Friend,

Over the last several days, thousands have joined nationwide demonstrations to fight for racial justice and demand an end to generations of anti-Black violence inflicted by the police.

In the wake of the senseless murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Dreasjon “Sean” Reed, Tony McDade, and too many others, we must take action to defund and demilitarize police forces across the United States. 

The violent, militarized response by police using weapons of war to escalate peaceful protests has only added a renewed urgency to efforts to transform the criminal justice system and rethink policing practices entirely.

Write to your members of Congress and urge them to do all in their power to defund and demilitarize the police.

Anti-Black violence and militarized policing are not new — they have happened for generations. Yet, federal policies in recent years have only exacerbated these inhumane, disturbing practices.

In 2017, Donald Trump reversed an Obama-era executive order that put tougher restrictions on the transfer of military equipment to state and local police forces. Trump’s decision made it easier for bayonets, grenade launchers, armored vehicles, and other dangerous equipment to be used to police our communities.

Just this week, we’ve seen how Trump’s actions and words have fueled police brutality and white supremacy, but this is an issue much bigger than one man — it’s woven into the painful history of our country. 

A militarized police force only serves to terrorize our communities and doesn’t make us any safer. Together, we must call on our elected officials in Congress to defund the police and directly reinvest in Black communities harmed by militarized, anti-Black policing.

Send a message to Congress: Defund and demilitarize police forces.

Thank you, 

NextGen America