John,
Yesterday, a jury in Kenosha failed to convict Kyle Rittenhouse of all charges in his murder trial. Rittenhouse traveled from Illinois to Wisconsin, and — with an AR-15-style rifle — murdered two people and shot another who were peacefully protesting at a Black Lives Matter protest last summer after Jacob Blake was shot by police.
And yesterday, Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges.
Shameful doesn't even begin to cover it, and describing the verdict as heartbreaking is only scratching the surface.
My thoughts are with the Blake family, the family and loved ones of those whose lives were stolen, and our communities who continue to face trauma day in and day out. I'm holding everyone impacted in my heart.
What we witnessed yesterday is a part of a system functioning as designed and protecting those it was designed for. Debilitating and unsurprising moments like this define our justice system and bankrupt our ability to trust democracy.
Racism and white supremacy remain the bedrock of our "justice" system. This is why Black and brown people don't trust our systems. This is why they don't trust America all together, and until we can completely dismantle our systems and have the courage to implement something that reflects every person who calls America home — we will not progress.
At this moment, John, we may feel broken. But we are resilient, and our struggle for accountability, justice, and healing continues.
Peace and love,
Jamaal