ColorOfChange.org changing the color of democracy

If you're in Los Angeles tomorrow, don't miss All in for the 99%. The free event will showcase artists, musicians, writers and activists united to amplify the voices of the 99%. The ALL IN FOR THE 99% gallery will be open to the public with music, readings and visual art from some of the nation's most celebrated artists.

The event takes place March 31, 2012 at 400 S La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036 from 10:30am to 6pm and -- once again -- it's free. If you attend, be sure to share your photos and thoughts with us in the comments section.

Late last week, Attorney General Eric Holder announced a working group comprised of state and federal officials who will investigate Wall Street banks' role in the housing crisis. The development comes in response to the ongoing work of ColorOfChange and our partners.

Here's an excerpt from the DOJ's announcement:

UPDATE: (01/25/12) CoC Applauds Obama's Decision to Investigate Wall St Banks, Continues to Push for Accountability

Today President Obama received a letter from ColorOfChange and our partners urging the administration to hold Wall Street accountable. The letter states that an investigation is essential to hold the big banks accountable or their role in the housing crisis and to prevent future reckless behavior from the banking and mortgage industries.

We’ll be listening for any remarks regarding this and other ColorOfChange campaigns tonight as President Obama gives the State of the Union address. Follow us on twitter @ColorofChange and please share your reactions using #BSOTU as we work to address critical issues that impact all of us.

ColorOfChange just launched a new site to help force real accountability for the big banks responsible for the economic crisis. Today, President Obama received more than 360,000 signatures from people all over the country who want his administration to stand with homeowners and investigate the banks responsible for the mortgage crisis. The stakes couldn't be higher for Black America, which has watched its wealth plummet to the lowest its been in 25 years. Our communities have suffered disproportionately from predatory lending practices. If you signed our petition, that's great! Now it's time to engage in some direct action.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

-- MLK, Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963

Beginning today and running all next week, people around the country will be using a great online tool to find others in their communities who want to come together to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy and create real change in 2012. Check out the email we sent to our members to find out how you can attend, host, or share an event:

...Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the movements he helped lead changed how we think about ourselves and each other. He was a leader with immense talents, but each one of us has the power to transform hearts and minds. Right where we are. Right now...

In just three days, more than 30,000 ColorOfChange members joined our campaign to protect Pell grants. The bill that finally passed Congress wasn't perfect: it reduced the number of semesters students can receive funding. But the maximum award was preserved, and current recipients will still be eligible for the grant. The ColorOfChange community helped prevent $900 million in cuts.

Today we launched a campaign calling on President Obama and Attorney General Holder to stand up to big banks and push for a full investigation of those responsible for the foreclosure crisis that devastated Black wealth. Check out the email we sent to our more than 800,000 members today and join the campaign here.

Last Friday, we launched a campaign demanding that Congress fully fund Pell Grants, the leading college assistance program for low-income students. Nearly 30,000 ColorOfChange members have already signed the petition, urging their representatives to reject attempts by the House Appropriations Committee to cut $3.6 billion from the program's budget, effectively ending Pell for as many as 1 million students.

When California ColorOfChange members went to the polls last year to help elect Kamala Harris as the state's Attorney General, this was exactly the type of bold action they were hoping Harris would deliver. Harris, California's first elected black DA and the nation’s first elected South Asian DA, announced this week that she would ally with Nevada's AG to investigate misconduct and fraud in the mortgage industry. In other words, Harris said 'no' to an in-the-works plan to let the big banks off with a $20 million settlement-- a slap on the wrist that in no way compensates for the devastation brought on by their predatory practices.

As we reported last week, Black unemployment was up in November despite news that joblessness overall is on the decline. A recent New York Times report offers some clues as to what's going on.

Long before public sector jobs were placed on the chopping block by Republican governors like Wisconsin's Scott Walker and Ohio's John Kasich, they were the path to the middle class for many African Americans. Long before Congressional Republicans decided that government jobs don't count as real work, they were how we bought homes and sent children to college. Now they're under attack. And by extension, so are Black families.