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Standing together in the pain of crisis and the hope of transformation

June 9, 2020
We have a profound desire to bring forth words of healing, hope and encouragement.  But it is difficult to find those words, when we and so many around our country are in anguish at the tragic killing of George Floyd at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.
 
As a network of organizations committed to creating a more just society, it is both enraging and frustrating to find ourselves here, in 2020, amidst a backdrop of a global pandemic that laid bare inequities we long knew existed -- one whose toll has fallen most heavily on those whose lives are valued the least -- standing together in the pain of what seems like a never-ending string of senseless killings.
 
As we ponder the incomprehensibility of our current condition, faced with the deeply ingrained racism of this country, we take courage from all those who bravely stood for justice before us, and from all those who are working for justice in this time.
 
Our organizations are firmly grounded in what we have learned from decades of deep dialogue with community members, colleagues, scholars, activists, teachers, organizers, public servants. We have seen that it is possible for people of all backgrounds and walks of life to listen deeply to each other, to honor each other’s full humanity, and to understand how structural racism has hollowed the promise of our democracy. And we have seen the power of people working together to deprogram their communities and to share power to create more equitable places for everyone.    
 
We take courage from all those – in our networks and beyond -- who wake up every morning on a mission to bring people together, to lift up the voices of those who have been oppressed, and to advance the pace of progress towards justice.
 
In the midst of this crisis, we reaffirm our shared commitment to pursue an equitable and just democracy and work together for changes that are way beyond overdue. We’ll move forward not with the patience of those who would delay justice but with the persistence of those who are desperate for it. We stand with all of you who are working for this transformation – together, may we find the hope, courage and wisdom to make it happen.  
 
 

Everyday Democracy  & Anchor Partners
  • Community Partners of South Florida  
  • Montana State University Extension 
  • New Hampshire Listens
  • InterFaith Works of Central NY  
  • Project Ujima, Inc.  
  • The Center for Public Life at OSU-Tulsa
  • SDSU Extension Community Vitality 
  • West Virginia Center for Civic Life
  • Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC)

Additional Links on Community Police Relations

 
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