Friend,

There has never been a time more urgent to state clearly that Black lives matter. The killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, David McAtee, and George Floyd are tragically just five of millions of lives lost to centuries of systemic racism and racial violence in this country against Black people.

The moment we are in — racial violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis — has laid bare the systemic and pervasive racism that makes Black communities in our country fear for their families' health, safety, and lives every single day.

The trauma felt by our friends, colleagues, and fellow activists of color is raw and has persisted for far too long. The loss of innocent lives, the lack of justice experienced over and over again, and the cumulative and ongoing toll of fear and racial violence should move us all to outrage and to action.

LCV is standing in solidarity with Black-led racial justice organizations across the country in observing a National Day of Mourning today, and we ask you to join us in a day of reflection and hope for racial reconciliation and an end to the violence that is ravaging the nation. LCV is also joining Black-led racial justice organizations in calling on Congress to take swift and decisive legislative action on a range of policing issues, including use of force, police accountability, racial profiling, militarization, data collection, and training. In the days and weeks ahead, we will be letting you know about other actions we are taking and opportunities for you to support stronger, anti-racist policies and call on leaders to act.

One of the most important things we can all do right now is to support Black-led organizations at the center of this fight for the dignity and safety of Black communities. Here are just a few organizations on the front lines of this work that need our financial support right now:

• Black Lives Matter works to organize and mobilize in response to anti-Black violence and structural inequality.
• Black Visions Collective works to build movements from the ground up with an integrated model to create the conditions for long-term success and transformation.
• Color of Change leads campaigns that build real power for Black communities by helping people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us.

Thank you for being a voice for justice at this urgent moment. Racial justice, human dignity, and freedom for Black communities are worth fighting for. We must all do more. The time to act is now.

In solidarity,

Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters