June 4, 2020
We stand in solidarity with families and communities in mourning and with those rising up to demand justice. From Amadou Diallo and Eric Garner in our city, to Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and George Floyd across our country, persistent lethal police terror is a grave human rights violation rooted in racial oppression.
Black Lives Matter.
Our lives have always mattered. And always will.
Many of our clients, our staff and I have personally felt the terror of racially biased policing and surveillance. The helicopters, the pepper spray, and the tear gas, but also the frequent stops on street corners, the flood lights in the housing projects, the eyes following you in a store. TakeRoot Justice is committed to the liberation and self-determination of all Black people so that they may live unencumbered, full, joyous lives. In particular, we support the Movement for Black Lives and stand on the shoulders of organizers, activists and abolitionists who have spoken against the violent spear of white supremacy for decades.
As militarization, incarceration, and policing continue to be tools of state repression to uphold oppression, movements and supporters must resist and dismantle them. Why does it take a life being snuffed out on camera for the world to see racism in every institution and in every instance? As a member of Communities United for Police Reform, TakeRoot Justice has long supported the work of movements and community-led campaigns to increase police accountability, combat discriminatory policing, and build community. We stand with CPR to demand the repeal of Section 50-a of the Civil Rights Law that shields police misconduct from public view. We demand divestment from the NYPD in next year’s budget and the reallocation of funds back into the communities most harmed. We demand the removal of NYPD from schools, homeless outreach, emotional distress response, and social distancing enforcement.
As a Black-led racial and social justice organization in New York City, we are committed every day to using our hearts, minds and skills to end systemic racism. Through our work and lived experiences, we know that white supremacy is alive and must be fought. Every day. In discriminatory housing practices, in unequal economic opportunities, in predatory lending and consumer practices, in gentrification and the recolonization of communities of color, in law and immigration enforcement. We know that the socio-economic exploitation of Black people is indelibly connected with the physical violence we experience as part of a wide reaching system of racial oppression. We partner with Black-led, grassroots organizations across New York City to advance liberation and invite you to stand with us. We have each channeled despair into determination, sadness into storytelling, and fury into power. And we won’t stop.
In power, solidarity and connection,
Elizabeth and the Team at TakeRoot Justice
Update: June 9, 2020
Read our Memorandum of Support for Passage of the Safer NY Act here.
Update: June 10, 2020
All three bills in the Safer NY Act have passed in the State Legislature and our now headed to Governor Cuomo’s desk. Thank you for joining us in this fight for justice!