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We are reeling from the most recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas,
and Dayton, Ohio. In just a matter of hours, at least twenty-nine people
were gunned down, scores more wounded, and two communities were forever
changed by mass violence. These events come just a week after four were
killed and twelve injured in another mass killing in Gilroy, California.

We stand in solidarity with all of those affected and their families in
their time of unimaginable grief. We call upon local, state, and the
federal government to act urgently to address the issue of domestic
terrorism.

We also underscore that all of these attacks occurred in cities that are
a majority or have a large plurality of people of color. Two of these
cities have large immigrant populations. The murder suspect in El Paso
issued a hate manifesto on the internet before driving to a crowded
shopping center to target Latinx victims. The suspect in Gilroy was
known to promote white supremacist literature.

These shootings have occurred as President Trump continues his platform
of mobilizing racist hatred, part of a political playbook that is as old
as American politics. He recently called for four elected congresswomen
of color to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested
places from which they came." He called Representative Elijah Cummings'
district—home predominantly to people of color—"disgusting",
"rodent-infested" and "dangerous." Trump supporters reacted to his
insults of Representative Ilhan Omar with chants of "Send her back!"

We believe it is impossible to separate the way that white nationalist
violence, racist hatred, and easy access to deadly weaponry have come
together to threaten the safety of communities across the United States,
no matter our background. Racist hatred makes all of us less safe.

Domestic terrorism is one of the deadliest sources of mass murder in
America. In 2018, white nationalists perpetrated 78% of extremist
murders. The overwhelming number of domestic terrorism arrests involve
white nationalists. Yet there is no criminal charge for domestic
terrorism. No government agency systematically tracks domestic
terrorism. Instead, the Federal government has sought to target with
surveillance Black Lives Matter organizations, and other organizations
working for racial justice, while we all experience an epidemic of
deadly violence, led by white nationalists.

Gun control is necessary but not enough. We call upon elected officials
to urgently address the clear links between mass murder and racist
hatred directed against people of color. We call upon communities to
advance our shared values of wellness, protection, and mutuality. We
follow the leadership of those who have been most impacted and are most
at-risk for white nationalist violence. But we recognize this is a
problem that affects all of us, no matter our background. Our national
security and safety depends upon us addressing the violence of racial
hatred.

In solidarity,

Race Forward

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