The following statement is from Independence Now’s Executive Director and staff.
#BlackLivesMatter
We are hurt. Our community is hurting. The words to describe the heartbreak and horror that we felt watching the video of George Floyd’s death fail us. Heartbreak for his family and friends because of the loss of life; horror because of how that life was lost. We recognize the unimaginable loss, fear, and anger these acts of police violence cause in the Black community because we have seen it too many times. The recurring trauma of violence and death caused by the police is a burden that no person or community should have to carry.
We are outraged. Systemic racism and accompanying violence in this country continue to take and devalue black lives, including the lives of persons with disabilities, at disproportionate rates in comparison to whites: black people are three times more likely to be killed at the hands of police than whites. It’s got to stop. It has to stop with us.
We stand in absolute solidarity with advocacy organizations and others across the country in condemning all violence, particularly violence motivated by discrimination and racism against black and brown people. As a Center for Independent Living (CIL), we fight to ensure civil rights and equity for people with disabilities, regardless of color or race. We therefore stand in support of the Black Lives Matter protests and against the violence against the black community in the effort to dismantle the systems that have allowed racial injustice.
Even as we raise up and honor the lives violently ended while in police custody, we know that calling the names of police brutality victims and saying their lives matter, is not enough. The Independent Living Culture is one of taking action and banding together to find solutions. We are steadfast in our determination to be part of the solution–to end racial discrimination in our communities.
We encourage you to join Independence Now and other organizations like @BlackLivesMatter in the movement to fight systemic racism and injustice and to implement REAL change.
Independence Now Statement on Police Violence
