Around New England

Massachusetts Member of Congress Decries ‘Racial Iniquities,’ Says Police Must Change

June 4, 2020

U..S. Representative Katherine Clark sent a mass-email message Thursday, June 4, 2020 calling for fundamental changes in policing in the United States.

The text of the email message is below, followed by images of the body of the email message.

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Text:

Hello Friend,

Ahmad Arbery. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. These Americans have been added to a centuries long list of Black men and women in America who have been profiled, brutalized, and murdered because of the color of their skin. Their deaths are a result of racism that continues to plague America and the complete lack of accountability for those responsible.

The criminal justice system does not function equally for all Americans, and that must change immediately.

It is not enough to acknowledge the racism that led to these murders: we have to fight for change so that every mom and spouse has the same assumption of safety for their family that I have for mine. As my dear friend and colleague Rep. Ayanna Pressley said, “change can only come when we organize for it, when we mobilize for it, and when we demand it.” 

GEORGE FLOYD
BREONNA TAYLOR
MICHAEL BROWN
FREDDIE GRAY
ATATIANA JEFFERSON
TONY MCDADE
ERIC GARNER

NOT ONE MORE

We must start by reforming our law enforcement policies. Black Americans are disproportionately arrested, injured, and killed by the police, and the roots behind this racial inequity run far deeper than individual officers. There is a separate legal and political framework that shields police from consequences, gives them special rights when defending themselves, and often trains them to fear the communities that they are supposed to protect.

We must ban chokeholds, demilitarize our police, appoint civilian oversight boards, require body cameras, investigate misconduct and hold bad actors accountability. We must fundamentally change the way we police in America. In the coming days and weeks, the House of Representatives, led by my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, will be voting on civil rights legislation to address the systemic injustices faced by Black Americans. We must meet this moment with action.

Please know that I will continue to fight against systemic racism and work together with my colleagues to create an America where justice means justice for all.

Sincerely,

[signature]

Katherine M. Clark
Member of Congress (MA-05)

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Images of the email message: