100 Strong Statement to Our Community
100 Strong Statement to Our Community
Our nation continues to experience deep-rooted issues of injustice and violence against Black and Brown people by the police. In the last month we have witnessed the deaths of Daunte Wright, 20; Adam Toledo, 13; Ma’Khia Bryant, 16; and Andrew Brown, 42, at the hands of police. These stories were national news in just the last month, and yet we know that there have been so many others who have lost their lives to systemic racism and police brutality this year alone.
100 Strong makes this statement to speak up and continue to demand change and accountability for the families of the following individuals who have been murdered by police recently.
- Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Latino boy who was shot on 3.29.21 in Chicago. Video was released on 4.15.21 showing that the child was turning around and raising his hands. (source)
- Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was shot on 4.11.21 in Brooklyn Center, near Minneapolis, during a routine traffic stop where the officer mistook her gun for a taser. (source)
- Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old Black girl who was shot on 4.20.21 in Columbus, Ohio when police responded to a physical altercation and fired four times at the girls who were fighting. (source)
- Andrew Brown, a 42-year-old Black man who was shot on 4.21.21 in Elizabeth City, N.C. as police fired 6-8 shots at him in his car as they tried to serve a warrant. (source)
Families are grieving for their murdered children and demanding that the oppressive system of policing be truthfully examined to address the problems of police policy, practice, and culture. Our policing system is rooted in white supremacy, and we need to listen to the marginalized groups that have been disproportionately impacted — and are at the same time leading the call for change. One guilty verdict is NOT enough. We need dramatic change to dismantle the culture of white supremacy that exists and causes violence against Black people, against children, by the hands of those sworn to protect and serve.
These acts of violence that continue to oppress and kill Black people need to be challenged, and the repeated questions of these childrens’ mothers deserve an answer. We encourage others across the nation to speak out against these acts of violence regardless of the discomfort. We must be intentionally mindful, at both the personal and professional levels, with how we can confront these systemic issues in our community. We must encourage ongoing discussion around systemic racism to break down the barriers that separate us, no matter how uncomfortable these subjects may be. We support and thank all the groups around the nation that are doing the work and joining efforts to end the systemic racism embedded in criminal legal systems.
- Support groups led by those affected by police violence:
- Sign Freedom, Inc.'s petition for justice for Daunte and for Defunding the Police
- Donate to funds:
- Support Transformative Change — through Transformative Action Network’s Abolitionist Restorative Justice Workshop, monthly Anti-Racism Circles and Community Lab for Intentional Practice.
We encourage others to engage in daily anti-racist actions, in addition to contemplative practice and self-education. Speak up against injustice when you see it. As members of 100 Strong, we commit to take daily actions to stand up to injustice and racism. We will no longer be silent.
