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IBW Intensifies Attack on “War on Drugs”

Series of Town Hall Meetings to Discuss Alternatives to Racially-Biased Strategy
Group Calls for Dialogue on Legalization of Drugs to Stop Violence in Black Communities

 

The background/history and impact of the War on Drugs on Black communities will be addressed by Keynote Presenters at each of the Town Hall Meetings.  Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, President/Founder, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, will serve as Keynote Presenter at the first session in Washington, D.C., Thursday, May 3, 6:00 PM at the Mount Carmel Baptist Church. George Curry, noted journalist, former Editor of Emerge Magazine and Executive Director, National Newspaper Publishers Association, will Keynote the session in  Pittsburgh, Friday, May 11, 6:00 PM at the Obama School; Warren Ballentine, Esq.,  nationally syndicated Radio Talk Show Host, will speak at the Baltimore session, Friday, May 18, 6:00 PM at Sojourner-Douglass College.   IBW has assembled a team of policy experts who will address issues related to the War on Drugs and offer safe, just and humane alternatives:  Deborah Small Esq., Executive Director, Break the Chains: Communities of Color and the War on Drugs; Neill Franklin, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition; Jasmine Tyler, Deputy Director, National Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance. Local criminal Justice/drug policy reform advocates will round out the Panels in each city. Atty. Nkechi Taifa, Senior Policy Analyst, Open Society Foundations, will moderate/facilitate the panel discussions. Dr. Daniels indicates that a major goal of the Town Hall Meeting is to encourage policy advocates and concerned citizens to work more closely together to end the War on Drugs and racially biased criminal justice policies. To that end, IBW will propose the formation of criminal justice /drug policy reform collaboratives in each locale to more effectively advance local/state agendas for positive change.

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