CLOSE
press release
Supermajority’s Response To The Murder of Black People
8 min read • May 29, 2020
Reading time:
8 min
Published:
May 29, 2020
for immediate release:
May 29, 2020

Supermajority’s Response To The Murder of Black People

Plan to Engage Women Launches Today in Several States Where Women are Suffering

It is with a heavy heart that we’re reaching out to you today. We are all reeling from the news of the past few weeks — the murder of Black people in this country, the physical and rhetorical violence toward protesters, the brazen inaction from local officials, and the statement issued by the President of the United States which can only be described as a call to action for white supremacists.

Supermajority was founded on the premise that the fight for gender equality can only be successful if we work together across race, age, geography, and difference. Today presents us with an important test for that vision. This violence is not new. We are so heartbroken that this continues to happen; and yet we must continue to emphatically condemn the deadly role that racism plays in every single part of our society – from healthcare, to education, to housing, and most clearly in policing.

Our Majority Rules say that our lives must be safe. For Black people in America, this has never been true. It wasn’t true for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and George Floyd. We must recommit to the necessary work of undoing and unlearning the centuries of oppression that led to their murders — changing the rules that devalue Black lives, and holding the people we elect to enforce those rules accountable.

To our Black members:

We hope you can find space for yourselves today. It’s exhausting to try and show up for the day when racist institutions continue to fail us. You are scared for your families, and we are too. You are enraged by the state of our country, and we are too. You deserve to have your humanity recognized and protected, and we agree. We know we cannot do this work alone but we also have to fortify ourselves for a fight that is long. Take care of yourselves, first and foremost. We are sending love. We are crying with you. And we are standing with you.

To our non-Black members of color:

We know this pain is all too familiar for you, too. Racism, bigotry, and xenophobia have destroyed our communities. We also hope you can find space to heal today. Anti-Blackness has worked hard to divide us. Right now we have a choice to resist that. We are standing with you to do this work.

To our white members:

We’re calling you in. Show up for Black communities in real ways. We need white people to stand up in this moment, and every time we are used as a tool for someone else’s agenda.  Racism and sexism are inextricably linked. We can not achieve gender equality without dismantling white supremacy; patriarchy and white supremacy go hand in hand. It’s on white women to stop people like Amy Cooper from weaponizing their whiteness against Black communities. White women must try and help other white women understand and take action. We must not be complicit in the violence that cuts short Black lives.

This work is critical and constant. We’ve compiled a list of things that we can do today to support the activism on the ground, as well as resources that can help us individually acknowledge our own preconceived notions, biases, and lived experiences to bring about the systemic change required to end the violence.

With Love,

Alicia, Ai-jen, Cecile, and the Supermajority staff

***

The Supermajority staff collaborated to create the below list of resources for anyone interested in supporting the movement, expanding their knowledge of racial equity, and/or finding help themselves. We’ve marked resources that particularly address the intersection of racism and sexism with an asterisk.

Support

Read

Media

Books

Follow

Listen 

Watch

Learn 

Get Help 

  • Good Call NYC: Free legal services for protestors in New York City
  • Healhause: a Brooklyn-based space providing accessible and inclusive wellness
  • Therapy resources for people of color and queer folx
  • * Sista Afya: a Chicago-based, community-driven organization providing women from across the Black diaspora with low-cost group therapy sessions and free online conversations
  • * Therapy for Black Girls: founded by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, this organization combats the stigma around therapy and is now also a podcast and private Facebook support group

Vote

###
Supermajority is a women’s equality organization made up of women of all backgrounds, races, and ages who are coming together to build a voting bloc committed to creating a future where we are all truly equal. Supermajority is dedicated to building women’s collective political power by providing the information, training, and resources needed to take meaningful action at the local, state, and national levels.
Help us spread the word
© 2024 Supermajority