‘Vote for Justice’ urges transformative change at the polls

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Leadership Conference Education Fund is launching Vote for Justice, a diverse, nonpartisan campaign under the Vision for Justice platform that aims to educate voters about the connection between justice, voting, and other acts of civic participation. The campaign’s goal is to motivate voters to educate their communities about the crucial roles elected officials have in our criminal-legal system and encourage individuals to vote and take part in other acts of civic participation.

The campaign includes a launch video featuring advocate, actor, and author Hill Harper; a series of interviews on The Leadership Conference’s social media channels with the family and loved ones of people currently and formerly incarcerated; and streaming radio advertisements.

“Our vote is one of many tools we have to shape the kind of country we want to live in. The Vote for Justice campaign seeks to inspire people to view the ballot as a tactic to push for transformational change in the criminal-legal system and reimagine public safety,” said Sakira Cook, senior director of the justice reform program at The Leadership Conference Education Fund. “We can use our freedom to vote by committing to being justice voters and educating our communities about justice, rights, and freedom in every election; understanding the roles that public officials play in the criminal-legal system; and asking elected officials questions about the very urgent issues we care about.”

The Vote for Justice campaign is ongoing as part of the larger Vision for Justice platform that launched in 2020 as a partnership between The Leadership Conference Education Fund, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Civil Rights Corps. Vision for Justice aims to reimagine public safety and offer a better, more compassionate alternative to the current criminal-legal system.

To learn more about the campaign and platform, visit https://visionforjustice.org/vote-for-justice/.

The Leadership Conference Education Fund builds public will for federal and state policies that promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. The Education Fund’s campaigns empower and mobilize advocates around the country to push for progressive change in the United States. It was founded in 1969 as the education and research arm of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. For more information on The Education Fund, visit civilrights.org/edfund/.