Dear John,

It goes without saying 2020 has been an immensely challenging time for working people. We have lurched from crisis to crisis, as we face the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. We are fighting systems of oppression and white supremacy on so many fronts, we haven’t had the time to mourn.

In order to help us cope, understand, and collectively grieve these immense losses, we joined together with our friends at UnionBase to develop and launch an online memorial wall for us to honor and celebrate those we have lost to COVID-19.

The Workers Memorial Wall is an online portal where you can submit stories, pictures, and memories about fellow workers and activists we’ve lost in the struggle. And of course, it’s a place where we can say their names. The Workers Memorial Wall aims to honor the fallen and serve as a call to action, as we share the stories of those who are gone too soon. May their memories be a blessing and lead us to change our economy and society for the better—ensuring that all people have access to protection like masks, and gloves, access to healthcare infrastructure and finally build a just and fair economy and society.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, our unjust economic system put working people—often Black and Brown—in harm’s way. The human costs of low wages, a lack of basic benefits like paid sick leave, and an absence of democracy in the workplace have been laid bare by the outbreak. Government declared millions of workers to be “essential,” like those working in grocery stores, healthcare facilities, food processing plants, delivering essentials like food and medicine, and picking up our trash — but at the same time, forced these essential workers into unsafe conditions, exposing them to the coronavirus. Employers failed to provide basic protection equipment or the safe working conditions everyone deserves.

As a result, covid-19 sickened working people around the country and many succumbed to this horrendous disease. We express our sorrow for the lives of every single friend, family member, co-worker, and neighbor we have lost in recent months and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by their loss.

More than 110,000 have died in the United States from COVID-19 so far this year and these deaths were disproportionately Black and working class. We hope the Workers Memorial Wall can prevent so many of these deaths from going unknown.  

Please visit the Workers Memorial Wall, share the stories of those we have lost, learn about others, and remember the fallen.

And if you have lost someone close to you, our hearts go out to you. We hear you. We grieve with you. We stand with you. And may they rest in power. We hope the Workers Memorial Wall is a place to share and cherish their memories.

In Solidarity,

Smiley

Executive Director

Jobs With Justice