The War on Black and Brown Communities

We join the outpouring of grief and rage, and the global demand for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Too many Black lives have been ended by the police, white supremacy, and systemic institutional violence against communities of color.

This 400 years of violence and killing must end.

It has taken some time for us to reflect on our role as a group. We see a clear connection between the structural violence in our society and the environmental injustices perpetrated upon Black communities again and again. We understand that the communities that are most hurt by institutional racism are the same that are most vulnerable to climate degradation and disproportionately affected by diseases like COVID-19. The world we are fighting for is a world where these inequalities do not exist — and our humanity is intact.

350Brooklyn also recognizes that as a group we must commit to looking rigorously at our own practices, and further incorporate the values of social justice into how we do our work. We must be intentional in standing up to racism and the vestiges of white supremacy. The same mentality that supports the abuse of power over individuals is destroying our communities and our planet.

“There is no just recovery for climate, without addressing the systemic extraction, harm, and violence towards Black communities.” — 350.org

We invite you to be part of our step forward. If you’d like to build this dialogue with us, especially if you have felt marginalized or excluded from our group or the climate movement, please contact us at 350Brooklyn and join us at our next meeting.

What can you do?

Support the Movement for Black Lives, a global organization whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. #M4BL

Here in New York State we urge you to support:

Communities United for Police Reform

• Push back on the Mayor’s indefensible proposal to leave the NYPD’s bloated $6B budget intact while slashing programs and services critical to communities of color, especially during the COVID-19 crisis at #NYCBudgetJustice.
• Support the ‘Safer New York’ Act, a package of bills in the New York State Legislature that would help increase police transparency — including the repeal of 50-A — and accountability in New Yorkers’ most common encounters with police.

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Fighting to protect civil rights and achieve lived equality for communities in need. One of our partners in the fight for the Renewable Rikers Act and Electric School Buses.

Just Leadership USA
Building a National Movement to reform the carceral system in the United States and to #BuildCommunities. 350Brooklyn is part of the coalition they are leading to close Rikers Island and pass the Renewable Rikers Act.

On a federal level we must call our representatives and demand that the house pass the Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act (H.R.4408) which would place a national ban on all chokeholds by law.

350.org has put together a helpful list of resources about actions you can take and the many Minneapolis groups you can support.

We also want to lift up the work of our fellow Brooklyn organizations that focus on racial equity and justice:

The Black, Indigenous & People of Color Project
New York Communities for Change
Vocal-NY
Brooklyn Movement Center
Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice: A coalition of groups, including 350Brooklyn, fighting to ensure that the proposed Gowanus Rezoning achieves social, economic, environmental and racial justice. Sign their petition here.
UPROSE