Equity for people of color needed
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
We have witnessed the deaths of unarmed black individuals resulting from fatal interactions with police such as George Floyd in Minneapolis just days ago and Breonna Taylor in Louisville in March.
We’ve seen the death of an unarmed Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in February, allegedly at the hands of a father and son.
We’ve seen a person call the police on Christian Cooper in Central Park and say he was threatening her life after he asked her to abide by the law that says dogs have to be on a leash.
In our own city, the recent death of Joel Acevedo, allegedly by an off-duty police officer, and the memories of Dontre Hamilton, along with other cases, are still reeling in people’s minds and hearts.
These are difficult scenes to recount, but the reality is we must all deal with it. These are all-too-familiar outcomes of an arrest or encounter gone awry for a disproportionate number of unarmed African Americans and other people of color in this country.
The difference in many cases is that smartphones and social media can capture and disseminate these incidents to help tell stories that were often missed or underreported.
But the horrific and graphic scene of George Floyd’s last moments, witnessed by millions around the country, took everyone over the edge. What started three months ago as a health crisis heavily impacting metropolitan areas around the country, with black and brown communities suffering the most, has turned into the same communities reacting to injustice.
Protests and rallies began peacefully by well-intentioned and concerned citizens of all races and backgrounds. Unfortunately, peace was compromised by individuals whose motives were mired in destruction and chaos.
And that distraction chips away attention from the real issues. James Causey of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said it very well in a recent front-page column, “Don’t let looters obscure protest message.”
The real test and reminder for all of us in leadership positions, whether elected, appointed, paid or volunteer, is to not lose focus and to address the ongoing inequities, racism, and injustices and the policies and systems perpetuating them head-on.
History demonstrates that when the economy spirals to historic depths, which we are now experiencing, the “isms,” frustrations and pent-up anger surface in some not so friendly ways as individuals and families attempt to survive.
Fueled by the lockdown of our country and small businesses being closed or unable to secure payroll protection, tensions are heightened. We must each use our platforms to change Milwaukee and this state with candid discussions and strategies to improve race relations, policing and community respect and trust, end media stereotyping, and seek equitable socioeconomic outcomes.
At the Milwaukee Urban League, we join all of you and with the other almost 90 Urban Leagues around the country to thoughtfully strategize and plan together our way through this complex and challenging time.