At Immigrants Rising, we are devastated by the news of Mr. George Floyd’s death and the outrage of yet another Black life brutally taken by excessive and deadly force. We stand in solidarity with George’s family, friends, and the Black community around the country in mourning his tragic death.

George’s death was not a mistake. It was not an aberration nor an anomaly. Rather it is evidence of the anti-Blackness that has defined—and continues to define—our country. We must acknowledge centuries of anti-Blackness, confront the racism that we as individuals both perpetuate and suffer from, and take action to stop the ongoing dehumanization and terrorism of Black lives.

Without an honest recognition of our past, without a vehement rejection of our current reality, racism will continue to be our country’s ugliest truth and our shared future. We refuse to hide on the sidelines of justice.