After 400 years, America is still just beginning to reckon with a society built on violence against Black people and communities of color. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others are just the latest evidence of the lasting impact of that brutal legacy – and demonstrate why we can’t go back to normal.
Racism does not stop at police brutality, and neither can our response. The COVID-19 pandemic pulled back the curtain on what has been there all along – Black communities and communities of color have long suffered first and worst from society’s many ills.
Many Americans today want to just go “back to normal” – to life before the pandemic and the protests. But millions more know that the old normal was unacceptable.
This is our moment to strike against the dark legacy of racism, unite, and forge a path forward.
In this moment, that looks like three things:
Justice: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison brought charges against all four officers involved in the murder of George Floyd – and upgraded charges on Derek Chauvin to second-degree murder. These officers must be brought to justice and convicted for their roles in a murder that we all painfully witnessed on video. We call for accountability. We also call for healing and restoration for George’s family and communities across Minneapolis. These issues extend well beyond Minneapolis and into every corner of our country. Officers who violate their oath to serve and protect communities must be held accountable. It is only through justice and accountability that healing can truly begin.
Legislation: We are mobilizing a diverse coalition of organizations and lawmakers to address systemic flaws in policing across America. We need legislative solutions that hold police officers accountable, ensure taxpayer dollars are spent towards actually addressing public safety, and put an end to police violence and abuses of power, especially against Black and Brown communities.
Opportunity: We must build opportunities for Black and Brown communities to live, work, and thrive in a world that is #BetterThanBefore. Racism exists in every sector of our economy to limit opportunity for people of color. Our programs #cut50, Green For All, and Dream Corps Tech work to close prison doors and open doors of opportunity for people of color in the new green economy and in the tech sector.