Cheryl has provided strategic direction and support for PEN America as the preeminent writing and international human rights organization moved more deeply into influencing domestic policy. After PEN received a major grant to create a DC office and policy agenda, it turned to Cheryl in late 2018 to write a comprehensive white paper analyzing five issue areas, recommended policy positions and the most productive role PEN could play based on her deep knowledge of the policy sector, research and interviews with key stakeholders. The white paper recommendations ranged from joining existing campaigns where it was efficient and alignment was clear, to acting as a convenor in developing consensus in areas where policy positions were less developed and PEN was well-positioned to influence others and identify a common sense path forward. PEN sought Cheryl’s help again with researching and analyzing 22 state bills, for their original Educational Gag Orders report in 2021 (covering the early state efforts to prohibit so-called ‘divisive concepts’); a scoping report for their Online Abuse Defense Program’s potential state advocacy project that interviewed stakeholders and evaluated promising policy positions with respect to PEN’s need for additional resources, free expression pitfalls, useful critiques and potential allies or partners; and detailed underlying research and outlines for The Florida and California Effects reports.
Strategic direction, research and analysis for PEN America
Cheryl quoted in the Wall Street Journal
On behalf of her client, the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, Cheryl has been a leader in bringing down predatory costs for people who are incarcerated. After the Federal Communications Commission voted to implement the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, which Cheryl also helped pass, she was quoted in the Wall Street Journal:
“It’s just the one that hits you every single day,” said Cheryl Leanza, a communications attorney and advocate for prison communications reform. “Can we call Dad? Can we talk to Mom? Can we call Grandpa? No, you just can’t even if you want to, because it’s just too much. It’s too much money.”
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/calls-from-prison-are-about-to-get-cheaper-fec0893f
Smart Cities & Big Data: Where’s the Ethical Framework?
Last week, half a world away, Secretary of State John Kerry and Commerce Secretary Pritzker were engaged in high-level dialogue with political leaders in India. On the agenda: “smart cities.”
All around the world, cities are often on the forefront of cutting edge policy debates. While in the U.S., the “laboratories of democracy” are thought of traditionally as states, in fact cities often take the lead. And in few areas will this be more true than in the civic use of “big data.” [Read more…]
Rallying Crowd to Save the Internet
Cheryl spoke at a Save The Internet Rally on behalf of her client, the United Church of Christ, OC Inc., demonstrating her ability to rally a crowd.
Cheryl quoted in New York Times
Obama’s Net Neutrality Bid Divides Civil Rights Groups
“The civil rights community is like every sector anywhere. While from the outside it seems like a monolith, it is not,” said Cheryl A. Leanza, a policy adviser for the United Church of Christ Office of Communication. Though she was part of the 11-member group that included Mr. Jackson, she asked the chairman to embrace the president’s plan.
Next Steps in Promoting the Values of the IP Transition
Cheryl spoke in March in a Capitol Hill Briefing on the Values of the IP Transition sponsored by Public Knowledge discussing the values which are important to maintain through the IP transition. She emphasized the importance of technology enabling everyone in our society to be able to achieve based on their own intelligence, willingness to work hard and succeed, highlighting ways in which people’s race, ethnicity or income currently impact their use of technology. She noted a number of ways her client, the United Church of Christ’s media justice ministry, has advocated for policies to ensure the IP transition does not harm the least vulnerable in our nation.
Cheryl brought not only a thoughtful understanding of the intersection of technology and social justice values, but also her economic knowledge to how telecommunications competition must be tied with universal service in order to ensure all people in the U.S. receive service. Check out the video below. Cheryl’s remarks appear at 11:20, 26:47, 46:12, 55:59 and 1:02:31.
Cheryl featured in Time post on prison phones
On the day new, lower prison phone rates went into effect, Time Magazine’s business blog featured Cheryl Leanza’s comments on the importance of the victory.
“This is a huge victory for justice for ordinary people at an agency that is usually more attuned to private interests,” says Cheryl A. Leanza, policy director at the United Church of Christ. “Increasing the connections between families and inmates helps all of us. Strong family connections improve the likelihood that when inmates are released, they will not become repeat offenders, and that makes our society safer. We are very grateful to Commissioner Clyburn.”
The article quoted Cheryl as she described the mechanism which led to such high rates:
Leanza, of the United Church of Christ, said these commissions amount to “legalized kickbacks” where the highest bidder wins, in contrast to traditional competitive bidding where the lowest bidder wins. “This is not the free market at work,” Leanza says.
Asked why it took more than a decade for prison call reform to occur, Leanza pointed out that phone companies are very powerful in Washington, D.C. “It was always very easy for the phone companies to push the issue down the road,” says Leanza. “Prisoners usually don’t have a strong voice on many issues.”
Cheryl named one of the Top 25 Inspirational and Engaged Leaders
Cheryl Leanza was recently named one of the Top 25 Inspirational and Engaged Leaders as part of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund, Public Policy Institute and Media & Telecommunications Project Annual Symposium. Cheryl was honored on November 14, 2013 in Washington DC.
Speaking eloquently in support of justice
Cheryl appeared at a Federal Communications Commission workshop in July on behalf of the United Church of Christ to advocate for just and reasonable rates for inmate calling services. She was able to combine the moral authority of her client the United Church of Christ, OC Inc. and her communications policy expertise to lay bare the injustice of predatory prison phone rates. For more about her work on this issue, see the description of her work on prison phones under success stories. Video of the workshop is available. Cheryl’s presentation begins at 26:00.
Faith-Based Grassroots Education and Action
Cheryl’s client, the United Church of Christ’s media justice and communications rights ministry, OC Inc., started work in coalition with other groups to end predatory prison phone rates. Cheryl was able to combine her policy skills with grassroots education tools to bring the issue home to people in the pews and persuading the FCC to act. [Read more…]