We are deeply saddened and outraged by the killing of George Floyd.
Individuals are culpable for this tragedy and must be held to account. But our society is also accountable for the latest fruit of a persistent nationwide failure to address racial injustice against the black community as well as other communities of color. No society can long endure repeated violations of its citizens’ safety and dignity, especially when those violations come at the hands of the institutions charged with protecting them.
Having spent nearly 40 years transforming conflict into cooperation in order to build healthy, safe, and just societies, we at Search for Common Ground recognize that respect for human dignity is at the core of every just society. Violence is the ultimate violation of human dignity. We abhor the violence that ended Mr. Floyd’s life and the violence that has followed, including the death of law enforcement officer David Patrick Underwood.
While violence cannot be justified, its roots must be understood. The events of the past week emerge from centuries of unaddressed injustice and from our inability to live in full dignity with one another. Race relations, the role of policing, structural inequalities are issues that will require the collaboration of all of us. To address these issues we must place human dignity at the center of who we are and how we debate and work through them going forward.
We can work to understand the grievances of the black community. We can reflect on the structures of power that perpetuate racism and explore together ways to create an equitable and just society.
We can amplify the voices of black citizens and others who are often excluded from positions of power by systemic discrimination. We draw inspiration from their activism and leadership and from the growing number of women and other minorities in positions of political influence and power in the United States.
We can make our outrage productive by joining those from all walks of life who are working hard to dismantle structures of systemic inequality. We are encouraged by the unprecedented number and diversity of those raising their voices to call for justice in the wake of Mr. Floyd’s death, including police officers across the country, commentators from across the political spectrum, and citizens of all races and backgrounds.
We can support efforts that bring people together across society’s dividing lines to create a shared vision of the future. Ultimately, the best way to dismantle unjust systems is to work together to build just systems. This is the core of our work at Search for Common Ground. For us, collaboration is critical because it builds trust and solidarity at the same time as it “works the problem”. It also recognizes that the system that has been failing to protect the safety and uphold the dignity of our fellow citizens is as much us as it is the institutions in front of which many are now protesting.
Enduring change will only come when we evolve both our culture and our institutions to reflect racial justice. The power to do so rests in our hands.
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Shamil Idriss |
Isam Ghanim |
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CEO |
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