Dear Hutch United Colleagues,
This digest was written by Kirsten Cooper, with edits from Daniel Reeves, Laura Belmont, and Rachel Werther. If you are interested in writing or contributing to upcoming digests please contact hutchunited@fredhutch.org
A year has passed since the murder of George Floyd and the resulting protests for racial equality and police accountability. I’ll speak for many in the HU community that this past year has felt both never-ending and yet so brief. I invite you to take a moment to reflect on changes that have happened, particularly in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Get out and vote” is one common rallying cry for any societal change. With the looming election cycle of 2020, racial justice became a top priority for many political campaigns. What has become of those campaign promises now that a year has passed? I’ve focused my search on state-level legislation, as I’m a registered Washington voter. I recognize that many of our HU colleagues are registered voters of other states, while some of you lack the right to vote due to immigration status. I’d love to hear from you about your voting experiences. If you’d like to write up a reflection of legislation from a different area of the country or the world, I invite you to edit a future Black Lives Matter digest.
(HB designates bills passed through the House, and SB designates bills passed through the Senate. You can read about how a bill becomes a law, or just enjoy the nostalgia from this Schoolhouse Rock video)
HB 1335, a law to review and remove unlawful racial restrictions from property titles, was recently signed into law on May 12. Racial restrictions on selling properties to people of color, also known as redlining, created the neighborhood boundaries of the Central District and the Chinatown-International District in Seattle today.
Read The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the current HU Book Club book.
Read The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, a previous HU book club book.
HB 1016 marks Juneteenth as a legal holiday. Next year, the Hutch will designate June 19th as an official holiday.
SB 5229 and SB 5228 add health equity education to licensing requirements for healthcare professionals, while SB 5044 adds cultural competency training for state school employees.
HB 1356 prohibits the use of Native American names, symbols, or imagery as school mascots, logos, or team names, with the exception of schools located on tribal lands.
SB 5160 expands on the eviction moratorium enacted by Governor Jay Inslee in response to COVID-19’s economic effects. The eviction moratorium was extended on June 2nd, to extend through until August 1st, and it is likely to be extended further. SB 5160 also outlines “reasonable” repayment plans after the moratorium ends, as well as landlord financial assistance by the state. A UW study showed extreme racial disparities in evictions throughout Washington state.
HB 1054 establishes numerous requirements for law enforcement agents, including a ban on chokeholds, restricting the use of tear gas as a method of crowd control, and restrictions on the use of military gear. SB 5066 requires on-duty police officers to intervene if they witness a colleague engaging in excessive force. HB 1310 defines when a police officer is allowed to use physical force against another person.
HB 1267 details the creation of the Office of Independent Investigations to investigate the use of deadly force by police officers. In 2017, Washington voters approved Initiative 940, which included a requirement for a completely independent investigation in cases of deadly force perpetrated by police officers. In June 2020, a statewide investigation by the Washinton State Attorney General found several investigations into police use of deadly force that failed to comply with the I-940 requirements. HB 1267 was crafted in response to this report.
HB 1078 restores voting rights to convicted felons who are not in “total confinement”. SB 5475 addresses the recent State v. Blake legal decision, and reclassifies possession of controlled substances as a misdemeanor, rather than a felony.
Watch 13th, a documentary that starkly demonstrates the intersection of race, mass incarceration, and the prison industrial complex.
This is not a summary of all State legislation that has been passed, and does not delve into local legislation passed by city and county legislators. Much work has been done, but we still have 400 years of white supremacy to dismantle. The legislation passed this past year is in direct response to community organizers, protestors, and calls from local constituents for deep, impactful changes. This work continues, and I welcome you to look into the following calls to action for the passage of future legislation.
Read- The Black Brilliance Research Project recently presented their report as a part of the $30 million participatory budgeting process. Seattle residents will have a chance to vote on funding for different community projects in 2021 and 2022.
Read and Act- King County Equity Now has put together a list of actions you can take, including contacting your local representatives and attending public meetings.
Act- Find your State representative or senator and let them know what changes you want and support.
Act- Encourage others to vote! Talk to family and friends, or write letters to prospective voters to increase voter turnout. Increased voter turnout is especially important during midterm elections.
In solidarity,
Hutch United
Hutch United was founded by Fred Hutch graduate students and postdocs in 2013 with the mission of fostering a supportive and diverse community of scientists. We promote equity and inclusion through community building events, inclusivity training, and by providing access to resources and mentorship. It is up to all of us to create an inclusive scientific community. As such, we welcome all underrepresented groups (all races/ethnicities, genders, ages, national origins, physical abilities, and sexual orientations; as well as veterans, those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, etc) and, of course, allies and advocates.
