We firmly believe that systemic class-based, minority, and racial oppression is intentionally embedded in the very fiber of our country, with hundreds of years in the making. There is a clear disparity, backed up by numerous studies, demonstrating unequal access people of color continue to have to healthcare, healthy food, decent schools, decent housing, and jobs with the potential for upward mobility. 

We are very thankful for good officers who intentionally joined to make our country truly better and safer, who take their oath to heart, and who apply it equally to everyone. However, there have been far too many (and again a disproportionate number) of documented cases of brutality against people of color at the hands of those whose job it is to serve and protect us all. The vast majority of these perpetrators never see justice.

“Circling the wagons” to protect the outliers does not serve the police system’s mission to protect and serve our society. These bad apples include any officer who exhibits deeply embedded racism and/or bias, turns a blind eye, blindly follows orders, and/or constantly and irrationally fears those they have sworn to protect. All of these traits further embed the “us against them” mentality (already psychologically ingrained in all humans), while inciting further unwarranted brutality and fueling corruption.

Also, we would like to remind you that, while officers of the law put their lives in harm’s way every day (again, for which we remain truly grateful), this was a personal choice each and every one of them made. People who were born into black or brown or “not white” skin never got a chance to make a choice, and yet are put in harm’s way far more often than the rest of us “civilians" out here, simply because of the color of their skin. So, we ask you, is this not simply wrong?

As we are sure many of you now know, President Biden declared Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday Thursday, June 17th, 2021.

Though celebration is important, it is also important to remember that although slavery was officially abolished in the United States, the majority of newly freed slaves were close to no better off than they were while they were slaves, for many, many years, and even for generations. The ripple effects and cultural mindset of Jim Crow law still run rampant to this day, ranging from constant microaggressions to outright racist acts. The school-to-prison pipeline for young men of color and the legal loophole that no one may be subject to either slavery or involuntary servitude except as a punishment for a crime - as well as the unpaid manual labor people of color are forced to participate in while incarcerated - are all clear examples of how slavery, and the culture behind it, has yet to be fully eradicated in this country. Freedom from outright slavery did not mean freedom from white supremacy.

As a currently majority white organization, an intentional focus on inclusion and intersectionality are both crucial for RRNC to deliberately create non-performative activism and a lasting impact in our community - today, and every day. So to quote our Madam Vice President, “We have come far, and we have far to go, but today is a day of celebration.”

So in the spirit of celebration, we urge you to ~ Educate yourself and others on the history of Juneteenth; Support black-owned business and invest in the community; and Commit to a future of intentionally antirasist self education