CBE Statement on Charleston Massacre: People of Color deserve Safe and Healthy Communities

The terrorist attack at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church yesterday further confirms that there is no place where Black people and people of color in general are safe.

Safety continues to be a luxury that our communities do not hold. Protection from our government continues to be a myth. Justice for our communities is random and arbitrary and completely absent too many times. Who will be held accountable for what happened in Charleston? Will one evil person be scapegoated for a system that allows this kind of violence against communities of color?

We demand a new system built on the fact that Black women, youth, men and  people of color everywhere deserve the right to safe and healthy communities.

We demand a kind of justice that takes into account all of the horrific memories this terrorist attack sparks in the minds of millions of oppressed people in this country.

We need elected officials who will advocate and bring true justice for the safety and health of people of color. At this moment in history, we have yet to witness this type of leadership.

However, we are experiencing a growing movement. A movement that is linking the historic struggles and current realities of people of color to a severely broken economic and political system. For now, once again, we mourn and struggle to contain our anger. But, we continue to fight for justice, healthy and safe communities.

In struggle,

Byron Gudiel-Ramos,

Executive Director, Communities for a Better Environment