John,
Yesterday, millions of us watched as Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd. We’re relieved that he was held accountable — but we know that this verdict is nothing close to justice.
Our message is still the same as when we took to the streets last summer to demand reform: Justice would be a country where no Black people, or any people, die at the hands of the police.
Only moments before Chauvin’s verdict was announced, a police officer in Columbus, Ohio fatally shot Ma’Khia Bryant. She was only 16 years old. Her death — and countless others — painfully remind us that there’s still so much urgent work ahead of us to end the cycle of police brutality in our communities and defund the police.
When police violence continues to claim thousands of lives per year, our leaders cannot claim this system is made to keep us safe.
Communities all across the country are now engaging in critical conversations around what it means to defund the police and how we will be safer as a result. It’s clear that it’s time to tear down the systems that killed Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others. But there’s still an ongoing debate about what defunding the police should look like, and where to reinvest this money to truly keep people safe and our communities stable.
Take the Defund the Police Survey →
Right now, we’re witnessing a big shift in the national conversation around the role of police. Cities like Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Seattle have already initiated steps toward slashing millions of dollars from police budgets.
These bold moves have prompted questions from folks on both sides of the aisle about how we should reinvest this money and what public safety will look like in the future.
What we know for sure is that the current system has failed to protect Black lives and the lives of many communities of color. This system has allowed 995 out of 1000 sexual assaulters to walk free after a crime is reported. Public safety doesn't come from investing in a system that oppresses us. Public safety is about making sure that our basic needs are met.
But if we want to bring to life a new vision for public safety that centers our communities, we first need to understand what this vision looks like for each of us. Women, in particular white women, have a critical role to play in ending police brutality — that’s why it’s important we understand Women’s Marchers thoughts around the debate to defund the police.
Together,
Women’s March
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