Hola familia,
The CUNY Latin American Law Student Association (LALSA) stands in solidarity with BLSA, the Black community and #BLM in demanding justice for the racial and hate-fueled killings by police of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubery, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and every victim that has suffered at the hands of police-brutality. We hear you and see your pain, we mourn with you and we stand with you in this moment in our nation’s history and always, in solidarity.
We condemn the violent actions of law enforcement in taking Black lives, and the racist actions of various members of society, like Amy Cooper, who seek to use the deeply ingrained racism of our country against members of the Black community for their own benefit. These actions will not be tolerated, and we ask that swift and fair justice be taken against these members of our society, and that reform be enacted to prevent these actions from coming to pass in the future.
We must recognize that these hate-fueled actions are not new issues in our society, nor are they isolated incidents, but rather the result of centuries of oppression and violence against the Black community that have been deeply ingrained in the fabric of our society and legal system. They are the result of a passive government that has turned a blind eye to the cries and demands of the Black community to be treated as equals, and have their lives regarded with the same weight as white lives in our government and society.
We must give our support at such a crucial time in our nation’s history to the Black community, and stand with them in unity to demand justice, accountability, equality and reform of a country who has long ignored their voices. At a time where systemic oppression and racial violence continues to be deeply ingrained in our society, we cannot afford to stay silent in our outrage against the violent acts committed against Black members of society and must show our support and stand united with the Black community in this fight. Silence is not an option, turning a blind eye is not an option. In the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.”
Too long has our community tuned out the struggles of the Black and Afro-Latin communities. We want to affirm that you have our support and our help in any and every way possible. We must stand with the Black community now and always and bring with us the revolutionary spirit that has been ingrained in us by our ancestors to stand against all forms of injustice, especially when it impacts communities outside of our own. How can we fight for ourselves when we refuse to contribute and aid other communities when they need our support most? How can we call ourselves allies if we stay silent and do nothing to support in times of injustice? How can we fight for the freedom of our countries abroad if we do not fight for the freedom of those here at home?
Deeply ingrained in our culture is the importance of the family, or as we say “la familia”. We do anything for our familia, we support our familia when they need us to, we stand with our familia when they hurt, we protect our familia when they are being targeted. Familia is at the center of our culture and its most important aspect. All of this is to say that you are part of our familia. We will stand with you, fight with you, march with you, protect you, use our voices to amplify yours.
We must remember that this showing of support, this solidarity, these words mean nothing if they only last as long as the protests do. This is a long-standing promise. To abridge Black rights is to abridge our own. An attack on one community is an attack on us all, and we will stand with you and fight. If one of us is not free, then none of us are free.
How Can I Help?
As a non-Black POC, white-passing, and white identifying individuals there are many ways that we can help.
Protesting
If you are able to take to the streets and march, make sure to only amplify and echo what Black community members are trying to express. White passing and white identifying persons, use the privilege given to you by this society to protect Black community members from violence, stand between them and an officer, voice that you can see what is being done, and always record any interactions you are seeing with the police.
You can bring food, water, and medical supplies to protests. Many protestors have spent most if not all their day protesting. Make sure they’ve had some water and something to eat. Bring bandages, rubbing alcohol, gauze to help bandage any protestors that may have been harmed while protesting.
Do not engage in the destruction of property or looting; protestors have been actively trying to stop persons “protesting” that have been attempting to destroy property or loot. Do not provoke the police, for the consequences will not fall on you, but on your Black counterparts. Here is a link for practicing safety during protests
Becoming a Legal Observer
Sign up to become a legal observer! Legal observers go to various protests to monitor, record, and report on any unlawful or improper behavior from police towards protestors. The presence of legal observers can also serve as a deterrent of violence and unlawful behavior of police at protests. To learn more about Legal Observers, check out the NLG’s link.
Donating
Support BLSA in raising funds to support grassroots organizations in our backyard and by donating to:
- Brooklyn Community Bail Fund
- New York City Bail Fund: Venmo/CashApp- BailOutNYCMay
- Papermag lists various different organizations that you can donate to help protestors and organizations advocating for change, as well as a GoFundMe created by George Floyd’s family members for funeral expenses and the care of his daughter.
Petition
Change.org has a petition that you can sign demanding justice for George Floyd.
Call your representatives and state officials to demand justice and reform to protect Black lives.
Your Voice
Use your platform or voice on social media to voice your outrage and bring light to the racial violence that occurs against Black lives. Speak up when you see people making violent, ignorant, and racial remarks; this includes friends or family.
Informing Yourself
Examine your own biases and speech when it comes to advocacy for Black lives. Work on breaking down these socially ingrained concepts within yourself. Examine yourself constantly as we are never done breaking down our internal biases. Here is a link to some resources you can use to educate yourself.
En Solidaridad,
LALSA Editorial Board 2020-2021
Gabriela Reyes Ventura & Mathias J. Melo, Co-Directors
Clarissa Gonzalez, Treasurer
Nelly Garcia Orjuela, Secretary
Bianca MacPherson & Miguel Morales, Social Action & Events Co-Chairs
Claudia Freites & Justine Ortiz, Public Relations Co-Chairs
Lillian Barriento, Alumni Relations Chair