The uprising across the country is not only about George Floyd. It is not only about Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, or the 1,252 black people who have been shot and killed by police violence since January 1, 2015.
The uprising across this country is about their lives and the foundation of white supremacy upon which this country’s legal, police, military, economic, education, health care, housing, and environmental systems were built upon.
The uprising across this country is about George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, the 1,252 black people killed by police violence since 1/1/2015, the thousands more killed by systems and structures that were built on the premise that black lives are worth less than white lives, and the millions more who face prejudice, racism, and trauma to simply survive in a world that denies their experience and humanity.
The uprising across this country is not only about George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, the 1,252 black people killed by police violence since 1/1/2015, and it is not new. For generations, this country has been called to account for its genocidal and white supremacist history by people who have then been vilified, attacked, and killed by the state. For generations, this country has seen uprising after uprising, movement after movement, community after community demand not only an end to state-sponsored violence against black lives, but a total overhaul of all that has been built around it.
The uprising around this country is about George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and the 1,252 black people killed by police violence since 1/1/2015. And it is about the thousands – millions – more black lives that will be violently destroyed and taken from us if we continue to ignore its call.
As people of faith, as Unitarian Universalists, it is our duty to make certain this uprising is heard.
As people of faith and as Unitarian Universalists, it is our duty to make certain that not one more precious life is destroyed or taken by police violence and the structures of white supremacy at the foundation of this nation.
As people of faith and as Unitarian Universalists, it is our duty to make certain that “Black Lives Matter” is not only chanted in the streets, but embedded in our souls and embodied by all.
As people of faith and as Unitarian Universalists, it is our duty to make certain that this uprising brings about the world that generations have been fighting for.
As people of faith and as Unitarian Universalists, it is our duty to make certain that justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade, finally and fully includes the dismantling of the foundations of this nation.
-Rev. Ranwa Hammamy
UUJMCA Executive Director
Sign this UU Pledge to Support the Uprisings & Resist the Police State
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