Campaign Zero Is Hoping To Make A Difference

Over the course of the last year, which has seemingly been riddled with racially charged shootings at the hands of law enforcement, the Black Lives Matter campaign — launched by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi — has been working hard to create policy and social justice change. Now, the campaign has launched Campaign Zero. So, wait, another campaign? What is Campaign Zero? Well, visit the website, and we'll take a virtual tour together. Campaign Zero is essentially the policy outline of Black Lives Matters, which basically sets out a plan of action in a really neat, easily navigable graphic. As you click on each square, you can learn about how each of these policies will help advance the movement.

When you click on the "End Broken Windows Policing" square, for example, the graphic outlines which misdemeanors qualify as a "broken windows" offense. Marijuana possession, loitering, and spitting all make the list of things that offenders should be either decriminalized or de-prioritized as an enforceable offense.

So, what might have sparked this elaborate, helpful policy outline? Last week, Hillary Clinton met with Black Lives Matters activists, and told the activists that they would have to get serious with outlining their policies if they wanted to make any serious change. As the 2016 election season continues, Quartz called this this encounter as a "defining performance," with Clinton saying:

You're going to have to come together as a movement and say, "Here's what we want done about it." Because you can get lip service from as many white people as you can pack into Yankee stadium and a million more like it, who are going to say, "Oh, we get it, we get it. We're going to be nicer." That's not enough — at least in my book. That's not how I see politics.

And with the arrival of Campaign Zero, these activists appear to be outlining their "here's what we want done about it" approach. At the top navigation bar, the site starts from the beginning, listing "The Problem": "More than one thousand people are killed by police every year in America."

The site continues, noting, "Nearly sixty percent of victims did not have a gun or were involved in activities that should not require police intervention such as harmless 'quality of life' behaviors or mental health crises." The site lists data collected by "researchers, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, and community demands" about the status of police killings in the nation.

The Los Angeles Times called the site "the most sweeping and detailed policy plan to emerge" with the movement. Campaign Zero, according to the site, was arranged by a group of "activists, protestors, and researchers" to outline policies for the movement. Keep watch of what happens with this campaign; it's sure to create an important spark as the movement continues.

Images: Campaign Zero