June 2, 2020
Greetings,
The Greater New Haven NAACP shares in the pain, outrage, disgust, and frustration over the tragic murder of George Floyd by the police. We mourn his death, we are fed up, and we unite with communities throughout this country to say enough. Black and brown communities are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and health disparities, as we are experiencing a much higher rate of fatalities. We are experiencing a life and death crisis due to not only the virus but also domestic terrorism in the United States at the hands of law enforcement. Yet hope is alive. Seeds of resistance planted decades ago by organizations such as the NAACP still grow, and reseed.
The recent deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia have served as a catalyst to awaken those who never doubted their own safety jogging, bird watching, sleeping or shopping. It has also brought to the surface the rage and sorrow of the people whose basic civil rights are constantly denied. People in both groups are crying out together and are seeking ways to put an end to centuries of racial injustice in the USA. While America looks for strong voices to lead us through these turbulent times, where days feel like never-ending nightmares, we at the The Greater New Haven NAACP will continue to work locally, and will follow the National Guidelines that are strategic and offer hope and a path forward.
We encourage brown and black people as well as our white brothers and sisters and all others who want to commit to being anti-racist to join us. We invite community members, who feel like being inactive right now is to be a bystander and to be complicit, to join us.
We are working with other local organizations, the faith community, and our local officials to find ways to bring about the needed change. We share the aims and direction of the National NAACP and will keep the focus on redressing the institutional racism against our communities everywhere and work to bring an end to the criminalization of black people and dismantle the systems that perpetuate racism and unjust policing. We will post opportunities for engagement on our website and social media. Institutional racism in America is problem that all of her citizens need to actively address. The Greater New Haven NAACP has a long history of fighting for justice and we will continue that work, and we need you join us. I am including resources that are aligned with the work we will be doing.
Yours in the struggle,
Dori Dumas
President
