For Immediate Release: Thursday, July 7, 2016
Contact: Donna De La Cruz, [email protected] (202) 339-9331
Center for Community Change Calls for Top to Bottom Reform of Criminal Justice System
(WASHINGTON)—This is a statement from Kica Matos, Director of Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice at the Center for Community Change, on the fatal shootings this week of two more black men by police officers.
“There is a growing list of names that communities of color nationwide have unfortunately memorized by heart. It’s a list of all of those people of color — black men in particular, who have been killed by police officers in recent years. This week, our memories are now etched with two more names: Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, the two latest black men fatally shot by police.
The assault on our lives continues — from constant profiling and harassment, to a systemically racist arrest, prosecutorial and sentencing system, to blatant murder, all at the hands of officers of the law. Police killed Sterling as he sold CDs in front of a convenience store and Castile was stopped for a minor driving infraction. Neither of these men should be dead today. Yet, once again, communities of color in our country are being re-traumatized with two more senseless shootings. We must stop adding names to this growing and tragic list once and for all.
Calls for more police accountability and racial awareness can and must be issued but we must acknowledge the deeper problem of systemic racism that requires eradication. Otherwise, we will not see progress and more black men will be killed.
Community Change today mourns the loss of two men who leave behind grieving families and a community whose trust in police continues to erode. But tomorrow, we will continue to organize for a massive overhaul of our criminal justice system.”
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