TRAYVON MARTIN, ERIC GARNER, JOHN CRAWFORD III, MICHAEL BROWN, EZELL FORD, DANTE PARKER, MICHELLE CUSSEAUX, LAQUAN MCDONALD, TANISHA ANDERSON, AKAI GURLEY, TAMIR RICE, RUMAIN BRISBON, JERAME REID, GEORGE MANN, MATTHEW AJIBADE, FRANK SMART, NATASHA MCKENNA, TONY ROBINSON, ANTHONY HILL, MYA HALL, PHILLIP WHITE, ERIC HARRIS, WALTER SCOTT, WILLIAM CHAPMAN II, ALEXIA CHRISTIAN, BRENDON GLENN, VICTOR MANUEL LAROSA, JONATHAN SANDERS, FREDDIE BLUE, JOSEPH MANN, SALVADO ELLSWOOD, SANDRA BLAND, ALBERT JOSEPH DAVIS, DARRIUS STEWART, BILLY RAY DAVIS, SAMUEL DUBOSE, MICHAEL SABBIE, BRIAN KEITH DAY, CHRISTIAN TAYLOR, TROY ROBINSON, ASSHAMS PHAROAH MANLEY, FELIX KUMI, KEITH HARRISON MCLEOD, JUNIOR PROSPER, LAMONTEZ JONES, PATERSON BROWN, DOMINIC HUTCHINSON, ANTHONY ASHFORD, ALONZO SMITH, TYREE CRAWFORD, INDIA KAGER-LA’VANTE BIGGS, MICHAEL LEE MARSHALL, JAMAR CLARK, RICHARD PERKINS, NATHANIEL HARRIS PICKETT, BENNI LEE TIGNOR, MIGUEL ESPINAL, MICHAEL NOEL, KEVIN MATTHEWS, BETTIE JONES, QUINTONIO LEGRIER, KEITH CHILDRESS JR., JANET WILSON, RANDY NELSON, ANTRONIE SCOTT, WENDELL CELESTINE, DAVID JOSEPH, CALIN ROQUEMORE, DYZHAWN PERKINS, CHRISTOPHER DAVIS, MARCO LOUD, PETER GAINES, TORREY ROBINSON, DARIUS ROBINSON, KEVIN HICKS, MARY TRUXILLO, DEMARCUS SEMER, WILLIE TILLMAN, TERRILL THOMAS, SYLVILLE SMITH, ALTON STERLING, PHILANDO CASTILE, TERENCE CRUTCHER, PAUL O’NEAL, ALTERIA WOODS, JORDAN EDWARDS, AARON BAILEY, RONELL FOSTER, STEPHON CLARK, ANTWON ROSE II, BOTHAM JEAN, PAMELA TURNER, DOMINIQUE CLAYTON, ATATIANA JEFFERSON, CHRISTOPHER WHITFIELD, CHRISTOPHER MCCORVEY, ERIC REASON, MICHAEL LORENZO DEAN, BREONNA TAYLOR, GEORGE FLOYD, and too many more...

These are lives that matter.

Each name, each person is a loss of life in a family, in a community, and in our country. Each loss is incalculable.

And an inescapable fact remains: systemic brutality and violence used against the black community must end.

This is not an intellectual exercise in injustice.

It is not enough just to turn our collective attention to police violence. We must do more. We must also address biases that remain in our own hearts and communities.

It is simple to say that reform and action are necessary from our leaders at every level, and I’m working to hold leaders in Washington and Pennsylvania accountable for inaction. What comes next is harder. Just as reckless hate and violence must be met with justice, collective mourning must be met with swift action.

In solidarity,

Madeleine Dean