Violence toward communities of color has been a constant in this country throughout my life. The bitter truth is that black men, women, and children are still not safe to walk, jog, grocery shop, or even sleep in their own homes and neighborhoods, which is hard for many to confront directly.
It may be more comfortable for some not to face these things, but the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others have forced us to witness racial disparities once again. I know first hand what this means from my experience as a board member interacting with young Black men at the Wilmington Hope Commission.
We cannot continue without change.
And meaningful change will require a deeper commitment from all of us. As I confront this situation head-on, I realize that this is more than just banning chokeholds or kneeholds. It’s also about civil rights, public trust, community policing, national standards, transparency, and accountability. It’s about Federal, State, and local legislative changes that together will create new behaviors from law enforcement, institutions, and agencies to protect every citizen equally.
As your State Representative, I am committed to these changes and am fighting along side our House Black Caucus members for the “Justice for All” agenda.