In the wake of last week’s violence, our country faces an all too familiar tragedy. The fatal shootings of two black men by police. Five officers gunned down. A culture of distrust and violence. We mourn all of the lives lost with the victims’ families. We mourn what we appear to be as a nation.
As we grieve and look for ways to prevent further destruction, it is crucial to remember the collective power of our oneness, our common humanity. Now is the time to acknowledge the cycle of violence and move towards a culture of empathy, love, and respect.
That’s why this week, we encourage you to read Charles M. Blow’s piece on Our Week From Hell and discuss with your friends and family how we can see “every person as fully human, deserving every day to make it home to the people he [or she] loves.” Today, let’s start the conversations that will stop the cycles of aggression tomorrow.
Onwards,
Jennifer Siebel Newsom & The Representation Project Team
Representation Around the Web
“We must not pretend that the countless people who are routinely targeted by police are “isolated.” They are the canaries in the coal mine whose deaths, civil and literal, warn us that no one can breathe in this atmosphere. They are the ones who recognize that unlawful police stops corrode all our civil liberties and threaten all our lives. Until their voices matter too, our justice system will continue to be anything but.” – Sonia Sotomayor via Slate.com
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Image via Miss Representation Instagram