Tamir Rice. Sandra Bland. Freddy Gray. Eric Garner. Trayvon Martin. Alton Sterling. Philando Castille. Oscar Grant. George Floyd. If we took the time to write out every single Black civilian that lost their life due to police brutality, this page would be completely filled. The amount of people that have had to deal with losing their mother, father, sister, brother, is surreal and speaks to a massive problem we have to face as Blacks in America. We must live in constant fear that today might be the day we take our last breath, just because of the mere color of our skin. Society seems to jam us all into the corner of a box called life, not allowing us any wiggle room to express our individuality, our rights, our freedom.
However, it has gotten to the point where we are now fully fighting the societal restraints imposed on black lives through the mass protests; civil disobedience, contacting local elected officials by phone or mail, sitting-in, walk-outs, and corporate social responsibility actions occurring throughout the country. We are seeing community leaders in the forefront of marches across the nation, advocating for the rights of the unheard. They are making it known how ineffective and dangerous the current criminal justice system is, a system that so desperately needs to be reformed. People should feel safe around police officers, not frightened that their life may be in danger. Yet, that is how we feel all the time interacting with them and that needs to change immediately.
We, the National African Student Association, stand in solidarity with those who are protesting police brutality here in this country and abroad. We encourage you all to continue peacefully protesting in your local cities the police brutality and systemic racism experienced by Black people everywhere, everyday. We also encourage every civilian to support the protesters every step of the way. With everyone working in unison, there is hope that we can start seeing much needed change in our respective communities and beyond.
So please speak out and share your thoughts in your community. If you cannot participate in the marches, that is okay! There are so many other ways you can help. By texting “FLOYD” to 55156, you can sign a petition requesting that justice is served to the police officer that killed George Floyd. You can also text “RESIST” to 50409 to reach out to your local elected officials to express your concerns. The list of ways you can assist is plenty, but please take time to do your research so that you can ensure you are directly helping out with the cause.
Thanks and kind regards,
National Executive Board
