Andrew,
On January 7th, 2023, Tyre Nichols' life was stolen by police officers in Memphis. He's one of the many Black people who are no longer here with us due to police violence just days into the new year.
Tyre Nichols should be here today. His life mattered.
Let this be a moment to affirm what we've known all along: Reform doesn't work. Diversifying a police department will not work. Assimilation into a system that is anti-Black is one of the most dangerous weapons stemming from white supremacy.
Our call to defund the police includes ending traffic stops for minor traffic violations and removing police from traffic interactions, because in America the odds of a Black person safely making it home after being pulled over by police officers feel too close to none. Traffic stops
shouldn't be deadly. Instead, Andrew, we need to be taking a health-first approach by having unarmed, trained community professionals (not the police) respond to potential traffic incidents. Send a letter to your Congress member now, and demand they get to work: The letter is pre-written, so all you need to do is sign your name – but feel free to customize your letter as well!
Why is it the status quo that police officers with war-weapons and a tradition of anti-Black violence are necessary for simple traffic encounters?
Police officers do not belong at traffic stops. Period. This is a bold and strategic demand aimed at tackling white supremacy in public safety and ending the suffering of Black communities across this country – because no traffic incident should be deadly. Demand your representative get to work and get legislation done to remove all police from traffic incidents >> The letter is pre-written, so all you need to do is sign your name – but feel free to customize your letter as well!
Once again, we mourn one of our brothers whose life was stolen due to state-sanctioned violence. We pray for another family that had to bury a loved one too soon, and remember that Tyre was more than his death: A father who loved his son, a son who was a Mama's boy, a gifted skater, and photographer, and beloved community member.
In love and solidarity,
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation
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