Congressman García Calls for Unity and Solidarity Against Racism

Statement

Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García released the following statement to protest the brutal murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer:

"Last week, amidst an unprecedented economic crisis and a virus ravaging black and brown communities, George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight by police in Minneapolis. The video and images of his death horrified people across America, who then took to the streets to demand an end to racist policing."

"The murder of George Floyd is a result of our country's racist history -- centuries of slavery and Jim Crow. For too long white supremacists and racists have controlled our police culture that treats Black and Brown individuals as less than human. Not all officers are to blame, but we must root out racism and complicity in our law enforcement agencies.

"We know from experience there are forces that seek to divide us for their own interests. We also know Black and Brown communities have achieved significant advances when we have worked together.

"Instead of unifying a country in grief and resolve to achieve justice, President Trump and his sympathizers are intentionally stoking division and hate. They are strategically pitting Black and Latino communities against one another -- a tactic we have seen before.

"When the KKK and police forces tried to discredit Dr. Martin Luther King, they dismissed the humanity of millions and used "law and order' as an excuse for brutality. When they sent ICE into our streets to rip children from their mothers, they used "law and order' to justify the dehumanization of immigrant families. Now, Trump is pulling a page from the old playbook of "law and order' to pit Black and Brown people against one another. New decade, same playbook.

"Instead of falling victim to instigated division, we must resist and focus our energy toward dismantling a system maintained by white supremacy -- our common enemy. That system, built on the premise that Black and Brown communities should settle for the breadcrumbs of society, is fueled by distrust, unrest, and division.

"Now, more than ever, we must stay rooted in love and justice -- that is where our power comes from. Now is the time to stand in solidarity with our Black sisters and brothers and realize that their struggle is our struggle. When the Black community is killed, we are all killed. If they are not free, we are not free. Our stories are intertwined, and it is up to us to write our future legacy.

"Black lives matter. Justice matters. Solidarity matters. Only if we band together will we be able to march toward lasting change and racial equity in America."

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