To the United States Congress, state legislators, the United States Department of Justice, state attorneys general, governors, and local elected officials:

We, the undersigned, respectfully call for stronger laws that impose enhanced penalties for crimes proven to be motivated by racial hatred, bias, or discrimination against African Americans because of their race, ethnicity, skin color, or national origin.

For generations, African Americans have faced violence, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, and unequal treatment because of racial prejudice. While hate crime laws exist in many jurisdictions, victims and their families continue to witness inconsistent enforcement, inadequate penalties, and a lack of accountability.

We urge lawmakers to strengthen protections by:

Increasing criminal penalties for offenses proven beyond a reasonable doubt to have been motivated by racial bias against African Americans or any protected racial group.
Establishing mandatory sentence enhancements for violent hate crimes.
Creating stronger accountability and independent investigations when law enforcement officers are alleged to have committed racially motivated misconduct or abuses of authority.
Requiring comprehensive hate crime reporting and public transparency.
Expanding funding for hate crime investigations, victim services, and community education.
Providing specialized anti-bias training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges.
Ensuring that hate crime laws are applied consistently and fairly regardless of where the offense occurs.
No individual should live in fear because of the color of their skin. Every American deserves equal protection under the law, dignity, and justice.

We ask our elected leaders to take meaningful action to strengthen accountability, protect vulnerable communities, and demonstrate that racially motivated crimes will not be tolerated.

Justice delayed is justice denied. The time for stronger protections is now.