9 Tenents

OVERVIEW
Faith for Black Lives & the 7th District AME Church have collaborated to form the Jubilee Justice
Agenda, a 9-tenet policy agenda with recommendations aimed to improve the lives of Black South
Carolinians.
The recommendations will empower Black South Carolinians to petition legislators at every level
for new or amended laws and ordinances that improve the array of systems in our state.
The policy agenda covers broad yet critical policy items for Black South Carolinians.
Housing
Housing affects nearly every aspect of one’s life. When housing is secure, a person has the peace of
mind and the security to sustain a life in a community. Our housing policy agenda items are:
• Petition city and county councils to implement property tax cut incentives for developers
building mixed income and affordable housing [1]
• Petition cities and counties to enact inclusionary zoning ordinances
• Petition city councils across the state to consider diversity requirements for the appointees
to federal HUD Boards of Commission at the municipal level (Mayors and City Councils
appoint members to these commissions.)
[1] Columbia offers 50% tax break to spur new offices, housing, stores, hotels: ‘A huge deal’
Education
Education at the K-12 and higher education levels are failing in many capacities in our state. When
institutions of public and higher education are thriving, our state is thriving. Our education policy
agenda items are:
• Equity in teacher/administrator pay, resources and infrastructure quality standards for
public K-12 schools and in early childhood education across the state
• Increase state and local funding for afterschool programs at public K-12 schools
• Increase state funding to technical colleges, HBCUs and public universities across the state,
particularly for programs supporting first-generation college students and for experiential
learning (study abroad programs, job shadowing, internships, etc.)
Criminal Justice
Black South Carolinians have been and continue to be victims of the state’s criminal justice system.
A more just and inclusive criminal justice system will reap the benefits of both improved and saved
lives for years to come. Our criminal justice policy agenda items are:
• Petition city police departments and county sheriff’s offices across the state to adopt the
recommendations outlined in President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing
• Mandate all city police departments and county sheriff’s offices create citizen advisory
committees with the authority to subpoena their respective law enforcement office
• Pass hate crimes legislation in South Carolina and repeal mandatory minimum sentencing
for nonviolent drug offenders
Economy
Access to capital and fair earnings should be requirements and not luxuries for Black South
Carolinians. To provide a fair shot at a path to financial freedom and a self-sustaining lifestyle,
intentionality is required. Our economic policy agenda items are:
• Petition state and local government to provide grant funding for black-owned small
businesses
• Create an accountability measure to ensure state, county and city government entities are
entering a required minimum of their contractual agreements with black-owned businesses
• Raise the state minimum wage to $15/hour
Food Security
Many rural, and even urban, parts of the state are considered food deserts or food swamps, leaving
residents with no access to fresh or slow foods in their neighborhoods. Creating a more intentional
pathway to food access will help Black South Carolinians lead healthier, more enriching lives. Our
economic policy agenda items are:
• Utilize the federal Opportunity Zones legislation to incentivize the development of grocery
stores in current or former food deserts/swamps in qualified census tracts across the state
• Petition city and county governments to create citizen-led municipal food policy
committees across the state
• Increase funding for food in after-school programs at public schools and local faith entities
across the state
Health
Even when our state isn’t in the midst of a global pandemic, health and access to health providers
are major concerns for Black South Carolinians. A healthier South Carolina is necessary. Our health
policy agenda items are:
• Petition the federal and state government for increased COVID-19 testing and funding for
contact tracing in the state
• Petition the SC Legislature to expand Medicaid in South Carolina, which aids in keeping
rural hospitals open
• Demand increased funding, research & development and staffing to the state’s Office of
Minority Health
Infrastructure
South Carolina’s infrastructure is quite literally crumbling across the state. And to make matters
worse, it disproportionately affects Black South Carolinians. Our infrastructure policy agenda items
are:
• Expand broadband internet, not only in rural parts of the state but also for low-income
urban residents
• Demand city, county and state government heighten the standards for water quality and
quickly fix water treatment facilities where water does not currently meet EPA or FDA
standards
• Repeal the Heritage Act for the removal of Confederate or white supremacist statues and
monuments across the state
Climate Change
For Black South Carolinians, climate change, infrastructure and health intersect in many ways. We
are concerned about the issue of climate change and seek leadership to change regulations that
affect our planet. Our climate change policy agenda items are:
• Petition city, county and state government to increase funding for flood resiliency projects,
drainage solutions, sea walls and disaster mitigation for coastal communities, particularly
for the tidal and barrier islands on which the Gullah Geechee Nation has lived for
generations
• Demand that city and county councils study the health impact on minority and low-income
residents in decisions regarding land use, planning and zoning [1]
• Petition city, county and state government for funding for local community projects that act
on environmental justice to address health inequities, air quality and renewable & efficient
energy. [2]
[2] Which Cities Have Concrete Strategies for Environmental Justice?
Voting
Voter suppression is an issue Black South Carolinians have faced for decades, even up to South
Carolina’s most recent primary election on June 9. In order to keep the integrity of our nation’s
democratic processes and encourage voters that their vote does, in fact, matter, reform must take
place. Our voting policy agenda items are:
• Petition state government to pass legislation for same-day voter registration and vote-by-
mail in South Carolina
• Petition the South Carolina Elections Commission and county election commissions to
increase the number of polling precincts in historically and predominantly black and low-
income neighborhoods to expedite the voting process on Election Day
• Create a partnership between the 7th District AME Church and organizations like Fair Fight
for the expansion of voter protection efforts to combat voter suppression in South Carolina

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