Dear Supervisor Holly Mitchell and CEO Stephanie Wiggins,
I'm emailing you to urge you both to work with the Bus Riders Union to stamp out all Anti-Black policies at the Metro Board. This includes:
As you know, Black passengers have received 50% of all tickets and arrests on Metro buses and trains every year for the last 13 years, according to Metro's own data. Supervisor Mitchell, I understand that you're coming in as one of the most progressive members of the board and that both you and CEO Wiggins have expressed concern over the alarming impacts of Metro policy on Black passenger, but simply expressing concern is not enough. I'm urging you both to take bold steps to end Metro's Anti-Black polices beginning with working with the Bus Riders Union to introduce the BRU motion:
MTA agrees that since 50% to 60% of all MTA passengers receiving tickets and arrests are Black it will immediately stop any enforcement of fares or any enforcement of their “Codes of Conduct” that the BRU calls their “Black Codes.”
MTA will give the highest priority to a full investigation of all forms of anti-Blackness at the agency and its treatment of passengers and will work with the Bus Riders Union to stamp it out—including cooperating on the monitoring of MTA police and staff on the buses and trains. All MTA staff participating in anti-Black policies and practices will be terminated.
Sincerely,
Bus Riders Union Supporter
