Origins of an organizer: The new face of Sacramento ACT learned lessons the hard way

It’s not fun getting pulled over 36 times in a year. Ryan McClinton says that’s what happened to him in 2009, though he was only issued two traffic citations.

McClinton’s perspective as a black man living in the region informs how he’ll handle himself as the new organizer for Sacramento Area Congregations Together, a coalition of churches that continues to advocate for law enforcement accountability and a host of other social justice causes.

McClinton believes it’s not a coincidence that his scores of traffic stops followed the election of President Barack Obama. Having heard a number of concerning comments from acquaintances and even friends in law enforcement, McClinton—tall, dark and bearded—decided to keep a running log of the times he was lit up on the roadways. He says he was pulled over 36 times by officers from the Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.

McClinton says the experience didn’t turn him anti-cop, but he’s convinced racial profiling still happens, whether some officers realize it or not. “It was the worst year of my life,” McClinton recalled. “That year was ridiculous. It’s very demeaning. It makes you question what you can do to be treated fairly.”

Being the new guy at Sacramento ACT, McClinton will build on the work and public outreach of his predecessor, Danielle Williams. For years, Williams was a strong voice for reforming juvenile justice, empowering first-time voters, protecting immigrant families and strengthening public oversight of the police.

Williams stepped down in August to attend a Masters of Divinity program at Union Theological Seminary in New York. The fact that luminaries like Cornell West and Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, have taught at Union Theological, has Williams excited about the opportunity.

“I’m going to continue my call for faith-based organizing,” Williams told SN&R. “The seminary is at the forefront of social justice.”