Kanye was right. Now let's do something about it.

Dear Friend,

I am proud to be a part of an effort to gather the names of 250,000
African-Americans, friends, and allies who want to prevent Katrina-style
disasters from happening, ever again. This is not an Ella Baker Center
project, but I am reaching out to you because it is part of the same
vision: human rights for all. If you haven’t already, I hope that you will
add your name to our pledge to defend those whom our society has left
behind.

http://www.ColorOfChange.org

Please sign the pledge and pass it on. This effort will depend entirely on
word-of-mouth and friend-to-friend action. Thanks! – Van

--- Forwarded message begins below ---

Folks,

When Kanye West said George Bush doesn't care about Black people, he told
the truth. You don't let people you "care about" linger on roof-tops for
days without a drop of water or scrap of food while you attend
fund-raisers. And you don't leave 20,000 people you "care about" stuffed in
a sweltering stadium for nearly a week. If a hurricane hit Martha's
Vineyard or Kennebunkport, you can bet Bush would have been there the next
day.

But it's not only George Bush. The folks we saw on TV were left behind a
long time ago--by most politicians--because they don't have the money or
provide enough votes to demand their attention. And honestly, we also left
them behind. We're the folks who could have had their backs all along, but
we've done way too little to support and protect them. It's shameful, but
we can do something about it. And we will. Please join us:

http://www.colorofchange.org/

As we know from history, when we stand together, we can change this
country. That's why we're writing. Our goal is to build a group of 250,000
Black folks and others who are willing to take a simple pledge: to protect
those of us who are struggling at the margins, to make sure they're not
left behind again, and to help them gain a political voice. The question is
whether enough of us care--and are willing to step up. We believe so, and
hope so.

When 250,000 committed African-Americans and our allies speak in a loud
voice, it's hard to ignore. We will use the Internet and national media to
put pressure on elected officials, to help everyone stay informed, and to
empower all of us by creating a way to come together and take action.

By signing the pledge, you will help to create that new force--a powerful
community of hope and action that can start making a difference right away.

We'll begin by focusing on folks from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast who've
been displaced and making sure their interests are protected. Those who
have lost the most should be first in line for a chance to rebuild their
homes, their lives, and their communities. And they should be paid well for
their work.

Unfortunately, Bush and his crew have already started to show their true
colors and whose side they're really on. They've given companies involved
in rebuilding special breaks so they can pay workers lower wages than
normal. They've given Halliburton and other companies friendly to the Bush
administration exclusive deals, preventing others from bidding. And Bush
has vowed to keep the tax breaks he gave to the richest 1% of Americans.
That means the money needed to pay for reconstruction will likely come from
cutting government services for those who already have the least.

It's time to start standing up for our people. With hard work and
coordinated efforts, 250,000 of us can make even George Bush act right. We
will monitor and expose the reality of what he and other elected officials
do vs. what they say.

But first we think it's important to start from a place of integrity.
Before we demand anything of the government, we believe we need to look
within and demand more of ourselves. For us, this has been a big wake-up
call. We need to check ourselves, admit that we've probably been doing less
than we could, and vow to step up. After we do that, we can insist that the
nation's leaders to do the same thing.

We will change the way America deals with those left behind, everywhere. It
comes down to how many will join us by standing up and having their voices
count. At this point, we need to know who's down. We hope that you are. And
we hope that you will help spread the word out to your family and friends.
Click the link below to join us:

http://www.colorofchange.org/

Together, we can change the balance of power in this country--and make sure
what we saw on TV, we never see again.

Thank you,

-- James Rucker & Van Jones
National Coordinators, ColorOfChange.org