We MUST fight for a new normal -- together.

Advocate,

Five days ago -- nearly six years after Eric Garner cried out 'I can't breathe' -- another unarmed Black man uttered the same words as he was choked to death over several minutes by police officers in Minneapolis.

George Floyd should be alive today. There is absolutely no justification for this inhumane and lethal use of force.

Four days ago, we welcomed the firing of the four officers responsible for Mr. Floyd's death. We also joined other local and national civil rights organizations in calling on the Minneapolis mayor and police chief to keep communities and officers safe and to respond to the demonstrations according to best practices for peaceful resolution. [link removed]

Three days ago, we woke up to alarming images of police using tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators in Minneapolis and other cities who were calling for justice for Mr. Floyd.

It only reminded us of violence against activists during the civil rights movement, of the enforcement of segregation and Jim Crow laws during the 19th and 20th centuries, and of fugitive slave laws in centuries past. This type of militarized response to communities mourning the death of a member only serves to escalate tensions. The violence that has followed is proof of this.

Yesterday, Officer Chauvin, the officer who killed Mr. Floyd, was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. But it's only the first step in the fight for justice.

Real change in the relationship between communities of color and law enforcement is only possible with real accountability for this department and the officers involved.

And every single police department in our nation should use this moment to grapple with the ongoing legacy of police violence in communities of color. They must re-examine and reform public safety and policing. While we welcome the news that the U.S. Department of Justice is criminally investigating the case, we have also called for a pattern and practice investigation to address long-standing systemic problems in the Minneapolis Police Department.

In the face of this enormous pain, we cannot simply wish for things to go back to normal. We must fight for a new normal. With your partnership, we will not give up.

Thank you for all that you do,

Vanita Gupta
President & CEO
The Leadership Conference

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