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It’s Black History Month!
A time where we celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black individuals, while also acknowledging the systemic barriers that prevent many people in America from reaching their full potential: like records.
While February is the time when our country celebrates Black history, The Clean Slate Initiative centers Black history year-round through our work to automatically clear records and provide justice-impacted individuals with a second chance.
There are many people throughout history that have inspired our work here at The Clean Slate Initiative like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Billie Holiday – Black Americans that contributed something great despite the stigma that their records held. We believe that everyone has the capacity to contribute greatness to their families and community—and they deserve the opportunity to do so.
It is our goal at The Clean Slate Initiative to do our part to contribute to the solution to ensure racial equity in America. A large part of that is ensuring Black and Brown Americans have a fair opportunity to access record clearance.
It’s Black History Month!
Research shows that 70-100 million people in America are impacted by the criminal legal system. Of those 70-100 million, 15 million Black adults - almost half of all Black adults - have a record of some kind.
Having a record in America can create significant barriers to employment opportunities, safe housing, and new opportunities. There are tens of thousands of individuals who are eligible for record clearance, but can’t get relief because the current process in most states is complex and costly.
With Black people in America being more likely to be stopped, arrested, charged, and incarcerated than whites – Black individuals face significant barriers when living with a record. It is our goal at The Clean Slate Initiative to contribute to building racial equity through automatic record clearance.
The Impact of Clean Slate in States
The courage and resilience of the millions of Black Americans who continue to work towards achieving their dreams despite the barriers they face continues to inspire Clean Slate to advocate for everyone to have a
#SecondChance.
We appreciate #BlackHistoryMonth honoring people who sought to ensure Black Americans have the same opportunities that we all deserve. #CleanSlate laws can help families build financial stability after people have paid their debt to society. On average, the wages of people who receive expungements increase by more than 20 percent just one year after a record has been cleared. Let’s celebrate #BlackHistory by building a better future for all.
#BlackHistoryMonth is a time to reflect on the advocates that worked towards ensuring everyone had fair and equitable access to quality education. In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education was a step towards ensuring equity in education for all races. Today, 72% of colleges and universities use background checks to screen applicants’ criminal records. #CleanSlate helps ensure everyone has fair access to education opportunities.
During #BlackHistoryMonth, let's celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black individuals and acknowledge the systemic barriers that prevent many Americans from reaching their full potential. One of these barriers is the impact of an arrest or conviction record on employment, housing, and other opportunities. We must work towards removing these barriers and creating a fair and just society for all. #BlackHistoryMonth #CleanSlate #SecondChance
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