Presente and Alianza Américas
On Sunday, April 11, in the midst of the Derek Chauvin trial, 20-year-old Duante Wright was shot and killed by police in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis, after being allegedly pulled over for a traffic violation. Yet, we know Duante was pulled over because he was Black.
As a network of Latin American immigrant-led organizations from across the country and the nation’s largest online Latinx organizing group committed to working towards the well-being and prosperity of communities across the U.S. and the Américas, our hearts go out to Duante’s family and his beloved community. The growing awareness and resistance during this tragic moment gives us hope, but what we need now is justice.
The growing awareness and resistance during this tragic moment gives us hope, but what we need now is justice.
Another young Black man’s life has been taken by law enforcement. Police violence has become a nationwide human rights crisis, but we can do something about it. Indeed, cops who use excessive force resulting in the murder of Black and Brown lives must be fired, arrested, and prosecuted. And we cannot stop there. For us to truly address this human rights crisis and for things to change, the voices and power of everyday people will need to outmatch the political power and resources of law enforcement –– an institution with deep white supremacist roots.
Furthermore, to the extent that police forces continue to be part of the future, they must become subject to greater community control, including control over their budgets, funding, policies, and most of all, their practices. We know that profound and systemic changes are urgently needed, and it is past time for violent policing patterns to come to an end and prevent future injustices. We honor the people of Minneapolis who are tirelessly working toward moving resources away from violent, racist policing and instead reimagining public safety centered on human rights and dignity.
As a Latinx and a migrant alliance, we stand in solidarity with the Black community, including our Afro-Latinx and Black members. We also call on all communities, especially communities of color, to strive to become far better organized in order to effectively fight back against structural racism and state violence. Only organized communities can succeed in the struggle to build a better society and a better world where the human rights of every person are truly honored and respected.
Presente.org is the nation’s largest online Latinx organizing group —advancing social justice with technology, media, and culture. Alianza Américas is a network of migrant-led organizations working in the United States and transnationally to create an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central, and South América.
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