The killing of Daunte Wright by a law enforcement officer, only days before another former law enforcement officer was about to be convicted of murdering George Floyd in that same community, now weighs heavily on our hearts and minds. That scores of other black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have also been killed by police officers throughout this country only underscores the gravity of our concern. We, as members and friends of the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines categorically proclaim that these extrajudicial killings by police officers must stop nationwide. This has gone on far too long. We are not blind to it, nor are we numb to the pain that it has inflicted upon BIPOC communities. We hear their cries for justice.
Our principles call us to strive for justice, equity, and compassion in human relations for everyone. They also call us to work toward creating a world community of peace, liberty, and justice for all. Institutionalized structures of racism violate these principles, so we must be called to the vital work of dismantling and replacing those structures. Because this is what believe, we will join with Black Lives Matter (BLM), Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) and all of those who rightly aim to take down institutions that perpetuate systemic racism and build up in their place those that better uphold mutual liberation and equal justice.
If you desire to engage as in allyship (https://theantioppressionnetwork.com/allyship/) , please consider the following opportunities. There are so many ways to show up, find what works for you; such as donating on an on-going or one-time basis, provided time and donations to:
Black Lives Matter: https://www.facebook.com/desmoinesblm/
OR(National) https://blacklivesmatter.com
NAACP: https://www.naacp.org/membership/
Black Liberation Movement: http://www.blackliberationcollective.org/
Supply Hive: https://www.thesupplyhivedsm.org/
C.O.R.E: Roosevelt High School’s C.O.R.E. for Advancement (Community of Racial Equity): https://www.facebook.com/DMschools/posts/roosevelt-high-schools-core-for-advancement-community-of-racial-equity-isnt-your/1164602316891309/
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) : https://dsmsurj.org/
IMPORTANT: If you see a person of color being engaged by law enforcement, consider catching the moment with a video on your cell phone until the individual is arrested or released. Using your privilege can possibly disrupt the engagement.
When purchasing a good or service reference the Black Iowa Business Directory: https://www.tdcdsm.org/
Other options from https://theantioppressionnetwork.com/allyship/, which include, but aren’t limited to the following :
- how much space are we taking up in conversations? in rooms? in organizing?
- how do we actively improve access to our meetings? our actions?
- how are our identities taking up space? physically? verbally?
- how much do we know about the people we seek to work with? what are our assumptions and from where did they originate?
- who are we leaving behind?
#LoveResists #BLM #GeorgeFloyd #DaunteWright