“He was ours. He was love. He came from us.” These were the words spoken by Naisha Wright after the murder of her nephew, Daunte Wright, at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer earlier this week.
This is the same week — in the same county — where George Floyd’s murderer stands trial. The fact that Daunte Wright was a former student of Floyd’s ex-girlfriend speaks to how pervasive police violence is.
This is the same week we saw footage of a seventh grader, Adam Toledo, running down a dark alley, away from the police. The chase ended with his hands in the air, and a police officer’s bullet in his chest. He was unarmed, a 13 year old.
A child.
In the past two weeks alone, five Black and Brown boys and young men have been murdered by a police state, including:
Travon Chadwell, 18
Anthony Alvarez, 22
Iremamber Sykap, 16
We demand Justice.
Next month marks the one year anniversary since the country took to the streets to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and countless other Black lives that have been lost to racism, police violence, and brutality.
These violent acts are a cruel irony as this week is the celebration of Black Maternal Health Week — a week where lawmakers, grassroots groups, and public health officials are focusing on ensuring Black mothers and children can thrive. Still, we lack action and accountability on the threat police violence poses to maternal mental health. No mother should have to get a phone call from her son, who fears for his life during a police stop, like Katie Wright did, or a phone call letting her know the unthinkable happened.
Black families, have the right to raise their children in a healthy and safe community. No one should have their children taken from them far too soon. In the words of Naisha Wright: it is “not because of a mistake. Because of a murder.” Too many Black mothers have been robbed of the opportunity to watch their kids grow, of the chance to see their kids feel safe and thrive in the world.
A new week begins on Monday. What can you do to push for next week to be different? And with it, a continued responsibility to push for a difference. We have a number of resources that can help you identify ways to take action and show support for #BlackLivesMatter
Previous posts:
#Teach4BlackLives: there is no business as usual, especially for our Black leaders. We love this concrete way to support our Black colleagues.
Open Letter from Black Women of 500 Women Scientists Leadership
Communicating Your Support For #Blacklivesmatter: Dos, Don’ts, And Resources
Other resources:
Support Daunte Wright’s Family
Hypbae has some suggestions for how to take action in solidarity with Daunte Wright’s family:
Supporting Minnesota-based Reclaim the Block
Develop a plan and call your representatives to put a stop to police brutality:
Photo by Dorrell Tibbs on Unsplash