From the Cobalt Team: Statement on Black Lives Matter
Like you, we are grieving and enraged. Grieving and enraged at the murder and loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many other African American and Black community members to systemic racism and police brutality. We must do more – we this continued injustice on Black and Brown bodies cannot continue. We must act and we must demand more of ourselves, our organizations, our elected officials, and our nation.
As President Obama put it earlier this week, “So the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.”
We stand with those who are protesting and we commit the full weight of our organization and resources to embolden and empower more intersectional reformers and activists and anti-racist leaders. We will communicate through our words and actions that we have their backs, we will amplify their leadership and their voices, and we will work to put these leaders in positions of power for a just and equitable future. Those of us who are white must affirm our individual and collective responsibility to combat racism. We must acknowledge our implicit biases and commit, every day, to being anti-racist and acknowledge that this work never ends.
We expect our members, candidates and elected officials to commit to acting to end all forms of racism, specifically anti-Black, anti-Indigenous and anti-POC racism, not just talk about it.
As President Obama concluded, “I recognize that these past few months have been hard and dispiriting – that the fear, sorrow, uncertainty, and hardship of a pandemic have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of American life. But watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful. If, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals.”
We encourage everyone to do the work of learning the history of racism and anti-Blackness in the country, to self-reflect and step out of our comfort zones and have the hard conversations with our friends and neighbors, and to support and lift up the work of organizations in Colorado and across the country who are fighting for racial justice.
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How to Support the Protesters Demanding Justice for George Floyd
Where to Donate to Support the Black Lives Matter Movement Right Now
140+ Black Owned Businesses to Support in Denver
We cannot remain silent. We must do the work to be better allies to end institutional racism and white supremacy.
In solidarity,
The Cobalt Team