John,

Although a gun was not used to murder George Floyd, we must recognize that police violence is inextricably linked to gun violence.

As a white woman, and as the head of a national gun violence prevention organization with historically white leadership, I – along with Brady – must acknowledge the privilege that all white people share in our society, which was founded on white supremacy.

Brady adds our voice in decrying the murder of yet another Black man at the hands of law enforcement. (If you have not yet, please read our full statement here.) Our work in the gun violence prevention movement is grounded in the need to save lives. We cannot and should not stay silent when Black Americans are being senselessly killed.

Police violence is gun violence. Each and every one of us must commit to reforming the racist systems that threaten, oppress, and kill innocent Black people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee – not to mention the countless Black Americans who are killed every day, but whose names never make national news.

This we know: Black and Brown Americans face gun violence and police violence at disproportionately high rates. While Black Americans are only 13% of the U.S. population, they are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans and constitute 31% of all police-involved fatalities.

Black lives matter. That’s why Brady is giving our full support to the many peaceful protests and Black-led organizations that demand an end to these injustices. We are committed to breaking down the racist systems of violence and oppression that our Black and Brown communities encounter every day.

I know that I am not alone in asking “what can I do?” This has been an ongoing process for me as well, but it is one that we must commit to with our whole selves if we truly believe in equity and justice. That’s why I’m committing myself and Brady to listening to the many people working on the ground to create a more equitable society and uplifting their work, needs, and voices.

There are many resources circulating on how white Americans can engage and be actively anti-racist, including this list from Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein. These are all vital self-education tools, which I will continue to digest in the days to come as we confront the need for immediate change in our society.

It may be too late to find true justice for George Floyd, but those who murdered him must be brought to justice and the structures of power that facilitated his murder must be undone.

I hope you’ll take a moment to join me and commit yourself – if you haven’t already – to learning more about how you can make a difference in dismantling systems of oppression and violence.

In solidarity,

Kris Brown
President
Brady