Friend,

The shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin and the events that have followed are a stark reminder that systemic racism experienced by the Black community is ongoing and MUST be addressed in communities throughout the country.

At LCV, we know that the fight for environmental justice is tied to the fight for racial justice — it's as simple as that. We can't protect clean air and water, or hold polluters accountable, without confronting the reality of systemic racism and violence against Black communities. We can't build the future we want to see, the future that all of us deserve, unless we take a stand for justice and equity.

These aren't separate fights. These aren't separate responsibilities. That's why LCV is supporting efforts led by the National Action Network, the NAACP, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and other partners to raise our collective voice for Black lives and racial justice.

Friend, this Friday will you join in and do your part?

If you're in the Washington D.C area and able to attend in-person: You can RSVP now to attend this Friday, August 28. The rally and Commitment March is from 7:00 AM — 3:00 PM, beginning at the Lincoln Memorial.

You can also join virtually from home: See more details and RSVP here to participate in the 2020 Virtual March on Washington.

In addition, on Friday night, the Movement for Black Lives' Black National Convention starts at 7pm ET. The multi-hour broadcast will be filled with energy, celebration, education, electoral justice, and a vision for Black Lives.

This day will honor the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. But this is not about the past. It's about recognizing the reality of oppression, right now, in this moment. And it's about making a commitment to dismantle the systems of oppression that harm Black people every single day, like we've seen again in the events leading up to and following the Jacob Blake shooting.

This is how we will mobilize a movement for safer, healthier communities. This is how we will begin to repair the harm that has been done for generations. This is how we live the values that matter so much to LCV supporters like you.

I hope you'll join this year's March on Washington — either in-person in Washington D.C. this Friday; or virtually from home. And check out the Movement for Black Lives's Black National Convention on Friday night.

Thank you for everything you do.

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters