Racism has deep roots in the United States. This country was built on stolen land through slave labor. It took a very violent war to bring about the end of slavery and this system was immediately replaced with incarceration and forced labor camps targeting former slaves. Jim Crow segregation continued to deprive black communities of resources and has resulted in massive economic inequality. The role of law enforcement through all these periods of history has been to protect white property and deprive black people of freedom. Understanding this very basic historical progression is essential to understanding the role of police in communities of color today. It has never been to protect, it has always been to control (1).
The board members of Bat Association of MSU fully support calls to de-fund the police and invest in the communities that have been impacted by our shameful history (2). Locally we support Black Lives Matter Michigan and Black Lives Matter Lansing in calling on Mayor Andy Shor to resign immediately. The reports of racist behavior from his staff and his clear lack of connection to communities of color make him unfit for the position he holds (3,4). We share in the shock and outrage at the killing of George Floyd and countless others like Breonna Taylor that have not been caught on video. This has been going on for far too long and nobody should be silent right now.
#BlackLivesMatter #ProtectBlackLife #DefundThePolice #Time2GoAndy
In love and solidarity,
E-Board of Bat Association of MSU
A few of the amazing local organizations we encourage you to support:
Black Lives Matter Lansing
One Love Global
The Village Lansing
The Firecracker Foundation
References
- Jabali, Malaika (2020) ‘If you’re surprised by how the police are acting, you don’t understand US history’ The Guardian, 5 June. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/05/police-us-history-reform-violence-oppression/ (Accessed: 8 June 2020).
- Levin, Sam (2020) ‘What does ‘defund the police’ mean? The rallying cry sweeping the US – explained’ The Guardian, 6 June. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/05/defunding-the-police-us-what-does-it-mean/ (Accessed: 8 June 2020).
- Kaminski, Kyle (2020) ‘Fired staffer alleges racial toxicity in Lansing Mayor’s Office’ City Pulse, 5 June. Available at: https://www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/fired-staffer-alleges-racial-toxicity-in-lansing-mayors-office,14532/ (Accessed: 8 June 2020).
- Kaminski, Kyle (2019) ‘Lansing mayor, ex-fire chief lock horns over diversity’ City Pulse, 8 March. Available at: https://www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/lansing-mayor-ex-fire-chief-lock-horns-over-diversity,50/ (Accessed: 8 June 2020).