Invite the Rice, Brown, and Garner families to the State of the Union!

Every year, the President invites special guests to the State of the Union, his major address to Congress. Guests typically include national heroes, outstanding students, & business leaders.

This year, President Obama should invite the families of Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, & Eric Garner, three of the many unarmed black Americans killed by police brutality in 2014.

Michael Brown, only 18, was left dead in the streets of Ferguson, MO, for 4.5 hours, even though witnesses said he died with his hands up. In New York, Eric Garner was not physically confrontational, the chokehold police used was banned, he said "I can't breathe" 11 times, the coroner ruled the death a homicide, & the whole thing was taped. Yet neither killer will even receive a trial. Then there was Tamir Rice - just 12 years old and armed only with a toy Airsoft gun, but shot by a rookie cop within three seconds of his arrival.

Federal data shows that young black men are 21 times more likely to be shot by police than are young white men. The idea to invite the Brown and Garner families comes from the Congressional Black Caucus -- as civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis said, inviting these families to attend the State of the Union "would help educate and sensitize other members [of Congress] and humanize some of the issues that we're going to confront."

Tell President Obama: Announce steps to to reduce police brutality in the State of the Union and invite the Rices, Garners, & Browns to hear it in person!