July 15 with the following:

·         “Mistakes happen.”