“It is not enough to be non-racist, we must be antiracist.” – Angela Davis
In recent months, studies have shown that the coronavirus pandemic is disproportionately killing black Americans, which researchers attribute to “social conditions, structural racism, and other factors.”
Decades of policy making have cycled brown and black people in and out of prison at startlingly disproportionate rates, much of it under the facade of a war on drugs. Many policies in the criminal justice system, like stop and frisk, no-knock warrants, use of chokeholds, mandatory minimums and asset forfeiture have disproportionately impacted people of color and been enforced under the guise of the Drug War.
It will take more than voting, or the actions of elected officials, for America to recover from the violent, sinister history and reality of racism embedded in its collective consciousness.
As prohibition-fueled injustices continue across the country and the globe, the questions on millions of minds are: How can we do better, as a society, and how can I help?
All these stories require not only our attention but a deeper understanding of systemic racism and implicit bias. We have pulled together some resources that we believe will be helpful during these frightening and frustrating times. Understanding begins with all of us looking inward, reflecting on our own attitudes and engaging in allyship.