FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
06/01/2023
MEDIA CONTACT:
Winnie Okello, H.A.R.P
JUNETEENTH 2023: H.A.R.P LOVE IN ACTION RALLY
Juneteenth is the celebration of the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved Black people, stolen Africans, who were still enslaved even after the Emancipation Proclamation, in Galveston, Texas. It is a time for us to remember the sacrifices our ancestors made to get free and also to remind ourselves of the vestiges of slavery that still exist to this day. The biggest of which is the pipeline of Black and Brown bodies into the American carceral system.
The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Approximately 25% of the world’s total prison population is in the United States and the disproportionate amount of that population is Black and Brown people. Dauphin County carries on the national trend by disproportionately incarcerating our Black and Brown neighbors at a higher rate than our white ones. The adverse effects and inequitable outcomes of these systemically oppressive and disenfranchising practices wreaks havoc on our communities and creates generational trauma that perpetuates this cycle of harm.
Safety, security, and a right to live freely are fundamental to a thriving society. However, many folks remain incarcerated due to a cash bail system that further disenfranchises Black and Brown folks not only in this County but across the nation. It is our duty as community advocates to hold accountable those who oversee, and profit off the inhumanity of the incarceration system. The prison industrial complex must be uprooted and dismantled from its core.
This rally is a reminder that these folks are still very much a part of our community and should not be discarded especially if they are expected to re-integrate successfully back into the general population and be contributing members of society. Therefore, it is imperative that we abolish systems and structures that continue to perpetuate the abuse and enslavement of people across this nation to ensure that basic human rights; inclusive of clean air, water and an environment, are still available to all -that true Justice may be served.
“The vast majority of people held at DCP have not been fully sentenced, and cash bail is a key driver of pre-trial detention. When people are held on cash bail, they risk losing their jobs and homes, are separated from their families and loved ones, and they’re more likely to plead guilty even when they aren’t. We must end cash bail and pretrial detention to stop these harms against our community.” -Say Burgin
This is why the Harassment and Assault Reporting Platform (H.A.R.P) in coordination with the Harrisburg Abolition Table (HAT) and the Dauphin County Bail Fund (DCBF) are hosting the second Annual Love in Action Juneteenth Rally on Monday June 19th, 5-6pm EST at the Dauphin County Prison. We invite you to join us in advocating for our incarcerated folks.
For more information on the Harassment and Assault Reporting Platform (H.A.R.P), please visit the website or follow H.A.R.P on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or LinkedIn. All H.A.R.P Social Media handles are @HARPnowOrg.
