John,

On May 25th, police officer Derek Chauvin took away George Floyd's life by suffocating him with his knee. A month before, Floyd had tested positive for COVID-19. He survived the virus only to be killed by police.

George Floyd is a testament to Black communities living the realities of two pandemics: COVID-19 and anti-Black violence.

Today and every day, 350 stands with the Movement for Black Lives. At this critical moment, we need you to help lift up their demands.

Join dozens of organizations and thousands of people across the country in demanding that our leaders defend Black lives and fight for a just recovery from this pandemic. Find important ways to take action in this toolkit.

The COVID-19 death rate in Black communities is three to six times higher than in white communities. Black workers are also disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 because they make up a majority of essential workers, placing themselves and their families at risk, in order to do their jobs.

And in the midst of this pandemic, Black people have no choice but to also take the streets to defend their lives after the murders of Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Tony McDade – some of the many victims of generations of anti-Black police violence.

We are calling on our Senators to support the following federal actions from the Movement for Black Lives in response to COVID-19:

Implement Paid Leave to reduce the spread of the virus and ensure the safety of all.
Implement a Universal Basic Income to specifically support and protect workers in the informal economy and those engaged in reproductive labor, the care economy, and other often unrecognized forms of work.
Ensure access to basic needs including housing for all.
Ensure the financial health and stability of all individuals so they can better weather this crisis.
Implement an equitable plan to pay for needed responses to the current crisis.
Increase the resilience and stability of our economy by investing in a Green New Deal with a guaranteed jobs program.

Speak out in solidarity with us right now for these demands along with the Movement for Black Lives. Go to the toolkit here.

Systemic injustice and oppression are at the root of the problem. The alarming rate of deaths at the hands of the police and at the hands of the deadly coronavirus will no longer be tolerated. We must demand justice for our Black brothers and sisters, and right now that means calling on our leaders to center Black communities and workers on our road to a just recovery.

In solidarity,

Brooke Harper

P.S. Watch our very own Dominique Thomas, on the frontlines of direct action discussing why the climate movement must show up for black lives.

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