Page initiated June 6, 2020
“We are plagued with the harsh reality that it could be us. It is us. The songs that were sung and the movements that were made were all entirely too familiar. The Floyd family is just like any other black American family. In pain, grasping hope, and determined to meet a better tomorrow. How we might attain this, is yet to be determined. One thing is for sure, the civil unrest will likely remain until the words of Dr. King reign true. ‘Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.’”
– Gavin Gabriel,community builder at Profound Gentlemen and a pastor at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church Mooresvllle
“Policing in America is a carefully curated system embedded in racism, classism, sexism and homophobia. The steps we took on Monday are not enough. No single motion, meeting or action will remake these institutions. The Charlotte City Council is committing to a process that will require having the community at the table pushing us to be transformative. The work will continue to be frustrating, but staying at the table together is essential.”
– Braxton Winston, at-large Charlotte City Council member, in the Washington Post
“Dear white colleagues… As we return to our respective places of employment, be mindful of the words you use – if you do not know what to say, do not say anything. If your colleagues of color are silent, please do not qualify them as being, ‘in a bad mood….’ If they are short with their words, please do not characterize them as being, ‘uptight….’ We are not asking for special treatment – we are asking for you to give us the space that we need as we return to work because: We are tired.”
– Michael Garcia, CPCC corporate learning advisor, in EdDaily by EdNC
“I wear a ‘smart watch’ which monitors my blood pressure and sometimes, when I just think about race relations and injustices in America, my watch advises me to pause and take deep breaths…. As we reflect on why racism in this country has survived and how we can accelerate its demise, I will take deep breaths, be encouraged and stay involved.”
– Bobbie Shields, N.C. Senate 40 candidate
“Since Ahmad Avery was murdered, I have been in a spirit of apathy. The weight of watching a Black man being hunted in Georgia’s streets was overwhelming. Hearing Breonna Taylor’s story just chiseled another chip into my stone of sensitivity. Something was different about George Floyd. His murder has been the first time that I have felt something in a while. It’s a high-level emotional combination of being enraged and dejected. His death has touched every part of my life.”
– Jason Terrell, Profound Gentlemen
“I predict the vast majority of those 190+ companies and CEOs that have shared a statement and donation in the name of Black Lives Matter will atrophy their commitments as the months fade away from our memories and business returns to usual. I predict that the lack of internal accountability will remind us that reading our syllabus is not worth it. That they will never see us as their peers, and that yes, we will still be required to do our work and eat from a place of disproportion.
“I’d like to be proven wrong, however, and for the leader of a futuristic society to be a deep systems thinker that has read our syllabus and has an appetite for emotional, empathetic, and the social intelligence to build the kind of tools we’ll need in the new world to ensure that everyone is fed.”
– Sherrell Dorsey, The Plug
“We do better – we do MORE – by not only saying their names, but by acknowledging the denial of basic human and civil rights our Black community continues to endure and the senseless and horrific loss of life that continues to occur daily.”
– Staff of the Council for Children’s Rights
“I am encouraged by people of all races and backgrounds within our community, and across this nation, who are banding together to work toward repairing our imperfect country. I am inspired by our youth who are speaking out and demanding that we at last put an end to the evils that have plagued the generations before them.”
– Aaron Randolph, Carolina Youth Coalition Executive Director
“For months, people around the world have focused on protecting themselves from an invisible enemy – the coronavirus or COVID-19. But the tragic death of George Floyd reminds us of the need to continue to fight against the systems and practices that allow racism, a longstanding visible foe, to thrive.”
– County Manager Dena Diorio, County Manager
“These human violations, as it relates to African-Americans, have been going on for so long that this abnormal behavior has become the normal. We have to change the paradigm and initiate structural changes in law enforcement, economics, health care and government that facilitate justice for all.”
– N.C. Rep. Nasif Majeed
“We’re saddened, heartbroken, and painfully reminded of the continuing impact of racism in the places we live. As a foundation committed to helping build equitable and inclusive communities, Knight Foundation stands in solidarity with the people of Charlotte and of cities across the country as they work to fight racism and build communities where everyone can engage, prosper and thrive.”
– Charles Thomas, Knight Foundation Program Director for Charlotte
“Congress must act immediately on creating a national database of officer citations and decertifications and demilitarizing police. Local and state governments must prioritize establishing a duty for officers to intervene when they witness an excessive use of force and giving the public a larger voice in the oversight of law enforcement agencies. Finally, Charlotte leaders shouldn’t hesitate: They should ban the use of chemical agents by CMPD immediately.”
– U.S. Rep. Alma Adams
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