Dear friends,
Dear friends,
We are writing today with anger and sadness at the horrific murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police. For nine minutes, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Mr. Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed. Mr. Floyd pleaded with Officer Chauvin to stop, telling him that he couldn’t breathe and pleading for help. Bystanders, including a medical professional, begged officers at the scene to stop Officer Chauvin and administer aid, but they refused. Here we see the devastating impact of white supremacy and we condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the actions of these officers. Mr. Floyd’s death is a grievous injustice and all of the police officers involved should be charged with murder.
At the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network and CT Interfaith Power & Light, we are committed to inspiring and empowering religious communities to be faithful stewards of the planet. We do this not only because we care about the environment, but because we believe and affirm in the sanctity of all the inhabitants of the earth. The work we do to create a just and sustainable planet rests on our communities – if our brothers and sisters are being murdered by a racist system, then our hope for a better future dies as well.
White supremacy is at the foundation of America. From the beginning of this country, America was built on violence against Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities and these communities have suffered under this oppression for hundreds of years. In just the past few months, we have witnessed the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, as well as the harassment of Christian Cooper, proving that implicit bias is present in our communities at every level. The fact that racial injustice is baked into the character of our country means that we must dedicate ourselves to dismantling systemic and institutional racism, even while we work for environmental justice. The violence of white supremacy is a poison that destroys everything it touches.
George Floyd’s life mattered. Black lives matter. We must join together to call for justice, not only for Mr. Floyd, but for the Black community in America. We must embrace the idea of being anti-racist, which calls all of us to a higher level of conscious participation in the pursuit of righteousness. No one should allow hate speech to be tolerated in any venue, be it a work space, school, restaurant, or your home. Hate tolerated is hate perpetuated. This isn’t just about the actions of a few officers, this is about the institutional racism that infects our country on every level. We need systemic change.
From our friends at Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, here are a few concrete ideas:
- Phone a friend. Take ten minutes and have a conversation with someone you know about police violence and George Floyd’s murder. Ask what the other person thinks, listen to their responses, and share your own perspective.
- Phone a decision-maker. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman will decide whether or not the officers who killed George Floyd are charged with a crime. Call Attorney Freeman at 612-348-5550 and demand that he press charges against all officers involved with the incident.
- Donate to a frontline organization. Moral Monday CT, CT Core, NAACP CT Chapter
Thank you for the good work that you do and for meeting this moment with courage and commitment.
Very best regards,
The Board of Directors of the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network
