Friend --

The anguish and grief we feel cannot be easily put into words.

Black women often have two prayers, for Black bodies to be respected and not feared or objectified and that the burden of grief as mothers to this country is not carried in vain.

America has failed us yet again.

As we mourned the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and countless others—our communities took to the streets in protest of these injustices in hopes to dismantle the broken systems meant to protect us. 

When Kimberly and I met in that Brooklyn cafe years ago to form this organization it was because we knew that if we built a political platform for and by Black women, we would indeed move this country to higher heights. 

Even in these darkest of moments, it’s clear that our investment in Black women has birthed dreamers, believers, and fighters who by no means will stand silent while the dehumanization of our community continues to be a norm.

We are inspired by the unified voices of Black women leaders all across the country:

• Our 2018 endorsed candidates, Reps. Ilhan Omar, MN-5., and Ayanna Pressley, MA-7., introduced a resolution Friday asking the House of Representatives to condemn "police brutality, racial profiling and the excessive use of force”.

“The murder of George Floyd in my district is not a one-off event. We cannot fully right these wrongs until we admit we have a problem. As the People’s House, the House of Representatives must acknowledge these historical injustices and call for a comprehensive solution. There are many steps on the path to justice, but we must begin to take them,” — Rep. Ilhan Omar MN-5

• As protests heated up in New York City, there were many questionable acts against peaceful protesters including New York State Assemblywoman Diana Richardson who reported being pepper sprayed. This led to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo requesting the state’s attorney general, our former endorsed candidate Tish James, to review the encounters between New York City police and more than 3,000 demonstrators in Brooklyn Friday night that led to more than 200 arrests.

As you know, The Sip each week has gathered for a Power Lunch on Wednesday, Happy Hour on Friday and Sunday Brunch with Higher Heights connecting Black women to discuss the issues that are affecting our communities. This Friday, we kept it going through the pain and came together to bring light to the protests and break down the need for us to organize strategically to find our way forward.

Today's Sunday Brunch with Higher Heights hosted by The Sip at 2:00 pm ET will continue the conversation and recap the protests, explore the impact of reopening of America and the unintended consequences on our community from jobs to education.

Special Guests:

• U.S Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, At Large District, Delaware 
• Vi Lyles, Mayor, Charlotte, North Carolina 
• Erica Smiley, Executive Director, Jobs With Justice
• Kim Anderson, Executive Director, National Education Association 
• Allison Brown, Executive Director, Communities for Just School Funds 

Today and everyday we are hoping for peace and healing for our country but more importantly change. We stand together as Black women and encourage our allies to stand with us and take action alongside us.

Onward, 

Glynda

Higher Heights
www.higherheightsforamerica.org