A statement to our Eastside leaders:

 

 

Now is the time for local government, business, and communities to work with Eastside Race and Leadership Coalition (ERLC) as equal decision makers for change.  

 

 

This is why:

ERLC is outraged at the ongoing racial injustice in this country and in our local communities.   We are heartbroken and align with those committed to ending these grievous injuries to our American and human ideals.  In doing so, we honor the memory of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Manuel Ellis, and Eastside residents and visitors who have suffered from racist behavior of the police and institutions that use hatred and fear as their bullwhip to control Black and Brown bodies.  

 

ERLC stands with those who are acting, be it through protests or marches, and raising their voices to positions that deplore recent tragedies, which demand our immediate attention for reform and change. 

 

We know that our First Amendment right to protest is honorable and one of the highest means for the populace to raise objections to injustice and inhumane treatment.   Protest is inevitable when the voices of the oppressed are ignored, and disrespected. Protest is the only option when the systems that are purported to protect, serve and provide equal access fail the people who rely upon them. While violence is never the solution, it is an expected rung on an escalating ladder of discontent for people who have been systematically mistreated at every step in their journey to the promised land of respect, dignity and civil rights.   

 

ERLC stands in solidarity with those that are crying out for justice.  The inequity and brutal treatment of Black and Brown people in our country must stop.  ERLC is committed to eliminating racism on the Eastside, so it is incumbent upon us to use our platform and work with community leaders to make systemic change happen. It is not just about one incident, but about all of the consistent, persistent, incremental injustices that have led to our current state. This must change.  In the spirit of “nothing for us without us”, expect us to be a part of the conversation and the decisions that will move our community forward. 

 

“Justice delayed is justice denied”, therefore ERLC will not wait for a better time to engage in the real work of system change. To do so is to be complicit with injustice and ongoing harm – reliving America’s dangerous history of structural and sustained racism. We are required by our ancestors and descendants to bring healing to generations of pain and neglect.

 

ERLC will engage in creative ways, approaching all with respectful resolve to build communities that are safe, supportive and equitable.  As a collective of caring and active community members, we are committed to will change.  We invite elected and appointed officials to join us in an Eastside discussion to replace racism and hatred with equity and respect.  Reform and change begin in our own backyard and we are here to be a part of the solution.  

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We will not wait any longer. The time for action is now.

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Eastside Race and Leadership Coalition Members 

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