Team,

Kneeling on a Black man's neck as he calls for his mother, keeping a man in a chokehold while he says he can't breathe, shooting someone while their back is turned or hands are up -- it has to stop.

Generations of pain have manifested in protests across the country. I’ve listened to the voices of Black Americans who have been harmed by centuries of injustice -- from slavery, to Jim Crow and segregation, to a criminal justice system that even today disproportionately harms and kills them. I want to be clear where I stand:

We need real and sustained systemic fixes -- and leaders who give a damn to fight for them.

We must end racial profiling and stop and frisk policies, we must eliminate profit incentives for arrests and ticketing, and we must ensure that the outcomes of legal cases are not predicated on the legal representation defendants can afford, or the color of their skin.

I support the policy solutions outlined by Campaign Zero, including ending for-profit policing practices, ensuring police departments are part of and representative of their communities, and that officers work closely with community members and organizations.

The private prison industry continues to profit from mass incarceration, the immigration crisis on our border, and historic policies of racial injustice. As senator, I will work to end the federal government’s practice of contracting with for-profit detention companies.

If you want to know why Washington is broken, you just have to follow the money. PACs and executives of private detention companies have contributed over $90,000 to John Cornyn's campaign. We have to kick him out of the Senate -- and fix the system for good.

The last few days have been painful. After centuries of injustice, we have so much work to do. For too long that work has fallen on those harmed by our system -- especially Black Americans. We must all step up now to protect the rights of each and every American.

Stay safe, and stay healthy. Thank you.

-- MJ Hegar

P.S. I know that my perspective is limited, and I don’t have all the answers. If you have more perspective to share on solutions or have any feedback for me, please send in your thoughts here.