Date: Monday, 08 June 2020
Eritrean American communities, around the United States, stand in solidarity with those protesting for the equality of Black Lives. Our Black Lives dim, as those of all Americans do, when these lives are taken disproportionately as consequence of their blackness.
These protests erupted in direct response to specific instances, of what appeared to be, prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination symptomatic of systems of racism (of blackness) embedded in our institutions and communities, consciously and unconsciously. Sadly, we see voices of genuine and peaceful protesters seeking change and solutions being drowned out by strategic disruptors. We must seek solutions such that our nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.
As Americans, we must come together, as one people, to methodically develop a tangible plan to erase the systemic racism of our institutions and society. This plan will naturally include legislation, but will ultimately need to be incorporated into our civic understanding. However, immediate and practical steps are needed for law enforcement officers and the legal system more generally (including the courts and lawyers – public and private) to disrupt the conscious and unconscious biases that conflate blackness with crime and inferiority. Until we address the biases that permeate our society and institutions, consciously and unconsciously, we will not fulfill our goal to create a more perfect Union, insuring domestic tranquility, and promoting the general welfare. As Eritrean Americans we stand together with Americans from all backgrounds and heritages protesting to achieve this goal.
National Council of Eritrean Americans
