Skip to content

Support HR 40 (U.S. Reparations Bill)

  • Actions
HR 40


HR 40 Letter to House Leadership Urging Floor Vote (from Human Rights Watch)

Greetings all,

We’re just writing to let you know that we just sent this letter on behalf of more than 360 organizations to the Hill urging House leadership to bring H.R. 40 to the floor for a vote. Please share widely with your networks today, over the weekend, and next week. We will be pushing it out and promoting the message all through Black History month. Here is a link to the letter on our website but please feel free to post the letter to your own websites as well and publicize using that link.

Some sample twitter postings are below and in an attached Word doc. Please feel free to adjust these for your own messaging and organization, and also to adapt for Facebook and Instagram. Some photos and graphics and sharing are attached. We hope this helps legislators feel the urgency of now!

Some leaders, activists, and celebrities also signed onto the letter. They include actors Rosario Dawson, Frances Fisher, Danny Glover, Alyssa Milano, Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon, George Takei, and comedian Chelsea Handler, in case this is helpful for promotion. Twitter handles for them are below.

Thank you again for your support, and please reach out if you have any questions.

Best,

Laura

Sample Tweet 1:

Over 360 groups call on US House leadership to make #HR40 a priority; back bringing it to the floor for a vote.

#HR40 would study enslavement & ongoing harms and come up with proposals for repair. #JusticeCantWait. #HR40Now

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/04/start-black-history-month-over-350-groups-urge-us-house-leadership-back-hr-40

[attach graphic, GIF, or photo][tag @SpeakerPelosi @LeaderHoyer @WhipClyburn]

Sample Tweet 2:

To build a better, more just future, we must address and repair the continuing legacy of enslavement.

Over 360 groups urge US House leadership to get behind H.R. 40, the reparations study bill; back bringing it to the floor for a vote. #HR40now

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/04/start-black-history-month-over-350-groups-urge-us-house-leadership-back-hr-40

[link to letter] [attach graphic, GIF, or photo][tag @SpeakerPelosi @LeaderHoyer @WhipClyburn].

Sample Tweet 3: – Pick your Celebrity (1)

Over 360 groups +@rosariodawson @mrdannyglover & more, urge US House leadership to make #HR40 a priority; bring it to the floor for a vote.

#HR40 would study enslavement & ongoing harms and come up with proposals for repair. #JusticeCantWait. #HR40Now

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/04/start-black-history-month-over-350-groups-urge-us-house-leadership-back-hr-40

[link to letter] [attach graphic, GIF, or photo][tag @SpeakerPelosi @LeaderHoyer @WhipClyburn]

Twitter Post 4: – Pick your Celebrity (2)

Voters will remember what Congress did or didn’t do about systemic racism when it had the chance.

#HR40 has record support ✊. House leadership should bring it to floor for a vote now 360 groups + @MarkRuffalo @SusanSarandon @GeorgeTakei & more write:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/04/start-black-history-month-over-350-groups-urge-us-house-leadership-back-hr-40

Twitter handles of celebrities:

Rosario Dawson: @rosariodawson 

Danny Glover: @mrdannyglover

Frances Fisher: @Frances_Fisher

Chelsea Handler: @chelseahandler

Mark Ruffalo: @MarkRuffalo

Susan Sarandon: @SusanSarandon

George Takei: @GeorgeTakei

Twitter handles of House Leadership:

Nancy Pelosi: @SpeakerPelosi

James Clyburn: @WhipClyburn

Steny Hoyer: @LeaderHoyer

Hashtags:

#JusticeCantWait

#ReparationsNow

#HR40

Twitter handles of signatories and active members of the coalition:

NAACP: @NAACP

National Action Network (NAN): @NationalAction

National Urban League: @NatUrbanLeague

NAARC: @ReparationsComm

N’COBRA: @NCOBRA40

HRW: @hrw

ACLU: @aclu

Color Of Change: @ColorOfChange

Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress: @nikkeiprogress

Japanese American Citizens League: @JACL_National

League of Conservation Voters: @LCVoters

National Consumers League: @ncl_tweets

Anti-Defamation League: @ADL

National Council of Churches: @ncccusa

Christian World Service: @CWS_global

NETWORK Lobby: @NETWORKLobby

Presbyterian Church USA @Presbyterian

Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism: @TheRAC

Thank you for all your support.

Best,

Laura and Emma

Laura Pitter (she/her)

Deputy Director, US Program

Human Rights Watch
Tel: (212) 216-1897

Twitter: @Laura Pitter

Email: pitterl@hrw.org

Emma Bredthauer (she/her/hers)

Associate, US Program

Human Rights Watch

Tel: (212) 216-1234

Email: bredthe@hrw.org

Skip to content