Here at WashingtonCAN, we unequivocally stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. 

It was unclear how we could best move forward in making a statement of support to the Black community when George Floyd was wrongfully murdered and protests began to hit the mainstream. We pride ourselves in being the largest grassroots organization in Washington, committed to working with our members so that our members guide us in the work we do together. While over the last four years we have built the most multicultural team in this organization’s history, we recognize that in the majority of our 40-year existence, we have been white-led. We didn’t want to co-opt a movement led by Black leaders, and we didn’t want to offer a blanket statement without intentional discussion and acknowledgement of our history. We share this statement of support now.

Black lives matter, but more than that, justice for Black lives is essential to us all in building a healthy and just Democracy. That means justice in health care, where Black folks are regularly, disastrously, underserved in medical care. This means justice in mass incarceration, where Black people are incarcerated at  horrifyingly higher rates than white people, and incarcerated for longer sentences (in Washington, people don’t even have options for early release). That means justice in housing, where Black people are more likely to be evicted without protections against substandard and unhealthy housing. That means directing our voter outreach to Black communities that typically get less attention in GOTV efforts.

Washington lawmakers need to prioritize the well-being, health, and safety of the Black community if they want to build a healthy, just, and Democratic society. We also know that our lawmakers and leaders in this state are overwhelmingly white and upper class. So our work is not just about telling lawmakers to listen to Black voices, but also to fundamentally change who holds power, and how that power is shared. With more Black leaders, and with an empowered Black community, we know we can build a society we can all thrive in.