Dear John,

George Floyd was a person who mattered and who should be alive today. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones, his community, and everyone who has had to endure reliving this trauma in recent weeks, exacerbated by more brutal losses of Black lives at the hands of the police.

The end of this trial is not the end of our grief for George Floyd and far too many other Black lives lost, or our commitment to ending racist violence. We should not have to keep adding hashtags to names like we have for George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Rekiya Boyd, Adam Toledo, and so many others. The time is infuriatingly and heartbreakingly overdue to honor, protect and uplift the dignity of Black people.

Too many Black people in this country do not have the privilege of aging, let alone aging with dignity, because of racist violence and policing, disparities in access to health care and medical racism, and the impact of generational injustice.

Caring as a collective responsibility calls on all of us to take action to dismantle white supremacy and anti-Black racism in all of our systems and institutions.

We must invest in systems of care and public safety that recognize our intertwined humanity and create the conditions for us to thrive, not just survive.

Please consider joining TakeAction Minnesota, Color of Change, and the Movement For Black Lives to continue the fight for real justice.

With care,

Caring Across Generations