John,
There's a
looong list of things that President Biden
neglected to mention in his State of the Union last week. Take a seat wherever you're reading this because it's a long email. We're about to
really talk about the President and his State of the Union. Let's start with the things he didn't mention…
Not a mention of
reparations.
The lack of accountability on the government is why we're still seeing policies that are quite
literally made to hold Black people down. If the U.S. took the initiative to get all Black people reparations, it would mean the government actually taking accountability for its racist history, structural discrimination, and slave legacy.
Not a mention of
Black Lives Matter.
We're so used to supporting our own and pulling each up when we have to. So while this is not in the slightest something we
need, would it hurt the President to support the people who've fought right-wing extremism since before he was elected?
Not a mention of
student debt cancellation.
Black people have been lectured that the way to get out of poverty and achieve middle-class status is by getting a college education…but at what cost? Nobody wants to discuss the weight of student loan debt and how it has widened the racial wealth gap and disproportionately impacts Black students and families.
Now, let's take a look at what President Biden
DID mention…
“We should all agree the answer is not to defund the police, the answer is to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them. Fund them with resources and training they need to protect our communities.”
Here's what more funding for the police does and doesn't mean:
- More funding ≠ more accountability → More funding for more police presence has yet to lead to community safety or trust.
- More funding = more state-sanctioned violence → As a matter of fact, 2021 set a record for fatal police shootings.
John, we know this was a lot to unpack.
But the biggest takeaway is that President Biden has work to do when it comes to racial justice.
Throughout the month of March, we'll be calling on President Biden to take swift action on various things mentioned throughout this email. So get ready to get to work – there's a lot to be done.
In love and solidarity,
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation
