At the Center and Council, we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and believe that all Americans must work to dismantle and destroy structural racism in our society.
We support the peaceful protests happening throughout the country and denounce the Trump administration’s efforts to impede the Constitutional right to assemble.
We stand with journalists who are working incessantly to shine light on injustice and decry the law enforcement officials who have targeted them for doing their Constitutionally protected jobs.
We side with municipal and state leaders who have resisted President Trump’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies and calls to turn the US military against our fellow citizens. We recognize that were this happening abroad, American leaders would seek to intervene.
We know that as we continue our work to dismantle the systems that prioritize conflict over diplomacy abroad, we must also dismantle the systems that enable violence and oppression at home. That includes rejecting the continued militarization of police forces. It is clear that the United States cannot lead the world in the quest for democracy, peace, and justice, while ignoring the threats to those ideals within our own borders.
For our part, we commit to being better allies to the Black community and all communities of color, both as organizations and as individuals. We will continue listening to our Black community members, and will amplify Black voices in the news and at events. We will continue our efforts to diversify our board and staff. We will continue following the lead of organizations who work at the intersection of racial justice and national security.
We will not stop until all Americans are treated equally under the law, and we urge our supporters to join us all in this fight.