Dear Harvard Dems,
George Floyd moved to Minneapolis a few years ago hoping to find a new job and start a new life. A peace activist and community leader, he was known to those around him as a “gentle giant” with a “quiet personality but a beautiful spirit.” Our hearts are heavy today as we struggle with his murder by Minneapolis Police officers. We must not accept the normalization of violence, surveillance, and prejudice toward our black family, friends, and neighbors — both through civilian acts as we saw in the murder of Ahmuad Arbery and the racist threats toward Christian Cooper, and through police brutality as seen in the murder of George Floyd and Trayvon Martin, Philando Castile, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, and many more members of the black community. These acts of violence and harassment have been long-occurring in our country, and we are now able to see these injustices come to light.
The Harvard College Democrats stand firmly in solidarity with our family, friends, and neighbors in the black community, and we are committed to speaking up and taking action against these gross systemic measures of violence and injustice.
We hope that you will join us in taking action:
Call on County Attorney Michael Freeman to hold Floyd’s murderers accountable by arresting them and charging them with murder by signing the petition at justiceforbigfloyd.com
Contact the Minneapolis Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office to demand that these officers be held accountable
Minneapolis Police Department: police@minneapolismn.gov
Minneapolis District Attorney’s Office: citizeninfo@hennepin.us, (612) 348-5550
Share this story, your actions, and how to get involved, with those around you
If you are able, consider donating to the following funds/organizations
George Floyd Memorial Fund: this will cover Floyd’s funeral and burial expenses, as well as other family needs
Reclaim the Block: based in Minneapolis, this organization advocates for divestment from the MPD and funding other parts of the city’s budget that promote the health and safety of the community
Minnesota Freedom Fund: this organization pays criminal bails and immigration bonds on behalf of those who cannot afford it
Support yourselves and your neighbors — racism is traumatic — through mental health resources
A list of resources that focus on the black community and are led by black professionals can be found at Black Girls Smile
We must stand with the black community. Writer and activist James Baldwin once said, “From my point of view, no label, no slogan, no party, no skin color, and indeed no religion is more important than the human being.” We must fight for all of our fellow human beings in any and all capacities. Liberty and justice for all must be more than a platitude — it must be a practice.
In solidarity,
Harvard College Democrats Executive Board