We have a clear directive in this moment: Defund the police and invest in community solutions.
That’s why we’re marching with the Movement for Black Lives this weekend, June 19-21, in honor of Juneteenth.
John,
In the wake of the murder of Tallahassee organizer, Oluwatoyin "Toyin" Salau, Black women and Black communities are grieving the loss of yet another life at the hands of violence. Meanwhile, protestors are STILL being tear-gassed, assaulted, and jailed by the local police in cities across the country.
These peaceful protests are the result of righteous rage against racism and injustice that’s gone unchecked for far too long. They are an uprising against a white supremacist system that’s murdered Black people – leaving families and communities destroyed. Our pressure is working, but we can’t let up.
We have a clear directive at this moment: Defund the police and invest in community solutions. That’s why we’re marching with the Movement for Black Lives this weekend, June 19-21, in honor of Juneteenth.
Together we will demand defunding the police to reduce the scope, size, and role of ineffective and racist law enforcement in favor of investments in education, health care, healing work, and a Green New Deal that centers racial justice.
There are many ways you can help right now. Whether that’s joining protests, posting on social media, or educating yourself, we trust that you will make the best decisions for yourself and your community, and follow these movement principles.
This weekend is especially significant, John. On June 19th, 1865 the Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and Black communities were now free.
This was announced two and a half years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Freedom for Black communities has always been delayed and at the hands of a system of oppression. That day would become known as Juneteenth in the Black community as a day that honors Black freedom and Black resistance, and centers Black people’s unique contribution to the struggle for justice in the U.S.
The recent murders of Black lives illustrate the legacies of our history and what it means to be Black in this country. As the case of George Floyd makes clear, the presence of police even for the slightest thing can be a death sentence for Black people.
It is clear – especially in light of the police response to these demonstrations – that our safety comes from the community, not the police. The only way we’re going to stop this endless cycle of police violence is by defunding the police and investing in Black radical leadership instead.
We’ve seen the human toll of disinvestment in our communities through COVID-19, which has taken Black lives at an alarming rate. From polluted air and water, health care, education, and criminal justice, Black people are the most vulnerable to every harm in our society.
We keep us safe.
Clarissa
P.S. To learn more about why we’re marching with M4BL this weekend, please watch and share this video.
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