John, 

Across the country, we are mourning the senseless murder of Black men and women: George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Tony McDade. Ahmaud Arbery. Countless brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers have been killed with impunity at the hands of a criminal justice system that targets Black communities.

Here in New York, we’ve witnessed the horrific violence of police brutally attacking protestors who are in the streets demanding accountability and justice. The actions of the NYPD in the past week remind us that "enforcement" systems against Black people and communities of color—over-militarized policing practices; ICE raids; COVID-infected detention facilities and jails; children in Border Patrol cages and prisons—are built on the same foundation of cruelty, brutality and oppression—not safety, community, or mutual care. 

We’ve had enough empty rhetoric from our elected officials who pay lip service to justice for Black lives. It’s past time to dismantle these systems of oppression and call for immediate action and real change now. To start with, we’re calling on: 

• NYC Mayor de Blasio and the Council to slash the NYPD's bloated $6 Billion budget, and redirect funding to imperiled human services and education that actually help our communities but are facing huge budget cuts; 

• NYS Attorney General James to investigate the violent and senseless attacks on protestors; 

• NY Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Heastie to immediately reconvene the Legislature and pass Senator Bailey & Assemblyman O’Donnell’s bill to repeal the police secrecy law, Section 50-a, which needlessly hides the records of abusive officers. 

These demands are just the beginning. We will continue to be in the fight for justice for Black communities in New York and across the country.

The pandemic has taught us just how interdependent we are on each other to ensure our  collective well-being. It’s also time to recognize that our liberation is tied to one another. None of us can be free until all of us are free.

#JusticeforGeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMatter 

In solidarity,


Steve Choi
Executive Director