Black Lives Matter

LCCEF Membership,

Today we invite you to join us in honoring Juneteenth by celebrating, educating, and agitating. We align with the principles of the Black Lives Matter movement in hopes that “together we can be architects of democracy” (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). We condemn white supremacy and publicly commit to doing our part to fight systemic racism in our College, our city, our state, and our nation. We stand in solidarity with the demonstrations happening throughout our country. 

We feel the pain of racially-motivated violence and injustice in our communities, especially when committed by those in power. We grieve with the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and myriad people of color who have died or suffered from police brutality at the hands of those who should serve and protect. This has gone on for far too long, and we call on our LCCEF members and our community to act now, to make change happen, to not be silently complicit. 

We recognize the risk that law enforcement (including our own public safety officers) face in confronting corrupt policing systems and standing up for what is right, and we respect those who do so. We call on our local police departments to fully instill and promote policies, both within and outwardly, that address these long-standing issues.

We appreciate the leadership and guidance of the BIPOC members of our local and college community as we strive to make a difference. As we have seen around the nation, and indeed around the world in response, now is finally the time for us to come together in action. We are dedicated to lifting up voices that have long been oppressed, making space for people to tell their stories, and working for true equality.

While not all of us can be out marching, here is a list of actions you can take (it is not all-encompassing by any means, and we encourage you to suggest additional resources in the comments) :

• Sign petitions:
  • #JusticeforFloyd: Demand the officers who killed George Floyd are charged with murder
  • Minneapolis Demands Justice
• Donate:
  • Official George Floyd Memorial Fund organized by Philonise Floyd
  • NAACP General Fund
  • Black Lives Matter
• Educate yourself:
  • Watch
    • 8 Minutes 46 Seconds – A story for anyone who doesn’t yet understand why.
    • Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man
    • 10 Best Movies About Race – Essential Films About Racism In America
  • Read
    • Say Their Names: Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dion Johnson
    • Performative Allyship Is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead)
    • Justice in June – Become a Better Ally (some can be done in as little as 10 minutes)
    • The New Jim Crow – Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
    • White Fragility
  • Listen
    • Climate Change & Environmental Racism by Canarsie Studios (background)
    • Why More White People Care About Racial Injustice Right Now: Code Switch
    • 5 Podcasts To Listen To If You Really Want To Know About Race In America
• Support your local union:
  • AFT expands anti-racism efforts, calls for separating police and (K-12) schools
  • Juneteenth Reminds Us that the Fight for True Liberty Continues
  • Passes Resolution Expanding Its Efforts to Combat Racism, Aligning Itself with the Movement for Black Lives | American Federation of Teachers
  • Confronting Racism And In Support Of Black Lives
  • Why Black male teachers matter

We promise to keep educating ourselves on the complex history and current effects of systemic racism in order to better serve our membership. As part of this process, LCCEF plans to create an Equity and Inclusion Committee for our membership. If you are interested in helping to develop it or have suggestions, please email Grievances@lccef.org

“The two most dynamic and cohesive liberal forces in the country are the labor movement and the Negro freedom movement. Together we can be architects of democracy.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.
AFL-CIO National Convention, Miami Beach, Florida, December 11, 1961