Our Statement on Racial Injustice

The West Newbury Democratic Town Committee shares the outrage, revulsion, and grief over the killing of George Floyd by law enforcement officers recently in Minneapolis. This loss and the loss of so many others before Mr. Floyd are a symptom of America’s deep and long-standing structural racism—impacting equal access to justice, healthcare, education, housing, and economic opportunity. We call on all Americans to exercise your rights through peaceful demonstration and a commitment to vote for candidates who will effect systemic change. By actively participating in democracy, we can ensure that our federal, state, and local leadership share and exercise the principles of true justice.

We urge all police departments to enthusiastically embrace the principles identified in the final report of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, issued in 2015 and supported by the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. We also urge all departments to implement the eight actions for reducing violence against civilians identified by Campaign Zero. These actions have been proven to directly reduce incidents of violence against civilians while also reducing assaults on police officers. The #8cantwait policies are within the purview of most departments to implement quickly and without legislative or executive action.
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Resources you can use to learn more and take action:
​https://justiceinjune.org/
https://nmaahc.si.edu/about/news/national-museum-african-american-history-and-culture-releases-talking-about-race-web
https://www.themarshallproject.org/documents/2082979-final-report-of-the-presidents-task-force-on#
https://8cantwait.org
https://www.facebook.com/NewburyportRacialJusticeGroup/
https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234
https://www.orenjaysofer.com/blog/racial-justice

West Newbury Democratic Town Committee
​June 5, 2020