Friend,
America is in pain – pain from the wounds of racial injustice that have been inflicted on communities of color since our country's founding.
Yet again, a Black American has been killed cruelly and unconscionably – unarmed and posing no threat to law enforcement. Killed as he begged for his life.
There must be justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Christian Cooper. There must be justice for the far too many Black Americans who have been senselessly murdered, immorally intimidated, and unconstitutionally profiled by police in our country. And that justice starts with accountability.
That is why I am proud to stand with the demonstrators who are lifting up their voices in outrage in every single state across the country to shine a spotlight on America's deep-rooted racism. To you all, I say this: Your actions have power. For too long, America has ignored systemic racism and failed to implement accountability and justice. No more – because of your leadership.
Meanwhile, at a time when a president should be bringing the country together to help heal our communities and fight to enact peaceful, meaningful change, Donald Trump has done nothing but fan the flames of hatred and violence. He has demonstrated a failure of leadership at his best moments and an abhorrent abuse of military power at his most repulsive. His actions are what you'd expect from a two-bit dictator, not the President of the United States.
This is a moment of reckoning. Right now, every single one of us shares the responsibility to take this moment and use it to confront racial injustice – especially in the absence of presidential leadership. We need to break the virus of racism that has infected this nation for decades. We need to fight for accountability. And we need to fight for justice.
The burden of this fight should not fall solely on the Black community or on communities of color, but on all of us. That's why today, I'm asking you to join me in supporting the Equal Justice Initiative – an organization fighting for criminal justice reform, racial justice, and education on how to engage in conversations about racism in our communities. Will you step up in this fight today by making a donation?
Thank you,
Dick
