John,

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers has shaken the entire country. Over the last several days we have all seen millions marching in the streets demanding justice, but we have also witnessed disturbing images of open attacks on peaceful protestors, arrests of journalists, and a militarized response to calls for change.

We grieve for those who have lost loved ones and stands with those demanding real reform. George Floyd was by no means the first unarmed black person who lost his life to police brutality and anti-black violence. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade’s deaths have all sparked outrage just in the last several weeks. Here in Washington state, the killings of people like Che Taylor, Charleena Lyles, and John T. Williams echo what we’ve seen across the nation.

So this week, WCV will not be sending any emails to you. We won’t be making any asks or pushing any of you to support actions for our core work. But as someone who supports WCV, here’s what we are asking of you. Take time to grieve. If you can, protest safely. Consider how you can change on a personal level. And support calls for justice.

• Here are 5 things you can do right now to support police reform and justice
• For those of you who are white and are hoping to be better allies in this moment, here is a helpful guide for how you can best show up in this work  
• Check out this aggregated list of ways you can take action, donate, learn, and more
• Donate to NW Community Bail Fund, BLM Seattle Freedom Fund, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund

The right to peacefully protest and call for change is deeply embedded in our work to protect our environment. Without an open and fair democracy, we will never build the cleaner, healthier future we want to see. Without racial justice there is no climate justice.

Black Lives Matter.

Thank you for all you do,

Alyssa Macy
CEO