We Are Done Dying!
If the indefensible murder of George Floyd was not already enough, last night, we watched
in horror as our people were shot at, tear-gassed and beaten. This moment calls for us to
unite around the outrage we feel and fight for the justice we demand. Now, more than ever
is the right time to take a stand as we guide our communities and our nation’s leaders to the
right side of justice.
Hello Sisters and Brothers,
As I sit down to write this document to express my absolute disdain for the public lynching of a handcuffed George Floyd, I struggle with what tone I will use to get my message across. Given the circumstances of how Mr. George Floyd lost his life at the hands of a Minneapolis, Minnesota officer, the only honest tone I can convey is one of rage. As a boy growing up in Arkansas in the 1940s, I saw firsthand the brutality black men had to endure from white men who controlled every aspect of black men’s lives. White men managed the experience of black men because many were dependent on the boss man for housing and employment. I witnessed the overt oppression of a criminal justice system that hired out black prisoners, usually to a white boss, who could send them back to prison for any reason they chose. Now, let’s fast forward to the year 2020. Black men are still being sent back to prison for any reason their probation officials choose—where these officials are without fear of their baseless decisions being challenged by the criminal justice system. White police officers are killing black men for no reason. Single-handed they decide Life sentences and immediate death |
sentences. For these un-monitored gang members within our police departments, there is no fear of being held responsible by the justice system for any illegal acts—including taking the life of the black men they claim to be resisting arrest. The arrest of Officer Derek Chauvin is not enough. Three other officers are just as complicit in killing Mr. Floyd. We want them all charged for their role in this inexcusable death. The uprisings taking place in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Kentucky, Los Angeles, and other locations across this country are a result of the anger, fear, sadness, and distrust that have manifested for years throughout our community. Enough is enough; We Are Done Dying. |
These are NOT isolated incidents. They are directly related to the systemic racism that plagues our country at an even more alarming rate than the coronavirus. Our communities have been in a state of emergency long before the first COVID-19 case was brought to light. We are calling for federal legislation similar to a Hate Crime bill to be developed, which would provide detailed procedures and penalties in cases of blatant police brutality. The unrest we see today is what happens when the road to justice is too long and drawn-out. Uprisings are a result of our communities feeling as though nothing is going to be done by government officials to the right these wrongs. Our communities are angry and saddened. But we must be strategic and measured as we battle this latest grave injustice. The NAACP will not rest until we see these officers charged and convicted for the murder of George Floyd. We must keep our focus on redressing the systemic racism against our community that led to this tragedy. We cannot afford to do so while losing more Black sons and daughters. We must protest peacefully, demand persistently, and fight politically. But most of all, we must vote in November. |
Thank you,
Min. Wendell J. Harris Sr.
NAACP National Board Member President WI Conference NAACP